The black belt class of 2021 is a who's who of top notch competitors, many of whom are likely to grace the top of black belt podiums in the coming months. Below are the athletes who earned the rank of black belt in December.

Day one of the IBJJF World Championships was filled with the action, submissions and incredible stories expected of an event of this caliber. Day two is sure to deliver as well, as the male purple and brown belts will take their place on the mats in search of the most coveted title in jiu-jitsu. With hundreds of competitors in search of just a few medals, we're guaranteed  thrilling action throughout the day.

The brackets for the 25th edition of the IBJJF World Championships are now official. Those brackets are available here via bjjcompsystem.com. The number of potentially exciting matchups is expansive, but there are a few matches guaranteed in the early rounds that you can’t miss. We’ve sifted through the black belt divisions to identify the best first round pairings — as well as likely second round matches — that are bound to provide some of the best jiu-jitsu action of the year.