At FloGrappling, we’re always searching for the athletes who represent the future of jiu-jitsu, people that fans should get excited about as the next vanguard of greatness in this martial art & sport. That’s the goal of our “Prospect of the Month” series, where we highlight one rising star you should know before the rest of the world catches on.
Belal Etiabari has only been training for five years but in that time he has developed not just into a black belt under Lachlan Giles - already a crazy accomplishment - but one of the most intimidating & underrated heavyweight prospects on Earth.
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He stands ready to make history at the 2026 ADCC Asia & Oceania Championship, when he could become the first New Zealander to win the trials and punch his ticket to the ADCC Worlds.
The ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials goes down live on FloGrappling on June 20th, starting 7 p.m. ET (9 a.m. local time).
Belal Etiabari is Establishing Himself on the World Scene
Belal is among the class of elite participants all aiming to qualify for their divisions at the ADCC World Championships, going down this September 12-13th in Krakow, Poland.
Belal Etiabari first broke onto the public consciousness as part of Team Australia at CJI 2, placing in the 'Giles Trials' held at Absolute MMA and securing himself the heavyweight spot. What fans may not have realized - he was only four years into training at that time!
When most people are still figuring out their blue belts, he had already proven himself to be one of the best in the region. At CJI 2 he was able to secure a crushing foot lock and helped the team advance on to Day 2 in a great performance.
We talked to Lachlan's coach about his student and his future. Lachlan, fair to say, sees great things coming for Belal. He said:
"People would have seen Belal at CJI but they have to remember that was with only 4 years training, which has now become 5, a lot can happen with his rate of progress. I think he is going to take out some big names this year!"
Belal is originally from Afghanistan, having, moved to New Zealand at age 1. After receiving an education in engineering, he began training April 10th, 2021 behind a mosque before expanding his training and eventually landing at Absolute MMA.
He has developed his game into a lethal submission force, driven by his guard and a dexterity and flexibility that is rare for men his size.
Usually we hold this POTM designation for colored belts but given Belal's time in the sport, I think this is still more than fair. Belal will take the mats at the upcoming ADCC Trials as one of the biggest favorites of the event, despite having a fraction of the years on the mats that some in his division will carry.
If Belal is able to make history as the first New Zealander to win Trials and go to Worlds, he will be a dangerous draw for anyone in the bracket.
There's an exciting class of up and coming heavyweights that Belal belongs to. I'd also include Nick Hartman, Brandon Reed, Nata Tenca, and Thierry Felipe as others that can be a part of the next generation of great big men. We're going to get a great chance to see Belal against a tough field at Trials but if expectations are followed by results - he's going to put on a show on June 20th.
FloGrappling Archived Footage
Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloGrappling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.
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