We Speak Jiu Jitsu

Title Erased: IBJJF Strips Rider Zuchi’s World Championship After Positive Test, Crowns Nicholas Maglicic

Published

3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Rider Zuchi’s first world title no longer exists. The IBJJF has stripped the Brazilian of the adult male black belt heavyweight championship he won at the 2026 World Championship in Long Beach, after an in-competition sample collected on May 31 tested positive for prohibited substances.

Testing conducted by USADA under WADA standards found drostanolone, its metabolite 3α-hydroxy-2α-methyl-5α-androstan-17-one, and 19-norandrosterone — a metabolite of nandrolone — at a concentration above the Minimum Reporting Level. Zuchi accepted a three-year period of ineligibility beginning July 1, 2026, which keeps him out of IBJJF competition until July 1, 2029. The standard four-year sanction was reduced by one year because he admitted the violation and accepted the sanction within 20 days.

USADA also disqualified Zuchi from all competitive results in IBJJF-sanctioned competition on and after August 23, 2024, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes. In revised results published September 25, the IBJJF elevated Nicholas Maglicic — the finalist Zuchi beat by four points at the Walter Pyramid — to official 2026 heavyweight world champion. Leonardo Ferreira moves up to silver, Luiz Felipe Assis dos Santos keeps bronze, and Francisco Papasidero is added as a second bronze medalist.

The erased run had been the story of the division in May: Zuchi, of Team 6 BJJ in São Paulo, stopped Tanaka Taisei with a lapel choke from the back, beat Papasidero in the quarterfinal and upset division favourite Ferreira in the semifinal on his way to the title. The revision reached the team race too — Papasidero’s added points lifted AOJ to third in the adult male standings, behind Alliance and CheckMat.

For Maglicic, the Atos heavyweight, the championship arrives by ruling rather than by hand-raise: a world title decided in a laboratory and a hearing room instead of on the mat, and a stark reminder that in the testing era, a title is only final once the results come back.

We Speak Jiu Jitsu

ADCC 2026: Felipe Pena Makes History, Helena Crevar Wins Gold and Scotland’s Mark Macqueen Takes Bronze

Published

4 days ago

October 22, 2026

Royal Jones

Action from the 2026 ADCC World Championship in Krakow, Poland.

The 2026 ADCC World Championship in Kraków, Poland delivered history, a stack of new champions, and a strong showing for the United States and Europe — with Scotland’s Mark Macqueen reaching the podium in front of a European crowd.

Brazil’s Felipe Pena became the first person in ADCC history to win the absolute bracket twice, beating Roosevelt Sousa in the final. In the championship superfight, Yuri Simoes defeated Kaynan Duarte by submission after Duarte appeared to injure his shoulder in overtime.

American star Helena Crevar continued her takeover of the women’s divisions, submitting Anabel Lopez in the +65kg final to add ADCC gold to her growing collection. Fellow American Paige Ivette Clymer took bronze in the same division, submitting Elizabeth Mitrovic in 1:52 in the bronze-medal match. The USA also picked up silver medals through PJ Barch (-77kg) and Gavin Corbe (-66kg), while Austin-based Luke Griffith won his first ADCC world title at -99kg.

Europe enjoyed its strongest ADCC showing on record. Host nation Poland celebrated its first ADCC champion as Pawel Jaworski won the -88kg title with three straight leg-lock submissions on his way to the final, and Scotland’s Mark Macqueen claimed bronze in the +99kg division behind champion Victor Hugo and silver medalist Josh Saunders.

ADCC 2026 Champions

Absolute: Felipe Pena

Superfight: Yuri Simoes def. Kaynan Duarte

Men’s +99kg: Victor Hugo

Men’s -99kg: Luke Griffith

Men’s -88kg: Pawel Jaworski

Men’s -77kg: Magomed Dzharbaev

Men’s -66kg: Kennedy Maciel

Women’s +65kg: Helena Crevar

Women’s -65kg: Ana Carolina Vieira (submitted Sarah Galvão in overtime in the final)

Women’s -55kg: Jasmine Rocha

The championships also produced the weekend’s ugliest moment: a brawl broke out after the 66kg opening-round match between Dorian Olivarez and Bekzat Kapashov, with Olivarez’s corner — including Gordon Ryan — caught in the middle. ADCC disqualified both fighters and banned each for one year, with Olivarez’s father and coach suspended for two years.