Bad news for BJJ fans today as Joao Gabriel Rocha is confirmed to be out of the +99kg division of ADCC.
ADCC figurehead Mo Jassim delivered the news about Rocha on his Instagram story and told the Jiu-Jitsu Times that the athlete’s departure is due to injury.
Rocha hasn’t commented publicly on his departure from the tournament yet, though he did share the exciting news earlier today that he’s opening up his own BJJ academy in Dallas, TX.
Jassim also revealed that Rocha would be replaced in the +99kg category by Marcelo Garcia’s Hudson Taylor, who won silver at the East Coast Trials back in 2018.
Thankfully, other athletes who were rumored to also be out of ADCC are, in fact, still going for gold. Despite rumors swirling around the internet that Renzo Gracie stars Oliver Taza and Nicky Rodriguez were out of ADCC due to the eye ailment EKC (which currently has Keenan Cornelius feeling rough), both Taza and Rodriguez have confirmed with the Jiu-Jitsu Times that their eyes are perfectly fine, and they will be competing as planned this weekend.
