The 2026 ADCC World Championships were held in Kraków, Poland, on September 12–13.

At the 2024 edition, the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) ran during the same period, triggering major discussion around athlete pay and the division of elite talent. Since then, UFC BJJ has also launched in earnest, and the professional grappling landscape has changed considerably in just two years.

Against that backdrop, ADCC 2026 offered more than tournament results. It also offered a useful case study in how elite grappling is developing as both a sport and a professional product.

What competitive value does ADCC still hold? How much progress has been made on the compensation issues raised by CJI? And what new options are becoming available to athletes now that UFC BJJ has entered the market?

This article looks at ADCC 2026 from several angles: competition, event structure, athlete pay, media, and the broader professional grappling landscape.

Competitive Trends: Wrestling and Top Position Remain Important

Across the 103 weight-class matches at ADCC 2026, 50 ended in submission, for a submission rate of 48.5 percent. The most common finish was a choke from back control, with 19, followed by six straight ankle locks and six triangle chokes. (BJJ Heroes)

With nearly half the matches ending by submission, it would be too simplistic to describe ADCC as a tournament dominated only by wrestling.

At the same time, BJJ Heroes noted that, as in previous editions, stand-up exchanges, top position, and back attacks continued to play a major role in determining outcomes.

One example was Magomed Dzharbaev, who won the 77 kg division. Dzharbaev used his wrestling to shape where exchanges took place and maintained his game against dangerous leg-lock specialist Mateusz Szczecinski.

The important point is not that “wrestling is stronger than jiu-jitsu.”

Under ADCC rules, the ability to decide where the match takes place is itself a major advantage. A strong stand-up game can force an opponent to concede guard. Securing top position creates scoring and pressure opportunities, while an opponent attempting to stand can open transitions to the back.

Recent ADCC results suggest that success depends less on wrestling in isolation and more on the ability to connect wrestling with passing, back takes, and submissions.

Submission Rate and Technical Variety

The importance of wrestling and top control does not mean submission skills have become less relevant.

At 99 kg, Luke Griffith defeated Kaynan Duarte by rear-naked choke in the final. At +99 kg, Victor Hugo submitted Josh Saunders with a shoulder lock.

Daniel Schuardt also drew attention with an unusual lower-body submission he refers to as the “Mussolini Lock.”

Taken together, the 2026 results suggest that modern no-gi grappling continues to reward athletes who can connect multiple phases of the game: wrestling, guard play, leg attacks, back control, and finishing ability.

Geographic Expansion and European Results

According to FloGrappling, athletes from 23 countries competed at ADCC 2026, with podium finishers representing a record nine nations. (FloGrappling)

European athletes won seven medals in total, including two golds, matching South America in overall medal count.

The clearest example was Pawel Jaworski, who defeated Marlon Tajik in the 88 kg final and became the first Polish athlete to win an ADCC division.

Elite grappling has traditionally been discussed largely through the lens of Brazil and the United States. The 2026 results suggest that the competitive base is becoming more geographically distributed.

The decision to hold the event in Kraków also reflected that broader shift.

Craig Jones’s Assessment of ADCC 2026

After the event, Craig Jones reviewed ADCC 2026 on his YouTube channel.

Jones had been one of ADCC’s most prominent critics in 2024, particularly over athlete compensation and event management, and he launched CJI as a competing event. His assessment of the 2026 tournament was notably more positive.

While still describing ADCC as imperfect, Jones said the event felt “special” and “important,” and argued that it produced more memorable moments than UFC BJJ.

A recurring theme in his comments was whether an event can increase an athlete’s visibility.

Jones described “clout” as a form of currency in professional grappling, arguing that competitive results are only one part of an athlete’s long-term earning potential.

At ADCC, he argued, athletes can build recognition even without winning the tournament by defeating established names or producing memorable performances.

That point helps explain the value of ADCC beyond prize money alone: participation and performance can affect an athlete’s broader career profile.

