In a discussion on The Grapplers Perspective Podcast, ADCC gold medalist Giancarlo Bodoni shared his thoughts on the evolving landscape of jiu-jitsu competition, particularly highlighting the differences between gi and no-gi grappling from a spectator perspective.
Bodoni, who built his foundation in the gi before becoming an ADCC champion, expressed his appreciation for both styles while acknowledging the challenges gi jiu-jitsu faces in capturing broader audience interest.
“I think if you look at jiu-jitsu overall, especially in Europe and Asia, most people do gi still,” Bodoni explained. “Your average gym is mostly gi, but the average spectator aspect of jiu-jitsu is mainly no-gi.”
The gold medalist pointed to a fundamental viewing problem with gi competitions: “Even me, if I watch some matches from Pans, I’m like, ‘man, some of these matches are hard to watch.’ And it would be even worse for somebody who doesn’t know jiu-jitsu.”
Bodoni highlighted why casual viewers connect more easily with no-gi competition: “You can’t take that same person, have them watch ADCC and then have them watch IBJJF Worlds—the entertainment value is totally different. Even if they don’t know any of the techniques, they’re going to see more movement in no-gi. They’ve watched UFC. They know what a rear naked choke is. They can see, ‘Oh, this guy’s arm’s getting broken.'”
The contrast becomes particularly apparent when examining the static nature of many gi matches: “With a gi, because it’s so static, and a lot of times you have too many guys that are just fighting to win, you get these matches that are like an advantage, 50/50, back and forth. It’s very hard from a spectator perspective.”
Despite these challenges, Bodoni expressed optimism about gi jiu-jitsu’s potential to evolve and attract more viewers through structural changes to competition formats. He suggested that the IBJJF, with its significant resources, could create a more professional circuit with better prize money to incentivize elite competitors.
“I respect IBJJF a lot as an organization because they’ve been around for a long time,” Bodoni noted. “I think they could develop a professional circuit in the gi that was a little bit more like what we have in no-gi, like a professional superfight circuit. At least IBJJF adult black belt grand slam should have prize money that’s at least equivalent to ADCC.”
Bodoni‘s insights highlight the ongoing challenges in making the sport accessible to casual viewers while maintaining its technical integrity—a balance that may determine the future popularity and profitability of gi competitions.
