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Along with many athletes receiving emails from the ADCC organization, Alliance champion Lucas Lepri is of that group. Gaining his first-ever invitation to the prestigious event, Lucas will be traveling to Beijing, China, in October to represent his team in the under 77kg division.

Having already been to Abu Dhabi for the World Pro and a champion in IBJJF’s top tournaments, it’s time for Lucas to make his debut as a no-gi grappler on the international stage of ADCC. See how he reacted to the surprise notification and how he will adjust his training regiment in an exclusive chat with GRACIEMAG.com.

GRACIEMAG: How does it feel to be personally invited to one of the most prestigious BJJ tournaments in the world?

LUCAS LEPRI: Honestly when Fabio Gurgel called me and told me that I was chosen to represent my team at the ADCC, I felt so happy and at the same time so flattered for the opportunity. I was waiting for this invitation since my first No-Gi Worlds title [in 2009] and now I am more than happy to know that my work is being recognized.

Will you change your training from now on to be prepared for this no-gi event and will you go anywhere else or stay in Atlanta?

Yes, my training now is going to be more focused on no-gi, but I will keep training with the gi because in my opinion it’s very important to combine both to get the result that I am looking for. All my training is going to be done in Atlanta with Master Jacare and my students. But I might also go to NYC [Marcelo Garcia Academy] as it seems that our crew from Brazil is coming so we can all train together and get prepared.

What kind of matches are you looking forward to with possible opponents such as Otavio Sousa?

For all of my fights my goal is to fight forward and look for the submission. It’s always a pleasure to fight with big athletes of our sport.

Stay tuned for more ADCC news on who will be in attendance and more.