With over 1,000 competitors registered for the event, the ADCC West Coast trials were the biggest ADCC trials event ever. Held at the West Gate Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, these trials served as a primer for the World Championships in September.
Keith Krikorian Wins 66 kg Division Following 3 Trials Silver Medals
10th Planet black belt Keith Krikorian is no stranger to the ADCC organization. He competed at the ADCC Worlds in 2019 and had made it to the finals of the trials three times prior to the 2022 West Coast Trials. These credentials earned Keith the #1 seed in the 66 kg division in Vegas, where he made the most of his position. He had six matches prior to the finals, defeating the likes of Robert Diggle and Damien Anderson prior to the first-place match. In the final Keith squared off with Josh Cisneros. Cisneros, who had quite the run himself, was seeded third in the division. He had notable wins over Adam Benayoun, Gavin Corbe, and Gianni Grippo throughout the tournament. In the final, Krikorian was set on hunting the leg lock. He entered the 50/50 position and quickly locked on an inside heel hook to which Cisneros was forced to tap. The win gave Krikorian his first gold in four ADCC trials events and a World Championship birth in September.
Brianna Ste-Marie Becomes First Female to Win Both East and West Coast Trials
Brazilian Top Team black belt Brianna Ste-Marie had her best year as a competitor in 2021. The Canadian grappler won the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds and American Nationals, the WNO 135 lb. belt, and the ADCC East Coast Trials. Brianna entered the West Coast Trials with plenty of momentum and showed why she was the #1 seed in the -60 kg division. On her way to the final Ste-Marie earned victories over world-class CheckMat black belts Raquel Canuto and Nathalie Ribeiro. She utilized a combination of her dangerous half guard game and pressure passing to earn four submissions in six matches. In the final she faced Jasmine Rocha. Ste-Marie controlled the match, passing Rocha’s guard and threatening various chokes. The final score was 3-0 and Ste-Marie became the first female competitor in ADCC trials history to win both the east and west coast events.
Jacob Rodriguez Follows in Brother’s Footsteps with Winning Performance at 88 kg
88 kg competitor Jacob Rodriguez put on the best performance of his career at the ADCC West Coast Trials. Brother of heavyweight standout Nick Rodriguez, “JRod” used his technique and athleticism to secure six submissions out of seven matches, the most of any competitor on the day. In the final, Jacob hit one of the best submissions of the event. His opponent was Hunter Colvin of Brothers Jiu-Jitsu, a pro MMA fighter and veteran of Polaris, Submission Underground, Fight to Win, and WNO. Hunter cleared Jacob’s legs and appeared to secure a guard pass, but Jacob immediately started working a buggy choke. He adjusted it several times before finally getting the tap from Hunter. Jacob was a blue belt during the trials and received his purple belt from Craig Jones after his victory in the final.
Full results for the ADCC West Coast Trials can be found below.
Male
66 kg – Keith Krikorian
77 kg – William Tackett
88 kg – Jacob Rodriguez
-99 kg – Paul Ardilla
+99 kg – Kyle Boehm
Female
-60kg – Brianna Ste. Marie
+60 kg – Amy Campo
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