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).