Champions

Training out of Nottingham MMA, the BJJ black belt has built one of the most distinctive identities in British grappling, equal parts technical depth and outright originality. His signature submission, the Goth Lock, is so closely associated with his name that it has become part of the sport's vocabulary, featuring in instructional content and catching opponents off guard at the highest levels of domestic competition.

Curtis is a veteran of Polaris and Grapplefest, a UK ADCC champion, and one of the most recognisable figures the British grappling scene has produced.

Jack Tyley is one of the most active and decorated no-gi competitors in Europe. A 10th Planet black belt training and coaching out of 10th Planet London, Jack has built a competition record that puts him among the sharpest submission hunters on the continental circuit.

His game is rooted in the 10th Planet system, rubber guard, leg locks, and the kind of unorthodox positional sequences that the system is built on. But what separates Jack from the average system practitioner is the consistency with which he finishes.

Dominic Dillon has been doing this longer than most. Ten years of competitive grappling, fifteen years on the mats as a coach, a Catch Wrestling World Championship, a professional MMA career, and appearances on some of the biggest stages in the sport.

What makes Dillon compelling is his style, self-described as goblin grappling, is a weird and wonderful expression of jiu-jitsu that sits outside any recognisable system. Unorthodox entries, unexpected angles, and a competitive instinct make him genuinely difficult to prepare for.

Aino Kartela became the first ever Grapple Worlds women's champion, claiming the belt by defeating two opponents across the grand prix in a single night.

Training under Lauri and Elvira Karppinen at 10th Planet Tampere in Finland, Aino is a brown belt with a game built around high-level leg locks, precise, committed, and dangerous from positions that others treat as neutral. Her recent results reflect a competitor moving in one direction: ADCC Open Finland gold at under 65kg, and silver in the absolute category against an open field.

Nottingham MMA has long been one of the UK's most respected combat sports gyms, a club with a track record of producing high-level BJJ and MMA talent under the guidance of head coach Paul Lukowski. At Grapple Worlds 2, they brought that reputation onto the mat as a team.

The quintet contest was an evenly matched, back-and-forth affair that kept the crowd engaged from the opening exchange. Neither side was able to pull clear, and the match came down to what it deserved, a final round between the two captains. Sam Colson settled it with a head and arm triangle, giving Nottingham MMA the victory.