Differences Between ADCC and UFC BJJ

Jones has not dismissed UFC BJJ entirely.

He has acknowledged that UFC BJJ offers athletes more regular competition and a degree of income stability.

UFC BJJ typically uses three five-minute rounds, with a 10-point must scoring system that places a high value on attacks leading toward submissions. (UFC)

That format is relatively familiar to MMA audiences and gives matches a predictable structure.

Jones has also spoken positively about some of UFC BJJ’s presentation choices, including rounds and the competition area, and suggested that ADCC could improve by adopting similar elements.

The two formats, however, are built around different models.

UFC BJJ is structured around regular events and championship bouts.

ADCC is a biennial tournament in which qualification, scarcity, and bracket progression contribute to the value of the title.

They are therefore better understood as different approaches to professional grappling rather than direct substitutes for one another.

Athlete Recognition as a Challenge for UFC BJJ

One of Jones’s main criticisms of UFC BJJ concerned athlete visibility.

He argued that, with the exception of Mikey Musumeci, relatively few athletes have seen major increases in public recognition or social-media following as a result of competing there.

That is Jones’s assessment rather than a conclusion based on formal audience data.

Still, it raises a broader issue for professional grappling: high-level competition does not automatically create recognizable athletes.

ADCC’s tournament structure can produce rapid changes in visibility because one athlete may defeat several established names over a single weekend.

A regular one-match format requires athlete recognition to be built more gradually.

How UFC BJJ develops its athlete promotion may therefore become an important part of its long-term growth.

Athlete Compensation and the Impact of CJI

One of CJI’s most significant effects in 2024 was to place athlete compensation at the center of professional grappling discussion.

CJI promoted high prize money and directly challenged compensation structures that had previously been accepted in elite grappling.

In February 2026, ADCC officially announced an increase in prize money, stating that the change was intended to better reward the work and professionalism of elite competitors.

Craig Jones has said that he does not claim personal credit for the increase, but that he welcomes the fact that athletes are now being paid more.

The long-term success of CJI can be debated, but its role in making athlete pay a central industry issue is difficult to ignore.

Compensation Issues in the Women’s Divisions

At the same time, the compensation issue has not been fully resolved.

Adele Fornarino, who won both her division and the absolute division in 2024, withdrew from ADCC 2026.

She cited several concerns, including the remaining pay gap between men and women, the removal of the women’s absolute division and women’s superfight, and the broader cost of preparing for and attending the event.

Fornarino said she supported increased prize money for men but believed women should receive equivalent treatment. She also pointed to the financial burden of training camps, travel, and preparation. (Jiu Jitsu Style)

This provides a different perspective from Jones’s discussion of “legacy” and “clout.”

Prestige and exposure may have value, but they do not necessarily offset the financial and physical costs carried by professional athletes.

That question remains important for professional grappling as a whole.

UFC BJJ as an Option for Female Athletes

Fornarino has also spoken positively about the way UFC BJJ presents female athletes.

This highlights another structural difference between UFC BJJ and ADCC.

UFC BJJ is attempting to establish a recurring professional format built around regular events, titles, and mixed men’s and women’s cards.

ADCC has greater historical prestige, but many of its category structures and tournament conventions remain rooted in an older competitive model.

Rather than asking which promotion is simply “better,” it may be more useful to ask what individual athletes value most: competitive prestige, compensation, visibility, or regular opportunities to compete.

CJI’s Changing Position

CJI entered the market in 2024 as a direct alternative to ADCC, but its position in 2026 is different.

Craig Jones indicated in May that CJI 3 would not go ahead as originally expected, with reports suggesting that the event could return in a different form in 2027. (BJJ Eastern Europe)

The current landscape can be broadly described as follows:

ADCC: tournament history and competitive prestige
UFC BJJ: regular events and more stable professional opportunities
CJI: pressure for reform in compensation and event format

Professional grappling is therefore no longer defined by a simple ADCC-versus-CJI rivalry. Several different event models now exist at the same time.

