ADCC 2026: Sarah Galvão and Marlon Tajik Shine on Their Rookie Debut

Marlon Tajik picture taken by @marchewka_jitsu // Sarah Galvao picture taken by @flograppling

ADCC 2026 made history on its fourth edition held in Europe, its first stop on the continent in 9 years. The event took place at Tauron Arena Kraków, Poland, on September 12th and 13th. 

It was a massive stage for the sport, and two of Kingz's athletes, Sarah Galvão and Marlon Tajik, delivered debut performances at ADCC that put them at the center of the story. 

Sarah Galvão | –65kg Female Division 

Sarah secured her spot in the main event at the ADCC North American West Coast Trials in April, and her appearance did not disappoint, as one of the favorites in a stacked bracket. 

In her first match (quarterfinal), she submitted fellow rookie Livia Barasine with a triangle. On her first appearance, it was all Sarah: she wrestled, passed, and took the back at will throughout the match.

In one of the longest matches of the event — nearly 33 minutes, with a double overtime — the two fought a fierce battle, but Vieira found her way to Sarah's back and submitted her with a rear-naked choke to claim her second title in a row. This was Sarah's second match against Vieira, and they now tie in their head-to-head record.  

A silver medal on her ADCC debut, at just 20 years old, against a two-time ADCC World Champion who needed double overtime to put her away — that's about as strong as a first outing as it gets. Sarah is officially part of the ADCC crew now, and she's ready to carry the Galvão legacy forward. 

Marlon Tajik | -88kg & Absolute 

Another rookie, Marlon secured his spot in the main event after winning the ADCC Europe, Middle East & Africa Trials and delivered one of the weekend's standout performances, competing in both his division (-88kg) and the open class, becoming the fans' favorite.

In the -88kg bracket, he opened with a finish over Nathan Haddad via straight ankle lock – his signature. For the following match, he won a 2-0 decision over Jozef Chen in the semifinal to reach the final. There, he ran into Pawel Jaworski, who ultimately took gold by penalty in a tight, closely fought final. It wasn't the ending Marlon was looking for, but a silver medal against the eventual champion — one of several first-time European gold medalists who reshaped the men's brackets this year — is a statement of result on its own. 

After the result in his weight division, Marlon also joined the absolute division and pulled off one of the most incredible submissions of the tournament in his first match, against Pouya Rahmani. Marlon had a rough start — his guard got passed, and his opponent dominated from side control — but he stayed patient, worked a hook in, and hunted Rahmani's foot down for a heel hook finish with seven minutes still on the clock. 

In the quarterfinals, he defeated his teammate and IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Javier Zaruski with a straight ankle lock to reach the semifinals. Marlon fell in the semifinal and again in the bronze medal match, finishing fourth in one of the most stacked open-weight brackets the tournament has seen, cementing his name in ADCC history. 

Congratulations to both athletes on an incredible showing in Krakow. Kingz is proud to have you on the team!