An unexpected upset unfolded at the ADCC Open, and now PJ Barch has broken his silence on the submission loss that sent social media into overdrive.
The 2024 ADCC bronze medalist took to his platform to address the first round defeat, attempting to downplay what he called “that little mishap” before acknowledging that the internet was not ready to let it go so easily.
“Well was hoping to sweep that little mishap under the carpet but seems everybody having too much fun with it,” Barch wrote. “I should have a pretty good vlog on the day coming out soon.”
The competitor explained that he entered the tournament on short notice and admitted to a critical error in approach.
“For those wondering, I jumped in last minute for an ADCC open and didn’t take the fist guy serious enough and got broken off,” he stated candidly.
His opponent, purple belt Raajus Dewan, arrived at the event under less than ideal circumstances. Dewan revealed he nearly missed his division time and showed up without a coach, ultimately asking a previous opponent to corner him for the match against Barch. Despite the chaos, Dewan had done his homework, having previously analyzed Barch’s techniques on his YouTube channel and studied hours of footage.
“This is my only proof in life that miracles can happen. ( but you do need to put the work in),”
For Barch, the experience served as a reminder of the sport’s unforgiving nature.
“Moral of the story don’t be willy nilly when dudes really out here tryna take your lunch. And you too well known to f**k around and find out,”
The athlete also addressed the flood of concern from his supporters with characteristic humor.
“And I love my ppl but I’m fine so stop texting me about it, dorks. Life’s been way worse before.”
Rather than dwelling on the setback, Barch quickly pivoted to what lies ahead.
“You’ll see me back at it with Polaris 2 weeks, ADCC year champs, and we just firedup the engines,”
He closed with perspective that many grapplers can relate to:
“Everybody loses, the most important part and maybe the hardest is making sure to win when it really counts.”
The loss comes two years after Barch captured bronze at the 2024 ADCC World Championships, though some observers have noted the event faced competition from the Craig Jones Invitational, which may have affected the depth of talent in certain divisions. The video currently has 50k likes and close to 900k views.
