IBJJF Pro League GP

Las Vegas is about to become the setting for one of the best IBJJF events of the year. On July 9th, some of the best BJJ black belt will descend on the city of sin to compete for a grand prize of $40,000! The IBJJF is starting to recognize the success of such organizations as EBI and Polaris and are starting to deal out bigger cash prizes. This is great news for those in the Jiu Jitsu community. The Pro League GP has some amazing black belts competing this year. Here is the rundown on who is competing.

Xande Ribeiro:

Xande is a living legend of the sport. A black belt under Saulo Ribeiro, Xande has taken championships at the Worlds, the Pan Am’s and ADCC. Known for his strong passing and top game, he has to be one of the favorites going in to this tournament. He has beaten such names such as Marcio Cruz, Hector Lombard and Jackson Souza. Xande could be adding more names to the list of people that he has defeated.

Leo Nogueira:

From the famed Alliance Academy comes, Leo Nogueira. Leo has been taking 2016 by storm. This year alone, he has racked up a large amount of wins and is ready to do the same during this GP. Nogueira is another competitor with a great passing and top game. He will be looking to keep 2016 a winning year for himself.

Joao Gabriel Rocha:

Don’t be surprised if Rocha comes in and takes this tournament by storm. He has been on an absolute tear lately. In the last two years, AJ Agazarm, Yuri Simoes and Erberth Santos have all fallen to this Jiu Jitsu monster. Rocha is a very well rounded competitor who is dangerous anywhere he goes. This super heavyweight will be interesting to watch in this.

Felipe Pena:

A multi time champion hailing from Gracie Barra, Pena has one every big tournament you can think of since 2012. A dangerous competitor with a great open guard and serious back attacks, he has got to be one of the most dangerous guys on this card. Unfortunately in 2015, he was involved with some controversy around a drug test and was stripped of his title. He is going to come into this tournament strong, looking to erase the controversy and take home a big check and prestigious title.

This will be a great tournament to watch. Watching these beasts compete against one another will lead to some very memorable matches. On top of that, this is the right track for the IBJJF to bring some serious monetary incentive to their tournaments. And while it is not confirmed yet, it sounds like a possible scenario that Andre Galvao or Marcus Almedia could get involved somehow as well. Either way, this is an event not to miss.