By Philipp — Rollbook · Updated October 18, 2026
IBJJF No-Gi Worlds 2026: Dates, Las Vegas Venue & How to Watch
The 2026 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship runs December 10-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here's the schedule, the ruleset, qualification, and how to stream every match.
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The Biggest No-Gi Event of the Year
The IBJJF World No-Gi Championship is the most prestigious no-gi title under the IBJJF banner -- the no-gi equivalent of the Gi World Championship. For 2026, it closes out the competitive calendar with a marquee event in the sport's adopted capital, Las Vegas -- and, in IBJJF's Grand Slam framing, it opens the next No-Gi Grand Slam season.
If you're planning to compete, travel to spectate, or just stream the action, here's everything you need to know.
Quick facts: The 2026 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship runs December 10-12, 2026 (Thursday to Saturday) in Hall N3/N4 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration is open until November 29, and adult black belts need 30 no-gi ranking points to enter.
Dates and Venue
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Event | 2026 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship |
| Dates | December 10-12, 2026 (Thursday to Saturday) |
| Venue | Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall N3/N4, 300 Convention Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV |
| Format | No-Gi, all belts, weight classes + open class |
| Entry fee | $204 (USD) until the November 29 deadline |
| Spectators | $25 per day; children 12 and under free |
| Weigh-in | In pounds, right before your first match |
| Stream | FloGrappling |
IBJJF releases the final schedule and the brackets on December 9 (brackets on bjjcompsystem.com). For the adult black belts, men's brackets of five or more start on Friday, December 11, with the semifinals and finals on Saturday, December 12; women fight through the semifinals on Friday and contest their finals on Saturday. Black belts need one predominantly white and one predominantly black rash guard for the quarterfinals onward. IBJJF hasn't published a day-by-day pre-schedule for the other divisions yet.
Key Dates and Prices
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Until August 23 | First price step: $153 (passed) |
| Until October 4 | Second price step: $186 (passed) |
| Now until November 29 | Current price: $204 |
| November 17 | Cut-off for IBJJF's discounted hotel rates |
| November 19 | Affiliation deadline -- academy registered, membership valid |
| November 29 | Registration deadline, 11:59 PM Las Vegas time (earlier if the event fills) |
| November 30 | Athlete correction deadline |
| December 1-2 | Professor correction period |
| December 4 | Registration check day |
| December 9 | Final schedule and brackets released |
| December 10-12 | Competition |
To register, make sure your IBJJF membership is active through December 12 under your current belt and academy, then register and pay through IBJJF's athlete system (linked from the event page). A pending registration doesn't hold your spot -- only a completed payment does -- and entry fees are refundable only within 48 hours of purchase.
The No-Gi Ruleset
This is a no-gi event, which changes what's legal compared to the gi. Most importantly, adult brown and black belts can use heel hooks and knee reaping -- techniques that are banned in the gi for everyone. Lower belts (white through purple) still cannot reap or heel hook, even in no-gi.
The scoring is identical to the gi: 2 for a takedown or sweep, 3 for a guard pass, 4 for mount or back control. For the full breakdown of how no-gi rules differ, see our IBJJF No-Gi vs Gi rules guide and the belt-by-belt legal techniques in our illegal techniques by belt guide.
Pro Tip: No-Gi Worlds is where the modern leg-lock game is on full display. If you're watching to learn, pay attention to the brown and black belt divisions, where heel-hook entries from 50/50, saddle, and outside ashi dominate the highlight reel.
Track every roll — log sessions and techniques for free
Qualification: Who Can Compete
No-Gi Worlds is open to competitors across belt levels, but adult black belts need 30 IBJJF no-gi ranking points to register. Exempt from the requirement: former black belt World and World No-Gi champions, and black belts who won an adult brown belt division at the previous season's World Championship (gi or no-gi). For colored belts, registration is open without a points threshold (subject to standard membership and division rules).
If you're chasing a black belt Worlds berth, understanding how points accumulate is essential -- read our IBJJF ranking points guide to map your qualification math.
Warning: Registration closes on November 29 at 11:59 PM Las Vegas time -- or sooner if the event reaches capacity, as the European No-Gi did this month. Weigh-in is in pounds, with a single attempt right before your first match, so double-check your weight division and belt eligibility on the official event page before you pay.
Anti-Doping: USADA Testing
IBJJF has contracted the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to run anti-doping at No-Gi Worlds. Any competitor can be tested (blood, urine or other WADA-approved samples) for anything on the WADA Prohibited List, and a violation can cost you your results from the event. Check your medications and supplements before you travel -- USADA points athletes to GlobalDRO.com and its Supplement Connect resource. USADA sanctions already led IBJJF to revise its 2026 gi Worlds black belt podiums in September; see our Worlds 2026 results.
How to Watch
Like all major IBJJF championships, the 2026 No-Gi Worlds streams live on FloGrappling (subscription required), starting December 10. FloGrappling carries multiple mat feeds during the day sessions and the featured mat for finals. You can watch on desktop, the FloSports mobile app, and connected-TV apps, with replays for subscribers.
Going in person? Spectator entry is $25 per day (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Children 12 and younger get in free, and athletes 17 or younger can bring one companion free on the day they compete. Parking at the convention center lots is $20.
Watching from outside the US? FloGrappling is the global broadcaster for IBJJF events. Las Vegas is on Pacific Time (UTC-8 in December): add three hours for the US East Coast and nine hours for Central European Time.
Where No-Gi Worlds Fits: The Grand Slam Season
December's Worlds is the finale of a busy no-gi stretch:
- Pan No-Gi: October 2-4, Secaucus, NJ (results)
- European No-Gi: October 28 - November 1, Lido di Ostia, Italy (event guide)
- World No-Gi: December 10-12, Las Vegas
In IBJJF's Grand Slam framing, though, the World No-Gi Championship opens the No-Gi season, which then runs through Brasileiro No-Gi, Pan No-Gi and the European No-Gi. That's why the year's biggest no-gi storyline -- Pawel Jaworski's bid for the first-ever No-Gi Grand Slam -- is settled in Rome, and why Las Vegas is the first leg of the next Grand Slam season. The reigning No-Gi world champions include Jaworski, Tarik Hopstock and Helena Crevar (medium-heavyweight).
For the complete year, including all gi events, see our IBJJF 2026 schedule and calendar.
Training in Las Vegas During Worlds Week
Arriving early to shake off the travel or get a final drilling session in? Our Las Vegas gym directory lists academies across the city -- message the gym before you drop in. If you're still booking a room, IBJJF's discounted hotel blocks at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and the Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas Convention Center, both on Paradise Road near the venue, are valid until November 17 or until the blocks sell out.
Preparing to Compete
If No-Gi Worlds is on your calendar, your prep should reflect the ruleset: a sharp leg-lock game (if you're brown or black belt), strong wrestling and front-headlock entries without gi grips, and the conditioning to handle a fast no-gi pace. Track your training block carefully in the weeks leading in so you arrive peaked, not gassed.
Official Sources
- IBJJF No-Gi Worlds 2026 Event Page - Dates, venue, prices, deadlines, USADA and black belt rules
- FloGrappling: 2026 World IBJJF No-Gi Championship - Live stream
- IBJJF Events Calendar - Official dates and venue confirmation
- IBJJF Athlete Ranking Information - Black belt qualification thresholds
- IBJJF Rules Book & Videos - Full no-gi ruleset
Building toward No-Gi Worlds? Log every session of your camp in Rollbook -- mark it No-Gi, rate the intensity, add the techniques you drilled -- and walk onto the mat in Las Vegas knowing you did the work. Rollbook is free on iOS and Android.
Oss!
