Competition season is heating up and this weekend features another major event in the competitive grappling space. The IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship kicks off on March 15 and runs through Sunday, March 19. This is one of the premier events in North America as it brings some of the best BJJ athletes from major teams such as Atos, Gracie Barra, Unity and others.

Across all of the divisions there are a number of names that stand out and big matches right in the first rounds of competition. The black belt division usually gets the most attention, as Pans is an opportunity to see some dream matchups. Each division has a number of favorites who are expected to reach the podium, but that doesn’t stop the excitement of potential upsets across the brackets.

For example, Marcelo Garcia black belt, Gianni Grippo is a favorite in the featherweight division as he brings a wealth of experience to the IBJJF mats; especially at the Pan American Championships where he’s won gold multiple times. Then you have Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa, who is coming off of his huge win at the Five Grappling Super League event last weekend, looking to keep the momentum going in the medium heavyweight division. To do so he’d have to get through Alliance black belt and new Bellator MMA signee, Dillon Danis – a fight that everyone would love to see.

The Pan American event is also an opportunity for new names to push their way into the conversation. This isn’t just about black belts that people know and love, but brown and purple belts also have their time in the limelight. Unity purple belt Devhonte Johnson is expected to have a strong showing as he’s emerged as one of the faces to watch in the sport.

The IBJJF 2017 Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship is available for viewing on television through Roku and Apple TV 4 or you can catch all the action through FloGrappling.com.