CJI 2 Predictions: Winners, Openers, Tactics, Upsets & Attendance (The Big Preview)

Event snapshot

Dates	Aug 30–31, 2025
Venue	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
Format	8‑team, Quintet‑style; five ADCC weights (‑66/‑77/‑88/‑99/+99); 8‑minute bouts; draws eliminate both athletes
Watch	Free on B‑Team YouTube

Teams & confirmed rosters

As announced across July. August 2025. One wildcard per team allowed.

Kingsway / New Wave — Coach: John Danaher

‑66: Dorian Olivarez
‑77: Mica Galvão
‑88: Giancarlo Bodoni
‑99: Luke Griffith
+99: Dan Manasoiu

X‑Factor: Mica’s cross‑weight finishing + Griffith’s recent elite wins.

B‑Team — Coach: Nicky Ryan

‑66: Ethan Crelinsten
‑77: Jozef Chen
‑88: Chris Wojcik
‑99: Nicky Rodriguez
+99: Victor Hugo

X‑Factor: High ceiling with Nicky Rod & Victor Hugo; midweights must convert chances.

Atos — Coach: André Galvão

‑66: Diego “Pato” Oliveira
‑77: Ronaldo Jr
‑88: Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa
‑99: Kaynan Duarte
+99: Felipe “Preguiça” Pena

X‑Factor: Four proven finishers; can they translate to 8‑minute bursts in the pit?

Pedigo Submission Fighting — Coach: Heath Pedigo

‑66: Max Hanson
‑77: Dante Leon
‑88: Jacob “Couch”
‑99: Michael Pixley
+99: Brandon Reed

X‑Factor: Dante’s finishing rate versus elite middle/heavy opposition.

Misfits: Australasia — Coach: Lachlan Giles

‑66: Fabricio Andrey
‑77: Kenta Iwamoto
‑88: Lucas Kanard
‑99: Declan Moody
+99: Belal Etiabari

X‑Factor: Crafty lightweights to steal draws and occasional subs.

Misfits: Americas — Coach: Greg Souders

‑66: Gavin Corbe
‑77: Deandre Corbe
‑88: Elijah Dorsey
‑99: Taylor Pearman
+99: Pat Downey

X‑Factor: Speed & scrambles at ‑66/‑77; questions at ‑99/+99.

10th Planet — Coach: Eddie Bravo

‑66: Geo Martinez
‑77: Alan Sanchez
‑88: PJ Barch
‑99: Ryan Aitken
+99: Kyle Boehm

X‑Factor: Barch’s sniper runs under draw‑kills‑both rules.

Misfits: Europe — Coach: Faris Ben‑Lamkadem

‑66: Owen Jones
‑77: Pawel Jaworski
‑88: Paul Ardila
‑99: Charles Negromonte
+99: Marcin Maciulewicz

X‑Factor: Owen’s finishing threat at ‑66; otherwise underdog status.

Power rankings & title odds (BJJ More)

1) Kingsway / New Wave — 34%
2) B‑Team — 27%
3) Atos — 24%
4) Pedigo — 5%
5) Misfits: Americas — 4%
6) Misfits: Australasia — 3%
7) 10th Planet — 2%
8) Misfits: Europe — 1%

Method: r/bjj sentiment × roster depth × finish probability under draw‑eliminates‑both.

Who should start? Our optimal orders & likely openers

Reddit’s favorite Quintet heuristic: “four stallers + one finisher” (or vice‑versa), and start ahead, not behind.

Kingsway / New Wave

Likely opener: Dorian Olivarez (pace & wrestling to survive upweights or hunt necks)
Anchor: Mica Galvão or Luke Griffith (matchup‑dependent)

B‑Team

Likely opener: Nicky Rodriguez (sets tone; early eliminations force rival coach’s hand)
Alternative: Jozef Chen (precision passing to pick off ‑66/‑77 or force double‑outs)
Anchor: Victor Hugo (insurance vs fresh heavy)

Atos

Likely opener: Diego “Pato” Oliveira (fast‑finish threat vs lighter rivals)
Anchor: Kaynan Duarte or Felipe Pena (choose based on remaining bodies)

