Injana Goodman’s ADCC Petition
Injana Goodman recently won the 2025 ADCC Europe, Middle Eastern, & African Trials at 65 kg. Most would be happy if they won such a prestigious event, but Goodman isn’t as she did not receive an invite to next year’s ADCC Championship.
Under the rules of this being the first event of the cycle and that there’s only right spots per cycle for women, she did not receive an invite.
This led Goodman to create a petition for the ADCC to expand its women’s divisions to the same size as the men’s divisions.
“If I were a man, I would be going to ADCC Worlds right now. I won the first European trials on the 6th of September—but because I am a woman, the first trials don’t count for me. That means I won’t be going to ADCC Worlds. Women only get one chance to qualify, in early 2026, while men get two. And while men have five weight classes, women only have three. That is not fair.
This disparity is a clear example of inequality. Women in BJJ train and compete just as hard as men, but we are not given the same fair chance to earn our place on the world stage. This unfair system not only harms individual careers—it limits the visibility, growth, and professionalism of BJJ as a sport. It also undermines ADCC as an organisation by preventing the best talent from being showcased on its biggest stage.”- Injiana Goodman.
Goodman’s Arguments Against Criticisms of ADCC Expanding Women’s Divisions
The three biggest arguments that are often made for why women’s divisions aren’t expanded is because some feel that there aren’t enough women to fill the divisions, there’s not enough talent, and they don’t draw money.
Goodman rejects these criticisms and believes that they are inaccurate.
“Some argue that there aren’t enough women at this level, or that women’s matches don’t attract the same audience. This is simply not true. The growth of women’s divisions across IBJJF, ONE Championship, CJI, and UFC shows that fans are eager to watch world-class female athletes.
Representation creates interest: when women are given platforms, viewership grows, role models are created, and the sport as a whole benefits. By holding women back, ADCC isn’t reflecting demand—it’s suppressing it.”- Injana Goodman
If you would like to sign Injana Goodman’s petition, you can find the link here: https://share.google/M5fupfeR48yfj8Ph1
Bobby is martial artist for almost 20 years with a BJJ black belt under Professor Sergio Miranda. He is also a karate black and former combat sports athlete, who loves all things grappling.