Ana Mayordomo has become an unlikely symbol of a growing problem in competitive jiu-jitsu. The Spanish-American grappler has won two ADCC trials within months of each other, yet she still needs to win a third just to qualify for the main event.
Her situation has sparked necessary conversations about the women’s divisions at ADCC and whether the current structure can accommodate the rapidly growing talent pool.
“I don’t think it’s wrong for me to say that right now half-size brackets is an issue,” Mayordomo stated plainly during a recent interview on the Grappling Hour podcast. “There’s too many girls that are very good and not enough spots.”
The numbers tell the story. Men’s ADCC divisions feature 16 competitors, while women’s divisions have just eight spots. For Mayordomo, competing at 121 lbs (55 kg), this created an unusual predicament.
She won European trials in Poland, then traveled to Orlando and won North American trials. Both victories were impressive, but neither counted toward ADCC qualification because only the second set of trials in each region awards spots to female competitors.
Mayordomo’s competitive resume from the final months of 2025 reads like a world tour. After winning European trials, she immediately flew to Las Vegas for UFC Fig ht Pass Invitational, then to New York for IBJJF Pans, where she claimed gold. She followed that with another gold medal at IBJJF European Championships in Italy before returning stateside for the North American trials, where she once again emerged victorious.
The back-to-back trials wins created widespread confusion among fans and competitors.
“After I won European trials, I got messages saying, ‘Congrats, I can’t wait to see you in ADCC,'” Mayordomo explained. “Which is such a letdown because you’re like, ‘Thank you so much,’ but no, not really. And then you have to explain the whole how things work.”
The confusion multiplied after her second trials victory. Some assumed winning two trials automatically qualified her. Others understood that only second trials count for women but didn’t realize she held dual citizenship, allowing her to compete in multiple regions. The result was a cascade of congratulatory messages followed by awkward clarifications.
Beyond the personal frustration, Mayordomo recognizes the structural challenge. “We’re seeing women’s jiu-jitsu grow a lot and get a lot of attention,” she said. “We’re having like there’s a capacity issue. We have too many girls that are very good and not enough spots.”
The limited bracket size creates difficult decisions around invitations. Previous ADCC champions who didn’t medal at the last event still deserve consideration, but that leaves minimal room for emerging talents or trials winners from the first round. Mayordomo herself acknowledged the dilemma:
“I honestly can’t say that they should invite me over a previous champion that maybe didn’t medal at last ADCC. That’s me being completely honest, not me being self-deprecating.”
ADCC North America, run by Mo Jassim, has attempted to address the issue for repeat trials competitors. Winners of the first trials receive automatic number one seeding for the second trials in their region, plus coverage for travel and accommodation. Jassim extended this benefit to Mayordomo for European trials as well, a gesture she appreciated while acknowledging it doesn’t solve the fundamental problem.
