40andFighting

Today’s Top BJJ News — October 16, 2026

Daily BJJ News Briefing

October 16, 2026 · Updated 8:09 AM -07:00

#1

Demetrious Johnson Calls for Heel Hooks to Be Banned in Grappling

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson argued that heel hooks should be prohibited in grappling competition during a recent episode of MightyCast with Craig Jones. Johnson cited the serious knee injury suffered by his longtime coach Matt Hume and questioned whether heel hooks are worth the long-term risk. [38]

Why it matters: The comments place one of MMA’s most respected athletes at the center of the continuing debate over leg-lock safety, competitive freedom and ruleset design. Johnson’s position is an opinion, not a rule change, and heel hooks remain legal in several advanced no-gi formats. [38]

Social hook: Demetrious Johnson wants heel hooks banned—but would that make grappling safer or less complete?

#2

Sarah Galvão and Nolan Stuart Confirmed for the 2026 IBJJF Crown

FloGrappling reported on October 15 that reigning Crown champions Sarah Galvão and Nolan Stuart are confirmed to return for the 2026 edition of the IBJJF event. The tournament is scheduled for November 8 at the Pyramid in Long Beach, with Galvão seeking another title in the lightweight bracket. [57]

Why it matters: The Crown is becoming one of the sport’s most visible invitation-only events, and the return of both defending champions gives the November tournament an immediate championship storyline. The report confirms their participation but does not yet provide the complete final field. [57]

Social hook: The Crown’s defending champions are back—Sarah Galvão and Nolan Stuart are chasing another Long Beach title.

#3

UAE Championship Season Reaches Its Final Round in Abu Dhabi

The eighth and final round of the 2026 Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is scheduled for October 16–18 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation event will determine the season’s Gi champions and recognize the leading athletes and clubs in the overall standings, with Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club currently leading the team race. [44]

Why it matters: The event is a major domestic championship in the UAE and includes adult, masters and youth divisions across three days. Its results will decide the season-ending team and individual honors rather than merely serving as a routine tournament. [44]

Social hook: Abu Dhabi hosts the UAE season finale—three days to decide the country’s top Gi champions and clubs.

#4

IBJJF Pan Pacific No-Gi Championship Opens a Major International Weekend

The 2026 IBJJF Pan Pacific No-Gi Championship begins October 16 in Melbourne, alongside Rio de Janeiro’s Spring International Open and other major events in Fort Lauderdale and Sacramento. Fabric Jiu-Jitsu identified the Pan Pacific as the weekend’s leading IBJJF event, with several returning champions among a field featuring more than 300 black belts across the weekend’s major IBJJF competitions. [7]

Why it matters: The Melbourne championship is one of the weekend’s most important opportunities for elite no-gi athletes to add ranking momentum and international medals. The available reporting is a preview; final results and any late withdrawals were not yet available at the time of review. [7]

Social hook: The Pan Pacific leads a stacked weekend of IBJJF action, with returning champions putting their titles on the line in Melbourne.

Editor’s Notes

No material verification warnings were identified for the reported statements. Johnson’s heel-hook position is an athlete opinion rather than an announced policy change. The Crown item is based on FloGrappling’s October 15 report, while the Pan Pacific item remains a pre-event preview; final results, late bracket changes and withdrawals may alter the weekend picture.

Sources

  1. https://ibjjf.com/events/calendar
  2. https://dailytriangle.com/article?category=Preview&date=2026-10-12T16%3A34%3A00.000Z&excerpt=See+what%27s+streaming+on+FloGrappling+Oct.+12%E2%80%9318%2C+including+Fight+to+Win+328%2C+ADCC+New+Jersey+Open%2C+ADCC+Callao+Open+and+more.&imageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fd2779tscntxxsw.cloudfront.net%2F6ac0200b9681a.png&source=flograppling&title=What%27s+Streaming+On+FloGrappling+This+Week%3F+Oct.+12–18%2C+2026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flograppling.com%2Farticles%2F16242933-flograppling-streaming-schedule-oct-12-18-2026
  3. https://ibjjf.com/events/charlotte-fall-international-open-ibjjf-jiu-jitsu-no-gi-championship-2026
  4. https://ibjjf.com/events/3240/results
  5. https://bjjtournaments.net/tournament/535748
  6. https://www.bjjwatchlist.app/
  7. https://www.fabricjiujitsu.com/
  8. https://www.flograppling.com/
  9. https://bjj-rules.com/competitions-bjj-en-france-2026-le-calendrier-complet/
  10. https://bjj-rules.com/en/bjj-competitions-in-france-2026-2027-calendar/
  11. https://tatamenaweb.com.br/jiu-jitsu-em-outubro-de-2026/
  12. https://grapplersnews.jp/en/events
  13. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1v5bqzz/what_happened_to_flo_wno/
  14. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1wqu0ne/ufc_bjj_vs_adcc/
  15. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1u4ci2b/what_happened_to_the_good_events/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_BJJ_4
  17. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1w9cpk0/adcc_2026_where_is_the_hype/
  18. https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/1tp9ehu/whats_up_with_ebi_wno/
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_BJJ_2
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kade_Ruotolo