One of the most exciting things for me as a spectator and fan of jiu-jitsu was watching the action in the brown and purple belt divisions at the 2016 Euros. 

The level of skill and talent on the mats was just incredible, and I think this is a very clear indication of where jiu-jitsu is going in the next few years. Competitors are versatile, extremely technical, and many of them are already living lives similar to the top professionals – two-a-day training sessions, lucrative sponsorships, travelling to major comps…  

With 17 adult brown belt divisions contested on Sunday Jan. 25, it’s a tough task to highlight every single gold medallist – especially as I was running around taking photos, commentating on the black belt finals, and trying to watch all 10 mats at the same time. 

Here are a few of the top brown belts from the weekend who stood out for me. Note – This list is by no means meant to be complete, as there were many other amazing athletes in action that weekend. 

Nicholas Meregali – Absolute gold

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The Alliance rep took gold in the absolute, beating Cicero Costha’s Helton Junior by decision, but looked on fire all day (check out this savage loop choke at around 1.40 of the match). He lost a close match (6-4) to GF Team’s Gutemberg Pereira in the final of the heavyweight division, although I have a feeling that we’ll get to see them meet again many times in the future. 

Tayane Porfirio – Super heavyweight and Absolute gold

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Another tournament, another double gold. Alliance’s super heavyweight (who many are calling ‘The Next Gabi Garcia’) showed her abilities by winning both her weight class and the absolute division. There were no easy fights for her, but she showed her versatility on her way to victory. With less than a year as a brown belt her stature as one of the most dominant members of the rank speaks volumes about her potential for the future. 

Gutemberg Pereira – Heavyweight gold

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GF Team’s got two very dangerous brown belts in Max Gimenis and Gutemberg Pereira, with the two training partners switching between heavy, super and ultra heavyweight depending on the tournament. Pereira had the best performance of the two last weekend, winning his weight class (as we mentioned, beating Meregali in the finals) but a torn hamstring took him out of the absolute division in the semi-finals. 

Erin Herle – Lightweight gold

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An Alliance rep training with Marcelo Garcia in Manhattan, Herle originates from the West Coast where she used to train with another titan of the Alliance team in Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles. Noted guard player Gianni Grippo is her boyfriend, but Herle’s aggressive bottom game relies more on spider guard attacks than the de la riva-berimbolo game. Look out for her deadly triangle choke.

Adam Wardzinski – Middle heavyweight gold

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The Polish grappler represents Checkmat, and he added his third Euro gold (two in the gi, one no gi) to his resume with a submission win (choke from the back) over the very tough Brazilian Horlando Monteiro of Kimura-Nova Uniao. Wardzinski’s performance at the Euros saw him go to the podium twice, as he also took bronze in the absolute. 

Claudia Do Val – Middle Heavyweight gold

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A new-comer to the brown belt competition scene, the Rio de Janeiro-based grappler burst onto the scene at the end of 2015 with a series of hard-fought encounters with Tayane Porfirio. Val is unusual in that she didn’t compete at either blue or purple belt, and so her competition experience is limited – not that it stopped her taking gold in her weight and bronze in the absolute. 

Pedro Dias – Light featherweight gold

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Well-known on the Brazilian competition circuit, ‘Pedrinho’ is a tough and aggressive competitor from Rio who is a regular sight on the podium and tournaments both big and small. His main coach is 6th degree black belt Jose ‘Leao’ Teixeira, and he trains daily with old-school grapplers such as Mauricio Gomes (better known as Roger Gracie’s dad). 

