All the action of a FISU World University Championship multiplied by five: this is what to expect over the next six days in Brasilia, where ju-jitsu, karate, muaythai, wrestling and wushu student-athletes will meet.
The FISU World University Championship 2026 season will leave Gothenburg, Sweden, on 7 June to pop up on the 8 June in Brasìlia, Brazil. The acrobatic flying moves of cheerleading leaving the stage for more acrobatic moves in combat sport. Welcome to the first cluster event of the season, scheduled from 8-13 June.
Inaugurated on the 21st of April, 1960, by then president Juscelino Kubitschek, Brasília formally became the third capital of Brazil, after Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. Seen from above, the main area of the city resembles the shape of an airplane. Commonly referred to as the “Federal Capital” or “BSB”, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
All competitions will take place at the Brazilian International Convention Center (CICB), that will be buzzing.
Find out a little more about the sports
Ju-Jitsu was officially recognised by FISU in 2020, highlighting the growth and popularity of the martial art within the university sporting community.
All matches over the 4 days of competition will last 5 minutes.
Women’s weight categories: -45kg; -48kg; -52kg; -57kg; -63kg; -70kg; +70kg.
Men’s weight categories: -56kg; -62kg; -69kg; -77kg; -85kg; -94kg; +94kg.
Karate is part of the FISU calendar since 1998, when the first event was held in France. . The extraordinary interest in the Karate events propelled the event to the forefront regarding participant numbers. The last edition was held in Samsun, Türkiye, in 2022
The competition will last 4 days.
Women’s categories: Kumite: -50kg; -55kg; -61kg; -68kg; +68kg; team event. Kata: individual; team event.
Men’s categories: Kumite: -60kg; -67kg; -75kg; -84kg; +84kg; team event. Kata: individual; team event.
Muaythai was officially incorporated into the FISU World University Championships programme in 2015. The inaugural World University Championship Muaythai was successfully held in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2018. The last edition was held in Samsun, Türkiye, in 2022.
The competition will last 6 days.
Women’s freestyle categories: -45kg; -48kg; -51kg; -54kg; -57kg; -60kg; -63,5kg. Wai Kru. Mixed Team Mai May.
Muaythai was officially incorporated into the FISU World University Championships programme in 2015. The inaugural World University Championship Muaythai was successfully held in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2018. The last edition was held in Samsun, Türkiye, in 2022.
The competition will last 6 days.
Men’s freestyle categories: -57kg; -63,5kg; -67kg; -71kg; -75kg; -81kg; -86kg. Wai Kru. Mixed Team Mai May.
Wrestling has its origins in ancient Greece and Rome, and it has remained largely unchanged in terms of techniques and attire over the centuries.
Although this noble discipline was featured in the programme of the World University Games Summer (previously called Universiade) held in Bucharest, Romania, in 1981, it has not been included in the World University Championship since the 1968 edition held in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The competition will last 5 days.
Women’s freestyle categories: 50kg; 53kg; 55kg; 57kg; -59kg; 62kg; 65kg; 68kg; 72kg; 76kg.
Men’s freestyle categories: 57kg; 61kg; 65kg; 70kg; 74kg; 79kg; 86kg; 92kg; 97kg; 125kg.
Men’s greco-roman categories: 56kg; 60kg; 63kg; 67kg; 72kg; 77kg; 82kg; 87kg; 97kg; 130kg.
Wushu was officially introduced into the programme of the FISU World University Championships in 2014. The inaugural event of the World University Championships took place in Macau, China, in 2018, marking a significant milestone for the sport at the university level The last edition was held in Samsun, Türkiye, in 2022
The competition will last 4 days.
Women’s categories: Taolu (routines): Changquan; Jianshu; Qiangshu; Nanquan; Nandao; Taijiquan; Taijijian. Sanda (free fighting): 48kg; 52kg; 56kg; 60kg
65kg.
Men’s categories: Taolu (routines): Changquan; Daoshu; Gunshu; Nanquan; Nangun; Taijiquan; Taijijian. Sanda (free fighting): 48kg; 52kg; 60kg; 70kg
80kg.
The participants
46 delegations from all five continents have travelled to Brasilia for the event, which shows how universal combat sports are. Let’s take a look at who will be competing in Brazil.
- Individual Neutral Athletes
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Belarus
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Ecuador
- Spain
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Haiti
- Kong Kong, China
- Hungary
- Iran
- Italy
- Republic of Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Lebanon
- Moldova
- Mexico
- Northern Macedonia
- Netherlands
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- South Africa
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Thailand
- Chinese Taipei
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United States of America
“In numbers, this is already a historic edition: we will have all five continents represented, 46 delegations countries confirmed, and approximately 1,500 participants — more than double the previous edition”, rejoices Luciano Cabral, CEO of CBDU, FISU Vice-President, and President of the Organsing Committee. “This reinforces Brazil’s reputation as a benchmark in organising world championships and demonstrates the trust FISU member nations place in our ability to deliver events with excellence and quality.”
The competition schedules (all times in UTC-3)
Where to follow live?
The FISU World University Championship Combat Sports will be livestreamed on all competition days, allowing fans around the world to follow the event and cheer on their teams.
Simply click here to watch live and find out more information on the event’s official website and on its social media outlets: Instagram and Facebook.
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