Ongoing Issues With ADCC’s Format

The traditional weaknesses of ADCC have not disappeared.

Craig Jones continues to criticize long match times, frequent resets, stalling-based tactics, and the overall length of a two-day tournament.

The difficulty of the ADCC format contributes to the value of winning it.

From a spectator perspective, however, difficulty does not automatically translate into accessibility.

Long matches, unique scoring rules, and repeated resets can be difficult to follow for viewers who do not regularly watch grappling.

In that respect, UFC BJJ’s five-minute round structure and CJI’s round-based format are easier to understand for general audiences.

ADCC’s competitive value and its accessibility as a viewing product should therefore be considered as separate questions.

Developments Ahead of ADCC 2028

Craig Jones said in his post-event video that he would consider competing at ADCC 2028 if Mo Jassim, who previously served as ADCC’s organizer, returns to run the event in Brazil.

There have also been reports that the two have discussed possible cooperation around the 2028 edition, although nothing has been formally announced.

The fact that two figures who represented opposing sides of the 2024 conflict may work together in some form reflects how quickly the professional grappling landscape can change.

Conclusion: Professional Grappling Is Developing Multiple Models

ADCC 2026 showed that several long-standing issues remain, including athlete pay, treatment of female competitors, match length, stalling, and tournament structure.

At the same time, the arrival of CJI and UFC BJJ has made the differences between major grappling events clearer.

CJI helped push athlete compensation and event design into the center of industry discussion.

UFC BJJ is attempting to build a model based on regular events and recurring professional opportunities.

ADCC continues to occupy a distinct position because of its history, qualification system, tournament structure, and competitive reputation.

The key question for professional grappling is therefore no longer only which promotion identifies the “best” athlete.

It is also how each organization balances athlete compensation, competitive legitimacy, athlete visibility, and spectator accessibility.

ADCC 2026 did not provide a final answer to that question, but it showed that professional grappling is increasingly developing through several different event models rather than a single dominant structure.

Sources

[1] 2026 ADCC World Championship Results — BJJ Heroes
https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-news/2026-adcc-world-championship-results

[2] ADCC Worlds 2026 Poland Results By Country — FloGrappling
https://www.flograppling.com/articles/16181815-adcc-worlds-2026-poland-results-country-bracket

[3] I was WRONG about ADCC — The B-Team / Craig Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6s3354EfdI

[4] ADCC Announces Increased Prize Money for ADCC Winners — ADCC Official
https://adcombat.com/adcc-announces-increased-prize-money-for-adcc-winners/

[5] Adele Fornarino on Pulling Out of ADCC: “I Think That the Women Deserve to Be Paid What the Men Deserve to Be Paid” — Kuzushi Labs
https://kuzushilabs.com/adele-fornarino-on-pulling-out-of-adcc-i-think-that-the-women-deserve-to-be-paid-what-the-men-deserve-to-be-paid/

[6] Trending: Adele Fornarino ADCC Withdrawal — Jiu-Jitsu Style
https://jiujitsustyle.com/articles/trending-adele-fornarino-adcc-withdrawal-2026-08-07

[7] UFC BJJ Rules and Scoring — UFC
https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bjj-rules-and-scoring

[8] Craig Jones Confirms CJI 3 Is Cancelled as UFC BJJ Reshapes the Professional Grappling Market — BJJ Eastern Europe
https://www.bjjee.com/articles/craig-jones-confirms-cji-3-is-cancelled-as-ufc-bjj-reshapes-the-professional-grappling-market/

[9] Craig Jones and Mo Jassim Discuss ADCC 2028 Brazil Collaboration — Matside Jiu-Jitsu
https://www.matsidejj.com/media/craig-jones-mo-jassim-adcc-2028-brazil-collaboration-2026

[10] ADCC World Championship 2026 Event Information — TAURON Arena Kraków
https://www.tauronarenakrakow.pl/event/adcc-world-championship-2026/