2026 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship Results: Champions, Team Rankings & Standout Performances

The 2026 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship brought competitors from across the international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community to Italy for five days of competition.

Held from October 28 through November 1 at PalaPellicone in Lido di Ostia, Rome, the championship featured juvenile, adult, and master divisions. Athletes competed across different belt levels, weight categories, and open-class brackets.

Unlike traditional Gi Jiu-Jitsu, No-Gi competition does not allow athletes to rely on jacket and pant grips. Instead, competitors use body control, wrestling exchanges, positional transitions, guard work, and submission attacks to gain an advantage.

The 2026 results produced two major team storylines: Academia Gorila's success in both adult categories and CheckMat's strong performances in the juvenile and master divisions.

Below is a breakdown of the official team rankings, adult black-belt champions, and the performances that made this year's European No-Gi Championship a major event for the grappling community.

The team standings were divided into four categories: adult male, adult female, juvenile, and master. Each category had its own ranking, so there was no single combined team champion.

Academia Gorila finished first in the adult male standings with 64 points, 30 points ahead of ECJJA. CheckMat secured third place with 28 points.

Academia Gorila also topped the adult female rankings, finishing with 52 points. Círculo De Jiu-Jitsu, Euro 360 Jiu-Jitsu, and CheckMat were tied on 18 points.

Winning both adult team categories made Academia Gorila the standout academy of the adult competition.

CheckMat and Gracie Barra both finished with 31 points. CheckMat was listed first in the official standings, followed by Gracie Barra.

CheckMat delivered its strongest points total in the master category, finishing with 198 points. Brasa CTA followed with 121.

The results show that team success extended beyond adult black-belt competition. CheckMat performed strongly across age groups, while Academia Gorila had a particularly successful adult campaign.

The men's adult black-belt divisions featured champions across nine weight categories.

Jaworski achieved one of the championship's most notable results by winning both the medium-heavyweight and open-class divisions.

His performance contributed to Academia Gorila's strong adult team campaign. For a closer look at his submission victories and the techniques behind his double-gold result, read Elite Sports' dedicated article: Pawel Jaworski: 8 Submissions at the 2026 IBJJF No-Gi Euros.

The women's adult black-belt competition produced champions across six weight categories.

Kapuscinska secured two gold medals by winning the medium-heavyweight division and the open class. Her performance added another major achievement to Academia Gorila's successful adult campaign.

Her match performances and submission finishes deserve a closer look, so we have covered them separately in Martyna Kapuscinska: 6 Submissions at the 2026 No-Gi Euros.

The biggest team storyline from Rome was Academia Gorila finishing first in both adult team categories.

The academy scored 64 points in the adult male standings and 52 points in the adult female standings. Its black-belt athletes also won the men's and women's open-class titles.

Jaworski and Kapuscinska were central to that individual success. Both won their medium-heavyweight divisions before adding open-class gold medals.

Their performances highlight how individual achievements can contribute to an academy's overall tournament success. However, team rankings reflect the points accumulated by competitors across the counted divisions, not just the two open-class victories.

For a deeper breakdown of the athletes' individual performances, explore the two Elite Sports reports linked above.

While Academia Gorila led the adult standings, CheckMat finished first in both juvenile and master team categories.

The juvenile ranking was especially close. CheckMat and Gracie Barra each finished with 31 points, with CheckMat listed first in the official standings.

The master category produced a wider gap. CheckMat scored 198 points, 77 more than second-place Brasa CTA.

These results show that the championship's competitive depth extended well beyond adult black-belt divisions. Juvenile and master competitors also played an important role in their academies' tournament performances.

The championship results offer several interesting takeaways for BJJ athletes, coaches, and fans.

Academia Gorila's first-place finishes in both adult categories demonstrate the value of strong representation across multiple divisions. CheckMat's juvenile and master results show similar depth across different age groups.

The open class allows eligible competitors from different weight categories to face one another. Winning a weight division is already a major achievement, but winning the open class requires adapting to opponents with different physical attributes and competitive approaches.

Jaworski and Kapuscinska both completed that challenge at the championship.

No-Gi athletes cannot rely on traditional jacket or lapel grips. They need to control opponents through body positioning, underhooks, head position, wrestling exchanges, and positional transitions.

Submissions are important, but successful finishing attempts often depend on creating and maintaining control before attacking.

Athletes who want to understand how the two formats differ can read Elite Sports' guide to Gi BJJ vs. No-Gi BJJ.

Tournament results become more useful when athletes study how competitors create their opportunities.

Instead of watching only the final submission, pay attention to the takedown entry, guard recovery, passing sequence, positional control, and defensive reactions that lead to the finish.

Elite Sports also explains why watching BJJ match replays can improve your understanding of the sport.

The results from a major tournament can offer useful lessons for athletes preparing for their own competitions. A good preparation plan should cover more than learning submissions.

Understand the ruleset. Check the competition's scoring system, match duration, legal techniques, uniform requirements, weigh-in process, and penalties. Rules can differ between organizations and divisions.

Build a reliable game plan. Prepare a small number of dependable takedowns, guard positions, passes, escapes, and submission entries. Focus on techniques you can execute under pressure rather than trying to learn everything at once.

Train from standing. Competition matches often begin on the feet. Practice wrestling entries, hand fighting, balance, takedown defense, and establishing your preferred position.

Practice competition-style rounds. Include full-length rounds, realistic rest periods, and situations where you must protect a lead or recover from a disadvantage.

Prepare your equipment early. Confirm that your rash guard and shorts meet the event's requirements. Do not wait until competition day to check sizing or uniform specifications.

For athletes who are new to tournaments, Elite Sports has a practical guide on how to overcome pressure in a BJJ competition.

No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu is generally practiced in a rash guard with grappling shorts or spats. Unlike a traditional BJJ Gi, this apparel does not provide sleeves, lapels, or pant fabric for gripping.

Suitable training apparel should allow freedom of movement during takedowns, guard work, scrambles, and ground exchanges without creating unnecessary distractions.

Explore the Elite Sports No-Gi BJJ gear collection for training apparel.

You can also browse:

• BJJ No-Gi rash guards for close-fitting training tops.

• No-Gi BJJ shorts for grappling and movement.

• No-Gi rash guard buying guide for more information about choosing training apparel.

Competition uniform rules can be more specific than everyday academy requirements. Always check the current rules for your tournament, belt level, and division before choosing your competition apparel.