The grappling world received jarring news this week when Claudia Gadelha announced that UFC BJJ’s exclusive athletes would be barred from competing at ADCC starting in 2027. Only some members of the roster will be permitted to compete at ADCC in 2026.
Tom DeBlass, ONE Championship’s vice president of grappling, did not hold back in his response.
In a video message posted shortly after the announcement, DeBlass offered a pointed critique of the restrictive approach framing it as antithetical to the nature of submission grappling itself.
“I just heard today that UFC will no longer be allowing their athletes to compete in anything else that includes ADCC, which is our Olympics,” DeBlass stated. “A lot of people, how do you feel about that? Well, what I feel about it is it’s terrible.”
While UFC BJJ appears to be moving toward tighter exclusivity, DeBlass emphasized that ONE Championship operates with an open door philosophy.
“Grappling is not MMA, right?” he continued. “Grapplers have the ability to compete every week. That’s why, since I came on board, our grapplers compete everywhere. You see our grapplers in CJI, ADCC. I even have grapplers go to WNO, Polaris. I have a good relationship with every organization. IBJJF, it doesn’t matter.”
According to DeBlass the approval process at ONE Championship is straightforward and athlete friendly. Competitors simply need to check in before accepting outside bookings and as long as the event does not fall within 30 to 45 days of a scheduled ONE match permission is granted. It is a model built on trust and mutual respect rather than iron clad restriction.
The crux of DeBlass’s objection centers on ADCC itself. Widely regarded as the most prestigious tournament in submission grappling, the event represents the pinnacle of achievement for competitors across the globe. Denying athletes the chance to test themselves on that stage in his view serves no purpose beyond organizational control.
“ADCC is like our Olympics, right? There’s something deep and special about winning that,” DeBlass said. “Now, you’re not allowing athletes to do that. For what? For control. This isn’t for the athletes.”
He went on to describe ONE Championship’s unique positioning in the combat sports landscape. Unlike standalone grappling promotions ONE integrates submission matches into its broader mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing events giving grapplers access to a massive global audience that extends far beyond the jiu-jitsu fanbase.
“In one championship, we put on one to two grappling matches per card. And it’s on a real mixed martial arts card with kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA. Everybody watches that,” DeBlass explained. “That’s why I announce often to let people know exactly what’s going on in our matches because our grapplers get the viewership of the entire world, not just grappling fans.”
The message was clear, exposure and freedom do not have to be mutually exclusive. ONE Championship offers top tier platform visibility without locking athletes out of career defining opportunities elsewhere.
DeBlass also made a direct appeal to competitors considering their options emphasizing transparency and athlete autonomy as core values.
“What you are getting from me is a promise that we will not lock you in where you can’t compete anywhere,” he said. “Guys, you’re going to compete in your IBJJF. You’re going to compete in your ADCC. You want to compete in WNO? Talk to me. You want to compete in Polaris? Talk to me. You want to compete in whatever? Talk to me. But what’s grapplers? I don’t want anything long and hard about what you’re about to sign into because this is your life. And you only get one life.”
The contrast in organizational philosophy could not be sharper. While UFC BJJ is consolidating control and building a closed ecosystem around its roster, ONE Championship positions itself as a collaborative partner in an athlete’s broader career journey.
Gadelha’s comments to Mundo de luta suggested that UFC BJJ views itself as offering something unique, but whether this for exposure model justifies cutting off access to ADCC, the sport’s most storied proving ground, remains a contentious question.
Craig Jones and Gio Martinez also made statements commenting on the detrimental effect this will have on BJJ.