Full Brown Belt Results from 2016 IBJJF European Championships

BROWN / Adult / Male / Rooster
First - Hiago Gama Sousa - Alliance
Second - Carlos Saquic Perez - Alliance
Third - Claudio Henrique de Souza - Fernando Boi JJ
Third - Aniel Bonifacio Candido - Zenith BJJ

BROWN / Adult / Male / Light Feather
First - Pedro Paulo Dias Clementino - Escola de JJ Leão Teixeira
Second - Anthony Guy De Oliveira - Werdum Combat Team France
Third - Mani Tavanaei - Alliance International
Third - Willian Melo de Oliveira - Alliance 

BROWN / Adult / Male / Feather
First - Adam Benayoun - Alliance
Second - Lucas de Araujo Gomes - Alliance
Third - John Lenno Dantas - Nova União
Third - Joshua S. Rodriguez - GD Jiu-Jitsu Association

BROWN / Adult / Male / Light
First - Pedro Alves Douteiro Cranfield Ramalho - Team Manoel Neto BJJ
Second - Tanno Robson Odilio - Infight Japan Jiu-Jitsu
Third - Borna Ramic - Neves Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association
Third - Breno Henrique Abreu Bittencourt - Ares BJJ Brasil

BROWN / Adult / Male / Middle
First - Isaque Bahiense Braz - Alliance
Second - Jaakko Emil Johannes Hulkkonen - Hilti BJJ Tampere
Third - Igor Veríssimo de Oliveira Chaves - Ns Brotherhood
Third - Pascal A. Mazza Ramsby - CheckMat

BROWN / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy
First - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat
Second - Horlando de Jesus Monteiro - Nova União
Third - Matheus Spirandeli Souza - Lótus Club
Third - Benjamin William Hodgkinson - Maromba Academia International

BROWN / Adult / Male / Heavy
First - Gutemberg de Jesus Santos Pereira - GF Team
Second - Nicholas Meregali - Alliance
Third - Amadu Martins Jorge - Gracie Barra
Third - Jamie Malcom William Hughes - Brasa CTA

BROWN / Adult / Male / Super Heavy
First - Helton Jose Mendes da Silva Junior - PSLPB Cicero Costha
Second - Eldar Rafigaev - Jungle BJJ
Third - Perttu Tapio Tepponen - Hilti BJJ Tampere
Third - Max dos Santos Gimenis - GF Team

BROWN / Adult / Male / Ultra Heavy
First - Admilson Gobi Junior - Team Lloyd Irvin
Second - Danny Andre Feliz Capitao - Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team
Third - Ruben Araújo Fonseca - Pantera Negra Jiu-Jitsu
Third - Camil Moldoveanu - Absoluto BJJ

BROWN / Adult / Male / Open Class
First - Nicholas Meregali - Alliance
Second - Helton Jose Mendes da Silva Junior - PSLPB Cicero Costha
Third - Gutemberg de Jesus Santos Pereira - GF Team
Third - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat

BROWN / Adult / Female / Light Feather
First - Helene Wenger - Malicia Team
Second - Outi Järvilehto - Brasa CTA
Third - Natalia Carriello - Gracie Barra

BROWN / Adult / Female / Feather
First - Eirin Cathrine Nygren - Frontline Academy
Second - Ana Talita de Oliveira Alencar - GF Team
Third - Carolina Carriello - Gracie Barra
Third - Emilia Tuukkanen - Roger Gracie

BROWN / Adult / Female / Light
First - Erin Elizabeth Herle - Alliance
Second - Fran Vanderstukken - Brasa CTA
Third - Leoni Munslow - New School BJJ
Third - Patricia Kazimierczak - CheckMat

BROWN / Adult / Female / Middle
First - Samantha Lea Cook - CheckMat
Second - Ida Fløisvik - Roger Gracie

BROWN / Adult / Female / Medium Heavy
First - Claudia Fernanda Onofre V. Doval - De La Riva JJ
Second - Morena G. Cuba - Association Aranha
Third - Jessica Medeiros de Andrade - GF Team
Third - Nivia de Souza Moura - Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu

BROWN / Adult / Female / Super Heavy
First - Tayane Porfírio de Araújo - Alliance
Second - Jonna Karoliina Konivuori - Alliance

BROWN / Adult / Female / Open Class
First - Tayane Porfírio de Araújo - Alliance
Second - Ana Talita de Oliveira Alencar - GF Team
Third - Claudia Fernanda Onofre V. Doval - De La Riva JJ
Third - Jonna Karoliina Konivuori - Alliance