Quick answer: Gordon Ryan has won the most ADCC gold medals in history with 7 — three weight-class titles, the 2019 absolute, and three superfights — ahead of Andre Galvao on 6. The 2024 champions were crowned in Las Vegas, where Kaynan Duarte won both the +99 kg division and the absolute, and Adele Fornarino took the women’s -55 kg and absolute double — the first woman to do it since Hannette Staack in 2007. Across all 15 editions since 1998, only eleven athletes have ever won a weight class and the absolute at the same ADCC, and nobody has done it twice. The next champions will be crowned at the 2026 ADCC World Championship in Krakow, Poland on September 12–13, 2026.
Last updated: July 22, 2026. This page lists every ADCC World Championship winner since the first event in 1998 — every men’s and women’s division, every absolute, and every superfight — cross-checked against event records and contemporary reporting. It will be updated with the 2026 champions after the Krakow event; see our ADCC Worlds 2026 hub for dates, venue and format.
Who has won the most ADCC titles?
Counting every gold available — weight divisions, the absolute, and the superfight — the all-time leaderboard looks like this.
| Athlete | ADCC golds | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon Ryan | 7 | 88 kg 2017 · 99 kg 2019 · Absolute 2019 · +99 kg 2022 · Superfight 2022, 2024 (twice) |
| Andre Galvao | 6 | 88 kg + Absolute 2011 · Superfight 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 |
| Mario Sperry | 4 | 99 kg + Absolute 1998 · Superfight 1999, 2000 |
| Mark Kerr | 4 | +99 kg 1999, 2000 · Absolute 2000 · Superfight 2001 |
| Ricardo Arona | 4 | 99 kg 2000, 2001 · Absolute 2001 · Superfight 2003 |
| Marcelo Garcia | 4 | 77 kg 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011 |
| Gabi Garcia | 4 | +60 kg 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019 |
| Kaynan Duarte | 4 | +99 kg 2019 · 99 kg 2022 · +99 kg + Absolute 2024 |
On three golds: Royler Gracie, Roger Gracie, Kyra Gracie, Dean Lister, Braulio Estima, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, Hannette Staack and Yuri Simoes. Marcelo Garcia’s four are unique in coming from the same weight class across four different editions, and Gabi Garcia matched that in the women’s +60 kg. For the gi side of the sport, see our companion list of every BJJ world champion since 1996.
Every ADCC absolute champion
The absolute — open weight, any size — is ADCC’s most prestigious bracket. Fifteen editions have produced fourteen different champions; only the athletes marked with the double also won their weight class the same year.
| Year | Location | Absolute champion | Weight-class double? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Mario Sperry | Yes — also won 99 kg |
| 1999 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Roberto Traven | No |
| 2000 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Mark Kerr | Yes — also won +99 kg |
| 2001 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | Ricardo Arona | Yes — also won 99 kg |
| 2003 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Dean Lister | No |
| 2005 | Long Beach, USA | Roger Gracie | Yes — also won 99 kg |
| 2007 | Trenton, USA | Robert Drysdale | No |
| 2009 | Barcelona, Spain | Braulio Estima | Yes — also won 88 kg |
| 2011 | Nottingham, UK | Andre Galvao | Yes — also won 88 kg |
| 2013 | Beijing, China | Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu | No |
| 2015 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Claudio Calasans | No |
| 2017 | Espoo, Finland | Felipe Pena | No |
| 2019 | Anaheim, USA | Gordon Ryan | Yes — also won 99 kg |
| 2022 | Las Vegas, USA | Yuri Simoes | No |
| 2024 | Las Vegas, USA | Kaynan Duarte | Yes — also won +99 kg |
ADCC men’s weight-class champions by year
| Year | 66 kg | 77 kg | 88 kg | 99 kg | +99 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Alexandre “Soca” Freitas | Renzo Gracie | Rodrigo Gracie | Mario Sperry | Ricco Rodriguez |
| 1999 | Royler Gracie | Jean Jacques Machado | Karimula Barkalaev | Jeff Monson | Mark Kerr |
| 2000 | Royler Gracie | Renzo Gracie | Saulo Ribeiro | Ricardo Arona | Mark Kerr |
| 2001 | Royler Gracie | Marcio Feitosa | Sanae Kikuta | Ricardo Arona | Mark Robinson |
| 2003 | Leo Vieira | Marcelo Garcia | Saulo Ribeiro | Jon Olav Einemo | Marcio Cruz |
| 2005 | Leo Vieira | Marcelo Garcia | Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza | Roger Gracie | Jeff Monson |
| 2007 | Rani Yahya | Marcelo Garcia | Demian Maia | Xande Ribeiro | Fabricio Werdum |
| 2009 | Rafael Mendes | Pablo Popovitch | Braulio Estima | Xande Ribeiro | Fabricio Werdum |
| 2011 | Rafael Mendes | Marcelo Garcia | Andre Galvao | Dean Lister | Vinny Magalhaes |
| 2013 | Cobrinha | Kron Gracie | Romulo Barral | Joao Assis | Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida |
| 2015 | Cobrinha | Davi Ramos | Yuri Simoes | Rodolfo Vieira | Orlando Sanchez |
| 2017 | Cobrinha | JT Torres | Gordon Ryan | Yuri Simoes | Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida |
| 2019 | Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes | JT Torres | Matheus Diniz | Gordon Ryan | Kaynan Duarte |
| 2022 | Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis | Kade Ruotolo | Giancarlo Bodoni | Kaynan Duarte | Gordon Ryan |
| 2024 | Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis | Micael “Mica” Galvao | Giancarlo Bodoni | Felipe Pena | Kaynan Duarte |
Division weights have used the current 66/77/88/99/+99 kg lines throughout; full current limits, with pounds conversions, are in our ADCC weight classes guide.