Misfits, Pedigo & 10th Planet

Openers: Australasia—Fabricio Andrey • Americas—Elijah Dorsey • Pedigo—Dante Leon • 10P—PJ Barch
Anchors: Australasia—Declan Moody • Americas—Taylor Pearman (or Pat Downey to stall) • Pedigo—Michael Pixley • 10P—Kyle Boehm

$100k Women’s Bracket (4‑woman, absolute)

Entrants: Helena Crevar • Adele Fornarino • Ana Carolina Vieira • Sarah Galvão
Form guide: ADCC & IBJJF titles across the field; Fornarino with recent absolute success; A.C. Vieira reigning ‑65kg; Crevar as youngest recent ADCC finalist; Sarah with 2025 IBJJF wins.

Pick: Adele Fornarino to edge Ana Carolina Vieira in a razor‑thin final. Dark‑horse route: Helena Crevar blitzes a semi and forces OT scrambles in the final.

Superfight: Craig Jones vs Gable Steveson

The arena matters. The CJI pit’s angled walls discourage fence‑stalling and create “bounce” transitions, wall‑assists into triangles, back‑takes, or re‑shots, favoring creative submission hunters.

Our call: Craig Jones by inside heel hook ~6:30. Steveson’s top game will look great early, but Craig’s wall‑baited entries (false reap/Ashi to backside) are tailor‑made for a pit scramble.

Study the exact archetypes that decide this match:

Strategy board: how this format will be won

Play from ahead. Open with a finisher to force reactive picks; draws delete two athletes, so low‑risk dominance doesn’t pay.
Use lightweights as “time thieves.” A savvy ‑66 can stall a superheavy, get a double‑out, and hand your ace a greener path.
Save one nuclear anchor. Whether it’s Mica, Hugo, Kaynan, or Pena, hold back a closer to avoid a poorly timed heavy‑on‑heavy double‑out.
Exploit the pit. Train deliberate “wall loops” (wall‑assisted takedowns, triangles, and back‑takes).

Technique trends to watch

Tripod‑pin passing & body‑lock to ride (B‑Team flavor): see our Jozef Chen deep‑dives – Tripod Passing & Engaging Without Regrets.
Anti‑wrestling hand‑fighting & stand‑ups for the pit. Craig’s Power Ride pairs well with “just stand up” concepts – Power Ride.

Attendance forecast (because the vibe matters)

Thomas & Mack Center seats ~18,776 for basketball; ticketing tiers range from lower bowl to premium. CJI 2024 drew roughly ~8,000 in‑arena by independent reporting. With the Steveson superfight and free streaming, we project 9,500–14,000 per night.

Confidence gauge: 68%

Assumptions: 50–75% seat fill given late‑summer Vegas, price tiers, and YouTube cannibalization offset by team‑vs‑team intrigue.

Concrete predictions (bookmark & roast us later)

Champion: Kingsway / New Wave over B‑Team in the final (Mica secures the decider).
MVP run: Nicky Rodriguez strings 3+ subs in one sitting.
Fastest sub: Diego “Pato” Oliveira (< 90 seconds, heel hook or RNC).
Biggest upset: Misfits: Australasia eliminates a seeded favorite via a ‑66 draw + midweight sub chain.
Coach chest‑move of the weekend: Danaher burns a heavyweight on a deliberate double‑out to clear the bracket for Mica.

Study tape before the weekend (affiliate deals)

We may earn a commission if you purchase through these links – at no extra cost to you.

Craig Jones — Power Ride (top control → submission)
Craig Jones — Make Z Guard Great Again (half‑guard funnels to legs)
Craig Jones — You Can’t Kneebar (knee‑bar layer for leg hunts)
BJJ Fanatics — Daily Deals (rotate your cart for the weekend)

Sources & fan pulse

Event FAQ, format & rosters: “CJI 2: What to Know”; “Roster: Teams for CJI 2”.
Updated teams, women’s bracket, free stream: Jits Magazine coverage.
Venue & tickets: UNLV Tickets; Thomas & Mack capacity notes.
CJI pit and slanted walls: rule/arena explainers and event coverage.
ADCC 2024 results & athlete profiles: major grappling outlets and databases.
r/bjj sentiment: power‑ranking & strategy threads (openers, stallers vs finishers).