A good mix of young rising stars and veteran Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) champs shined at the 2026 ADCC West Coast Trials this past weekend.
Sarah Galvao could’ve likely gotten an ADCC 2026 invite directly, as she’s a big name and also the new top pound-for-pound grappler in the gi, but the second generation BJJ star still decided to compete for her slot instead. The 19-year-old prodigy dominated the field at the ADCC West Coast Trials, winning five matches with three submissions.
Galvao continued her
string of dominance with a gold medal at the under 65 kg division, and officially earned her spot at the ADCC 2026 World Championships.
The 88 kg division also shared the spotlight at the ADCC West Coast Trials. In the deepest bracket of the event — which had the likes of PGF champ Ryan Aitken, ADCC trials winner Jacob Couch, UFC BJJ star Andy Varela and other top level grapplers — it was Nathan Haddad who came out on top to win gold.
Haddad, who was part of the UFC BJJ reality show, got a major title under his belt after impressively winning seven matches and landing three submissions in one weekend. He beat Aitken in the finals to win his first ADCC Trials title.
While Galvao and Haddad were among the six winners from the event that’ll be entering their first ever ADCC World Championships, there were a couple of veterans who also shined at the ADCC West Coast Trials. Elder Cruz won gold at -99 kg to qualify for his third ADCC Worlds, while Gianni Grippo won the stacked -66 kg division.
Grippo, 34, went 7-0 without conceding a single point to win gold and secure his ADCC 2026 spot. The three time IBJJF no gi world champion has shown incredible longevity in his career, especially at the lightest division which typically utilizes more speed and athleticism. He will now make his return to ADCC Worlds, 11 years since his first appearance back in 2015.
Also winning their divisions are Michael Sainz, Nick Hartman, Sheliah Lindsey and Paige Borras.
Slots for ADCC 2026 are quickly filling up, with only one Trials event left this cycle. The full list of confirmed ADCC 2026 competitors are here.
2026 ADCC West Coast Trials Quick results and invites
- 66 kg: Gianni Grippo
- 77 kg: Michael Sainz
- 88 kg: Nathan Haddad
- 99 kg: Elder Cruz
- +99 kg: Nick Hartman
- Women’s 55 kg: Sheliah Lindsey
- Women’s 65 kg: Sarah Galvao
- Women’s +65 kg: Paige Borras
Full results for every match at the 2026 ADCC West Coast Trials are here.
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