Daniel Hortegas – Photo: Personal Archive
American Top Team Sandy Springs is experiencing one of the busiest weeks in its young history, with athletes and coaches involved in major events in the United States and abroad. While Daniel Hortegas competes at the UFC BJJ Open in Las Vegas, Ronald Humphrey pursues a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Series, and Akeem Bashir competes at Carolina Clash in South Carolina, Roan “Jucão” Carneiro has just completed his campaign at the 2026 IMMAF Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi, where he made history with the Saudi Arabian team.
Jucão achieved a historic result for Saudi Arabia, leading the delegation to five medals at the World Championships, including the first women’s World Championship medal in the country’s history. The achievement adds another important chapter to Jucão’s growing international work and highlights the reach of the American Top Team Sandy Springs coaching system.
For Hortegas, this moment is the direct result of years of work built by a highly qualified coaching team. “I see this as the natural result of having highly accomplished individuals working together for years to prepare the next generation of athletes. We have an elite coaching roster. Jucão is our Jiu-Jitsu leader and a godfather figure within the team. Tubbs is our striking head coach and brings an elite level of leadership. We also have Will Brooks, who was a Bellator World Champion and competed against some of the best fighters in the world,” said the Brazilian.
Jucão sees the busy week as a reflection of the structure built by the academy. “This week really sums up the moment American Top Team Sandy Springs is in. While I’m here in Saudi Arabia working with the federation, Ronald is representing us on Contender Series, Daniel is competing at the UFC BJJ Open, and Keem is fighting in South Carolina. This doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. The UFC veteran also highlighted Hortegas’ importance within the team: “I want to give a special shout-out to Daniel, who is handling a lot alongside me here. Without him helping the way he does, we wouldn’t be able to maintain this level of presence in so many places at the same time. It’s teamwork, trust, and knowing that everyone understands exactly what they need to do.”
Roan Jucão – Photo: Personal Archive
In addition to competing at the UFC BJJ Open, Hortegas will be following Ronald Humphrey’s appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. The undefeated welterweight will attempt to earn a UFC contract as the result of a preparation process led by head coach Devorius “Tubbs” Tubbs. According to the coach, ATT Sandy Springs’ approach is based on transforming raw talent into complete fighters. “At the highest level, you can’t rely solely on natural talent or physical strength. The goal is to build complete mixed martial artists who can impose their game plan regardless of the opponent’s style,” he explained.
Tubbs says preparation for Contender Series requires special attention to both technical and mental aspects. “Dana White’s Contender Series requires more than simply winning a fight; you have to deliver an authoritative performance under immense pressure. We work on emotional regulation, fight IQ, specific strategies and situations that replicate the UFC Apex environment. The ultimate goal is for the athlete to enter the cage with total clarity, zero hesitation and complete trust in the preparation,” he said.
For Hortegas, the diversity of events and disciplines demonstrates the breadth of the philosophy developed at ATT Sandy Springs. “It shows that we are capable of doing great things across different areas of combat sports. The key is to continue working and training as a team, keep our egos out of the process and pursue excellence relentlessly. We have different generations of warriors working toward the same goal: becoming the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.”
Jucão sums up that identity in one sentence: “ATT Sandy Springs is not about one person; it’s about a system. Seeing the team shine on multiple fronts in the same week is proof that the system works.”
