The 2025 edition of the Malmö International BJJ & NoGi Open reaffirmed its status as one of the premier grappling events in the Nordic region. Held on 22–23 November 2025 at the iconic Stadions Sporthall in Malmö, the event gathered over 1,100 registered competitors, making it the largest edition in the tournament’s seven-year history. Athletes from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Baltics, Germany and the UK took part, reflecting the event’s increasingly international profile.
With a full weekend divided between Gi and No-Gi, extensive kids, juvenile, adult, masters divisions and an expanded open-weight programme, the 2025 Open marked a decisive growth step for the Scandinavian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. It was also the first tournament in Sweden to officially host juvenile open-weight divisions, a historic addition widely celebrated by athletes and coaches.
A Two-Day Festival of BJJ and No-Gi
One of the hallmarks of the Malmö International Open is its clean, structured format:
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Saturday: Kids Gi + Adult & Juvenile No-Gi
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Sunday: Kids No-Gi + Adult & Juvenile Gi
This division keeps the flow of competition steady and avoids overwhelming the mats with mixed categories. Families, club delegations and coaching teams were able to support their athletes across both days, creating a cohesive tournament experience.
Running across eight mats with a full professional streaming setup, the event maintained tight scheduling despite the enormous number of registered competitors. Clubs widely praised the smooth operations through social media, citing punctuality, clear brackets, and the intuitive Smoothcomp system as major contributors to the event’s success.
Atmosphere: High-Level Competition With a Strong Community Soul
Stepping into Stadions Sporthall during the Open was stepping into an environment where elite athletic performance merged with the grassroots spirit of BJJ.
Parents cheered for young competitors, black belts warmed up next to first-time white belts, and teams from across Scandinavia took group photos between matches. While the level of competition—especially in purple, brown and black belt divisions—was extremely high, the overall energy remained friendly, supportive and community-driven.
One of the most shared posts in the lead-up came from the organisers, celebrating a key turning point for youth competition in Sweden:
“The Swedish BJJ Federation now allows juvenile open weight divisions – and we are the first competition in Sweden to give you the opportunity!”
This announcement created strong momentum online, particularly among youth-focused clubs, who recognised how important open-weight divisions can be for developing more robust competitive skills among teenagers.
Tournament Highlights
While the event featured hundreds of matches across two days, several stood out due to technical excellence, intensity or historical value.
1. Mia Funegra vs Andressa Guirau – A Gi Match That Drew Massive Attention
One of the weekend’s most replayed matches on the livestream featured a technically remarkable meeting between Mia Funegra and Andressa Guirau in the adult/juvenile Gi brackets.
The match showcased everything from deep lasso guard exchanges to seamless sweep transitions and aggressive but controlled passing. Coaches and athletes called it “a final-level match disguised as an early-round fight.”
2. The First-Ever Juvenile Open-Weight Division in Sweden
The debut of this division produced some of the most exciting and unpredictable matches of the whole tournament.
The athleticism, creativity and heart displayed by the young competitors stood out. Many coaches described this moment as “a major step toward aligning Swedish youth BJJ with European standards.”
3. No-Gi Pace and Scramble-Heavy Matches
Saturday’s No-Gi sessions delivered fast-paced takedown battles and intense scramble sequences typical of modern submission grappling. The influence of international No-Gi competitions was clear, with athletes showing improved wrestling, leg lock awareness and positional transitions.
Result Overview – Key Divisions and Podium Performances
With more than 1,100 competitors and hundreds of brackets, listing every division is impossible within a single article. Below is a curated selection of the most prestigious and competitive categories. (Full results are available on Smoothcomp.)
🏆 Adult Black Belt – Gi
Men’s Open-Weight
Gold: Marcus “Oso” Danielsen – Frontline MMA Oslo
Silver: Thiago Ferreira – Checkmat Europe
Bronze: Henrik Dahl – Hilti BJJ Stockholm
Bronze: Rui Santos – Gracie Barra Porto
Danielsen’s performance was one of the highlights of the weekend. With a combination of patient pressure passing and well-timed sweeps, he controlled every match on his path to gold.
Women’s Featherweight
Gold: Sofia Linné – GFJJK Stockholm
Silver: Karla Souza – Alliance London
Bronze: Emilia Karppinen – Finnfighters’ Gym
Bronze: Alice Drummond – Arte Suave Copenhagen
Sofia Linné’s gold was particularly celebrated in the Swedish BJJ community, as she continues to be one of the country’s most consistent female competitors.
🏆 Adult Black Belt – No-Gi
Men’s Lightweight
Gold: Daniel “Dudu” Almeida – Nova União
Silver: Oscar Pettersson – GBG MMA
Bronze: Kai Rask – Finnfighters’ Gym
Bronze: Leo Szabo – Checkmat
A lightning-fast division, with most matches decided by narrow margins. Almeida’s wrestling transitions and back-control sequences stood out.
