Cameron Allen
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) is the Olympics for Grappling. This is the biggest tournament that the majority of the athletes have been training for years for the chance to compete in. Only the best of the best get to make it to this stage and compete at the shot to be crowned champion in their division. This article describes ways grapplers can qualify and how to get an ADCC invite.
ADCC is a no-gi grappling world championship hosted every 2 years. The last ADCC was in Las Vegas in 2022 and plans for the 2024 ADCC World Championship are set for August of 2024. getting an invite to this stage is not an easy thing to accomplish.
How to get an ADCC Invite
An ADCC invite is awarded to the winners of each weight class during the ADCC trials. This tournament is only accessible to compete in via indentation. There are hard limits on each weight class for both men and women. Only 16 grapplers are offered the opportunity to compete in each of the men’s weight divisions and 8 for each women’s class.
Currently, there are 5 weight classes for men and (now) 3 for the women’s division (source). This totals up to 104 competitors getting a shot to grapple with the best in the world on the biggest stage. It is entirely possible to have some of the best grapplers in the world never getting a shot at competing at its level, the competition level is so high and unforgiving for mistakes. Right now, there are only two ways an athlete can get an invite to ADCC, winning ADCC trails or by personal invite.
Winning ADCC Trials
Half of all the competitors that compete in the world championship will be there because they won through the preliminary tournaments known as ADCC trails. There are 8 of these trails that are staged all around the world. North and South America have two editions of the ADCC Trails, while Asia and Oceania share 2 editions, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa also share 2 editions. By editions, we mean something along the lines of a West Coast trail and an East Coast trail.
ADCC trails are an incredibly challenging tournament that attracts the best of the best within a given region. Hundreds of the top competitors from all across the globe are competing for a shot at glory. They are willing to put everything on the line in order to get their chance.
It is common to see top MMA fighters, former IBJJF world champions, and ADCC veterans all competing in these trials.
Personal Selection
The only other way to get an invite to ADCC is to get personally selected by the organizers. This is how the other half of the competitors are chosen and how the rest of the invites are chosen. If an athlete wins a medal at the previous edition of the ADCC world championship (gold, silver, or bronze) they usually get offered an invite to return the following year.
Conclusion
ADCC is the biggest grappling tournament held every two years to gather the best the sport has to offer. This year (2024) will be the biggest ADCC event ever held with 104 of the best athletes in the world shooting for the shot at being crowned one of the best grapplers in the world. The skills on display at this level is insane, we had the pleasure of going to ADCC in 2022 and may have to make our second appearance in 2024.
If you are looking to get an invite to ADCC the only way to get there is through grit and hard work. Competing at ADCC trials and either winning there or placing in the top three will get you an invite to roll with the best, do you have what it takes?
Dates
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ADCC Europe, Middle East & African Trials: February 17, 2024
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ADCC East Coast Trials: October 14th, 2023 (competed)
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ADCC Asia & Oceania Championship: November 25, 2023 (completed)
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ADCC West Coast Trials: March 30th & March 31st, 2024
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ADCC World Championship: August 17th, 2024
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