Many of the top pound-for-pound brown belts have been promoted since the IBJJF canceled the second half of the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19. In April, Meyram Maquine earned the strap, and just this month, Higor Lima, Raul Basilio, Roosevelt Sousa, Samuel Nagai, and Fabricio Andrey each leveled up to black belt.