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Today’s Top BJJ News — September 11, 2026

Daily BJJ News Briefing

September 11, 2026 · Updated 8:05 AM -07:00

#1

ADCC 2026 Heads Into Kraków With Kaynan Duarte–Yuri Simões Superfight Confirmed

The 2026 ADCC World Championships begin September 12 in Kraków, Poland, with Kaynan Duarte set to face Yuri Simões in the superfight. Simões replaces Gordon Ryan, who has been out of competition since announcing his retirement in February 2026 because of ongoing health issues. Pedro Marinho is also out after withdrawing with an injury, with Mateusz Mazur taking his place at 88kg. [54]

Why it matters: ADCC’s biggest weekend now has a major change at the top of the card, pairing the reigning absolute champion with a three-time ADCC champion. The tournament brackets are scheduled to be revealed on September 11 before competition begins. [55]

Social hook: Gordon Ryan is out—but a three-time champion just stepped in to face Kaynan Duarte in the ADCC superfight.

#2

Gordon Ryan’s Retirement Remains One of ADCC 2026’s Defining Storylines

FloGrappling published a detailed update on September 10 confirming that Gordon Ryan will not compete at ADCC Poland. The seven-time ADCC champion’s last official match was his 21-0 superfight victory over Yuri Simões at the 2024 ADCC World Championships, and he has since shifted toward coaching, instructionals and online analysis. [54]

Why it matters: Ryan’s absence changes the competitive landscape and removes the tournament’s most dominant recent champion from the field. His retirement also underscores the growing importance of athlete health and long-term career sustainability in elite grappling.

Social hook: The greatest ADCC heavyweight of his generation is watching from the corner instead of competing in Kraków.

#3

IBJJF Adds Three More High-Profile Athletes to the 2026 Crown

The IBJJF announced three new 2026 Crown commitments on September 10: Nikolett Kis in the women’s lightweight division, Hazel Rose Butcher-Salazar in the women’s super-heavyweight division and Will Wilson in the men’s featherweight division. Kis enters after winning the 2026 lightweight World Championship, while Wilson is the reigning lightweight European champion and Pan silver medalist. [56]

Why it matters: The announcements add proven champions and fast-rising prospects to an eight-athlete-per-division event scheduled for November 8 at the Pyramid in Long Beach, California. Hazel’s potential matchup with reigning super-heavyweight champion Gabi Pessanha is already one of the event’s most compelling possibilities. [57]

Social hook: A new black belt, a European champion and a seven-gold prospect just joined the IBJJF Crown lineup.

#4

Brazilian Federation Introduces Cervical-Position Safety Rule After Serious Injury

The Confederação Brasileira de Lutas Profissionais reportedly introduced a rule prohibiting athletes from remaining inverted with the head or cervical region as the primary point of support while under an opponent’s control, pressure or weight. The change follows the August 22 injury involving Willian “Kabuto” Masuda, who reportedly suffered C5 and C6 fractures during a no-gi match. The rule was said to take effect September 1. [58]

Why it matters: The policy could influence how Brazilian tournaments treat prolonged cervical loading and inverted positions. The federation’s announcement is available through its official communications archive, but broader adoption by other organizations has not been confirmed.

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Sources

  1. https://www.flograppling.com/
  2. https://www.flograppling.com/events?date=2026-09-01&facets=%7B%22Governing+Body%22%3A%5B%22Fight+To+Win%22%5D%7D
  3. https://www.mmamania.com/bjj-news
  4. https://www.bjjwatchlist.app/
  5. https://www.bjj-radar.com/
  6. https://www.bjjnews.com/?include_tags=news
  7. https://www.tapin-bjj.com/tournament
  8. https://jiujitsustyle.com/events/calendar
  9. https://www.onefc.com/news/one-fight-night-47-mma-and-submission-grappling-results-henrique-jaworski-dantas-and-aragon-stun-in-bangkok/
  10. https://ibjjf.com/?v=1.0.24
  11. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/adcc-2026-day-1-live-080000468.html
  12. https://www.bjjcompfinder.com/tournaments
  13. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1w9cpk0/adcc_2026_where_is_the_hype/
  14. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1w6ll1o/hearing_about_several_prematch_dqs_at_master/
  15. https://www.reddit.com/r/jiujitsu/comments/1w2qy2x/what_is_the_next_evolution_of_jiujitsu_i_dont/
  16. https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA_Academy/comments/1w8ccs0/is_modern_jiu_jitsu_becoming_increasingly_more/
  17. https://ibjjf.com/news/2026-crown-will-wilson-eyes-featherweight-feat
  18. https://www.flograppling.com/collections/6751892-featured/article?playing=16157350
  19. https://jitsmagazine.com/category/bjj-news/
  20. https://bjj-world.com/category/news/