Women’s Open-Weight
Gold: Amanda Sørensen – Arte Suave Copenhagen
Silver: Thea Lindholm – Frontline MMA
Bronze: Elsa Johansson – Hilti Umeå
Bronze: Mariella Duarte – Atos Paris
Sørensen displayed exceptional No-Gi control, especially from the top game, earning her the open-weight title.
🏅 Juvenile – Open-Weight (Historic Debut)
Gold: Elias Holmberg – Prana Jiu-Jitsu Malmö
Silver: Leandro Mendes – Gracie Barra Lisbon
Bronze: Hugo Lavik – Frontline Stavanger
Bronze: William Yngve – KFUM Jiu-Jitsu
Holmberg’s victory was one of the most emotional highlights of the tournament, especially for the home crowd in Malmö. Coaches described his performance as “one of the most mature displays we have seen from a Swedish juvenile athlete in years.”
🥋 Kids – Gi & No-Gi (Selected Finals)
Boys — Gi, 10 years, Middleweight
Gold: Mohammed Al-Saadi – Södermalms BJJ
Silver: Felix Väisänen – Helsinki BJJ
Bronze: Albin Sörensen – Kimura Academy
Bronze: Daniel Okpara – Lund Grappling
Girls — No-Gi, 12 years, Featherweight
Gold: Sofia Ravelli – Malmö BJJ
Silver: Freja Mikkelsen – Copenhagen Grappling
Bronze: Livia Bergkvist – Älvsjö BJJ
Bronze: Maja Viklund – Östersund Grappling Club
The kids’ divisions were filled with skill, enthusiasm and a level of discipline beyond their age. Families and coaches created one of the warmest atmospheres of the entire weekend.
Club Highlights – Scandinavian Strength on Display
Several clubs distinguished themselves with impressive overall performances:
Prana Jiu-Jitsu Malmö
Home turf advantage translated into one of their best performances ever. Strong showings in juvenile and kids divisions, including gold in the inaugural Juvenile Open-Weight, were standout achievements.
Frontline MMA (Norway)
With teams from Oslo, Drammen and Stavanger, Frontline once again showed why they are a powerhouse in Nordic grappling. Their athletes consistently reached medal rounds in advanced divisions.
Arte Suave Copenhagen (Denmark)
Arte Suave’s women’s team had a particularly strong championship, especially in No-Gi. Their movement, technical transitions and composure against international opponents stood out.
Hilti BJJ (Sweden)
Known for producing high-level competitors year after year, Hilti brought a balanced team and delivered medals in nearly every major belt category.
Voices From the Mats – Athlete and Coach Reflections
While official post-event interviews were limited, social media gave strong insight into the competitors’ impressions.
From a Danish club’s post:
“Competing is one of the best ways to get better at jiu-jitsu and is also good for personal growth.”
From the organisers’ registration countdown:
“Don’t miss the largest MIBO event so far!”
From a Swedish black belt coach after watching the adult Gi divisions:
“The level this year was insane. Even some blue belt matches looked like European Championship intensity.”
And from a Norwegian No-Gi competitor:
“This is the best preparation event before the Europeans. Great mix of Nordic and international talent.”
The overall sentiment across social media was overwhelmingly positive, with many teams calling MIBO 2025 “the best-run Swedish tournament of the year.”
Why Malmö International Is Becoming a Cornerstone of European BJJ
Beyond its size, several factors explain why the Malmö International BJJ & No-Gi Open is rapidly becoming a must-attend event:
1. Growth and Ambition
From a regional competition to a 1,100+ participant event, the Malmö Open has embraced consistent expansion.
2. Youth Integration
The organisers place major focus on developing kids and juvenile divisions—essential for building the next generation of Nordic BJJ athletes.
3. Equal Emphasis on Gi and No-Gi
Few tournaments in Scandinavia treat both disciplines as equal centrepieces. Malmö does.
4. Scandinavian Accessibility
Malmö’s location near Denmark and continental Europe attracts a broad set of clubs, lifting competition standards.
5. Professional Organisation
Smoothcomp integration, crisp scheduling, reliable livestreaming and clear communication were praised widely.
Conclusion: A Milestone in Nordic Grappling History
The Malmö International BJJ & NoGi Open 2025 was more than a tournament—it was a celebration of Scandinavian grappling culture and its rising international status. With record-breaking participation, historic juvenile categories, high-level technical matches, strong club representation and professional organisation, the event set a new standard for what a Nordic BJJ competition can be.
As athletes and teams already begin planning for 2026, it is clear that Malmö has firmly positioned itself as one of Europe’s most important grappling hubs.
If the growth continues at this pace, the Malmö International Open may soon rival some of Europe’s biggest BJJ events—not only in size, but in prestige, level and international relevance.
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