The professional grappling scene has experienced significant growth in recent years, with events like ADCC, CJI, WNO, Polaris, and the UFC Fight Pass Invitational leading the way to increase viewership and athlete pay. While most pro events are no gi, the IBJJF has introduced a professional event in the traditional kimono called “The Crown.”
The inaugural event took place in 2023, and the upcoming second edition on November 17 promises to be even bigger and better.
The 2024 IBJJF Crown will once again feature tournaments in six divisions — four for men and two for women. The brackets have now expanded to eight-man tournaments from the previous four-man format.
Several renowned BJJ athletes have been confirmed for the roster, including past winners like Tainan Dalpra, Erich Munis, Gabrieli Pessanha, and Luiza Monteiro.
Fellipe Andrew, last year’s middleweight winner and CJI silver medalist, is currently ineligible to participate in IBJJF events due to a suspension by USADA.
A prominent name on the lineup is Diego “Pato” Oliveira, a five-time world champion who will be returning to gi competition after achieving silver at the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
For more details about the event and the full list of competitors, refer to the information below.
Payouts and rulesets for 2024 IBJJF Crown
The men’s divisions will follow the typical IBJJF gi weight classes: featherweight, middleweight, heavyweight, and ultra-heavyweight. The women’s divisions will include lightweight and openweight categories.
Each match will adhere to traditional IBJJF rules with points and advantages and will last for 10 minutes.
In 2023, the IBJJF Crown offered $15,000 prizes for each tournament winner and $3,000 for silver medalists, setting a record payout of over $120,000. The total payout for the larger field of competitors in 2024 has not been disclosed at this time.