ADCC women’s champions by year
Women’s divisions were added in 2005. The bracket structure has changed more than the men’s: 2007 used four weight classes, most editions used two, and 2024 moved to three (-55, -65, +65 kg) and brought back the women’s absolute for the first time since 2007.
| Year | Divisions and champions | Absolute |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | -60 kg: Kyra Gracie · +60 kg: Juliana Borges | Juliana Borges |
| 2007 | -55 kg: Sayaka Shioda · -60 kg: Kyra Gracie · -67 kg: Hannette Staack · +67 kg: Penny Thomas | Hannette Staack |
| 2009 | -60 kg: Luanna Alzuguir · +60 kg: Hannette Staack | Not held |
| 2011 | -60 kg: Kyra Gracie · +60 kg: Gabi Garcia | Not held |
| 2013 | -60 kg: Michelle Nicolini · +60 kg: Gabi Garcia | Not held |
| 2015 | -60 kg: Mackenzie Dern · +60 kg: Ana Laura Cordeiro | Not held |
| 2017 | -60 kg: Bia Mesquita · +60 kg: Gabi Garcia | Not held |
| 2019 | -60 kg: Bianca Basilio · +60 kg: Gabi Garcia | Not held |
| 2022 | -60 kg: Ffion Davies · +60 kg: Amy Campo | Not held |
| 2024 | -55 kg: Adele Fornarino · -65 kg: Ana Carolina Vieira · +65 kg: Rafaela Guedes | Adele Fornarino |
Every ADCC superfight result
The superfight pits the reigning absolute champion (or an invited champion) against a chosen challenger. Andre Galvao defended the crown a record four times before losing it to Gordon Ryan in 2022.
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Mario Sperry def. Enson Inoue |
| 2000 | Mario Sperry def. Roberto Traven |
| 2001 | Mark Kerr def. Mario Sperry |
| 2003 | Ricardo Arona def. Mark Kerr |
| 2005 | Dean Lister def. Jean Jacques Machado |
| 2007 | Roger Gracie def. Jon Olav Einemo |
| 2009 | Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Robert Drysdale |
| 2011 | Braulio Estima def. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza |
| 2013 | Andre Galvao def. Braulio Estima |
| 2015 | Andre Galvao def. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu |
| 2017 | Andre Galvao def. Claudio Calasans |
| 2019 | Andre Galvao def. Felipe Pena |
| 2022 | Gordon Ryan def. Andre Galvao |
| 2024 | Gordon Ryan def. Felipe Pena · Gordon Ryan def. Yuri Simoes |
The rarest feat: the weight-and-absolute double
Winning your weight class and the openweight absolute at the same ADCC means beating your own division and then giants. In 15 editions it has happened exactly eleven times, by eleven different athletes — no one has ever done it twice.
| Athlete | Year | Divisions won |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Sperry | 1998 | 99 kg + Absolute |
| Mark Kerr | 2000 | +99 kg + Absolute |
| Ricardo Arona | 2001 | 99 kg + Absolute |
| Roger Gracie | 2005 | 99 kg + Absolute |
| Juliana Borges | 2005 | +60 kg + Women’s Absolute |
| Hannette Staack | 2007 | -67 kg + Women’s Absolute |
| Braulio Estima | 2009 | 88 kg + Absolute |
| Andre Galvao | 2011 | 88 kg + Absolute |
| Gordon Ryan | 2019 | 99 kg + Absolute |
| Kaynan Duarte | 2024 | +99 kg + Absolute |
| Adele Fornarino | 2024 | -55 kg + Women’s Absolute |
Frequently asked questions
Who has won the most ADCC championships?
Gordon Ryan, with 7 ADCC golds: the 88 kg title in 2017, 99 kg and the absolute in 2019, +99 kg in 2022, and superfight wins in 2022 and twice in 2024. Andre Galvao is second with 6.
Who won ADCC 2024?
Men: Diogo Reis (66 kg), Mica Galvao (77 kg), Giancarlo Bodoni (88 kg), Felipe Pena (99 kg), Kaynan Duarte (+99 kg and the absolute). Women: Adele Fornarino (-55 kg and the absolute), Ana Carolina Vieira (-65 kg), Rafaela Guedes (+65 kg). Gordon Ryan won both superfights.
Has anyone won their division and the absolute at the same ADCC?
Eleven athletes have done the double, each exactly once: Sperry, Kerr, Arona, Roger Gracie, Borges, Staack, Estima, Galvao, Ryan, Duarte and Fornarino. Kaynan Duarte and Adele Fornarino both did it at the same event in 2024.
Who is the most successful woman in ADCC history?
By gold count, Gabi Garcia with four +60 kg titles (2011, 2013, 2017, 2019). Kyra Gracie and Hannette Staack have three each, and Staack’s include the 2007 double.
When is the next ADCC World Championship?
September 12–13, 2026 at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland — the first Worlds held in Europe since 2017. Details, divisions and qualification format are on our ADCC Worlds hub.
How often is ADCC held?
Roughly every two years since 1998, with early editions annual (1998–2001) and a pandemic gap between 2019 and 2022. The 2026 edition in Krakow is the 16th.
Methodology and sources
Champions were compiled per edition and cross-checked across independent records: the consolidated championship history on Wikipedia, the full results archive at Strictly Fighters, FloGrappling’s and Combat Press’s event reporting for 2022 and 2024, and Graciemag’s retrospective coverage of the early editions. Disputed or unusual cells — the 1998 absolute, the 2005 and 2007 women’s absolutes — were individually verified against at least two sources. ADCC’s official site was unreachable during this update and should be re-checked when the 2026 results are added. The leaderboard and double-champion counts are computed from the full table, not copied from any single source. Rules and scoring for the event are covered in our ADCC rules guide.
