AJP Tour | Graciemag

Professor Matheus Cunha wants to compete in the main Jiu-Jitsu competitions in the US

Vitor Freitas — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 13:10:54 +0000

Matheus Cunha in action during an IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Photo: Personal Archive

Currently competing and training in Texas, United States, Matheus Cunha, a Jiu-Jitsu black-belt, discovered a pleasant surprise in the sport. Initially, when he started at 11 years old, his goal was to lose weight, but the identification with that environment made the kid realize that he wanted to go further. Today, at 24 years old, Matheus is improving his technique at 413 Jiu-Jitsu, a team led by athlete and professor Pedro Rocha, which is preparing to assemble the 2025 competition team. Matheus is one of the members of this select group.

After taking his first steps in Jiu-Jitsu as a child with master Roberto Godoi, in Barueri, São Paulo, Matheus’ journey in the sport took another direction after he became a blue-belt, when the first opportunity for sponsorship arose with a trip abroad.

“As a blue-belt, I had the opportunity to be sponsored by Frota Academy, in Switzerland, and I took my first international trip when I was 16. I did a camp in the country and then competed, as a Juvenile, in the IBJJF Euros. It was a great experience.”.

Since then, Matheus’ dedication has given him the chance to broaden his horizons through Jiu-Jitsu. Today, after spending some time in Texas, he feels more mature, but with the same desire to improve as the 16-year-old who visited Switzerland for the sport.

“My routine in the United States consists of training only. I train three to four times a day, varying between physical preparation and Jiu-Jitsu. I’m going to all the Opens here in the country and I intend to do super fights, in addition to participating in the Pans and in the Worlds, Gi and No Gi, IBJJF competitions, and in the AJP Tour Grand Slam, in Dallas.”.

In June of last year, Matheus was promoted to black-belt, beginning a more challenging chapter as a Jiu-Jitsu competitor. The 2025 season has already begun for him. At the end of January, he competed at the IBJJF Dallas Winter Open, Gi and No Gi, a high-performance competition. On that occasion, the black-belt placed well on the podium in both modalities and left the tournament with two silver medals. A warm-up for the promising months to come.

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Neiman, Isaque, Cyborg… Confira os resultados completos do ADXC 1

Graciemag Newsroom — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 02:29:12 +0000

Neiman finalizou Ben Henderson via armlock. Foto: AJP

Abu Dhabi se transformou no epicentro das artes marciais nesta sexta-feira com a estreia do Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC), um evento que trouxe uma experiência única e empolgante para os fãs de luta. A Mubadala Arena, iluminada por efeitos deslumbrantes e telões gigantes, testemunhou a paixão pelo esporte em um evento com todos os ingressos vendidos.

Dentro do octógono, a luta principal do evento, aguardada com grande expectativa, colocou o ex-lutador do UFC Ben Henderson contra Neiman Gracie. O duelo ficou marcado na memória dos presentes, com Gracie saindo vitorioso ao finalizar Henderson com um armlock espetacular. O público não poupou aplausos para ambos os lutadores, reconhecendo a grande performance no octógono. Após a vitória, o brasileiro não escondeu a alegria em estar de volta ao grappling.

“Estou muito feliz, espero voltar para lutar, na próxima edição, quem sabe em dezembro, contra outra lenda do MMA. O ADXC colocou o grappling em um outro patamar, foi incrível viver essa experiência fora do MMA”, festejou.

A segunda luta mais empolgante da noite foi entre o brasileiro Roberto Cyborg (tentando passar a guarda, na foto abaixo) e o australiano Anton Minenko. Aos 42 anos, Cyborg mostrou todo seu repertório de quedas e manteve a pressão ao longo dos cinco rounds até a vitória.

“É uma satisfação imensa estar aqui, podendo fazer parte da história sendo construída. Muito feliz também com a minha performance, consegui fazer o que eu queria, pressionei ele o tempo todo e fui minando aos poucos. Já estou pronto para a próxima, se quiserem já podem me colocar no próximo card”, brincou o experiente atleta.

A próxima edição do ADXC, diga-se, será realizada no Brasil. A data do evento ainda não foi confirmada, mas a organização promete levar o mesmo show de Abu Dhabi para o país do Jiu-Jitsu.

Card preliminar tem show de finalizações

O card preliminar do Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) começou com uma explosão de ação, apresentando cinco lutas emocionantes. Três delas terminaram em finalizações espetaculares, destacando Fellipe Andrew, que impressionou com um triângulo incrível contra Uanderson Ferreira, e a estreante de apenas 17 anos, Sarah Galvão, filha de André Galvão, que venceu por finalização no pescoço após uma luta intensa. O americano Dan Manasoui também se destacou ao finalizar Antônio Assef com uma chave de calcanhar em pouco mais de 1 minuto. O ADXC prometeu uma noite repleta de ação, e o card preliminar deixou claro que as expectativas estavam sendo superadas desde o início.

Superlutas têm equilíbrio e brilho de Porfirio após quase ser finalizada

As superlutas do evento trouxeram momentos emocionantes e confrontos equilibrados. Destaque para a luta entre Tayane Porfirio e Giovanna Jara, que por muito pouco não finalizou Tayane com um armlock no segundo round. Mas a ex-campeã mundial resistiu e conquistou a vitória após amplo domínio no round seguinte. A disputa entre Márcio André e Fabrício Andrey também foi notável, com uma decisão dividida dos juízes que refletiu o equilíbrio do duelo. Além disso, a luta entre Thalisson Soares e o árabe Zayed Alkatheeri também levantou a plateia. Mesmo com Soares vencendo por decisão unânime, o atleta da casa vendeu caro a derrota e foi ovacionado após a disputa.

Na luta mais aguardada da noite, a revanche entre Gustavo Batista e Isaque Bahiense (foto acima), Bahiense prevaleceu, embora com poucas emoções. Além disso, destacou-se a vitória de Marvin Vettori sobre o ídolo local Tarek Suleiman, solidificando seu nome no evento.

Resultados completos:

Sarah Galvão venceu Vitória Gabriella, por finalização (estrangulamento das costas), no 3R

Dan Manasoui venceu Antônio Assef por finalização (chave de calcanhar), no 1R;

Luiza Monteiro venceu Nathalie Ribeiro, por decisão unânime;

Jonnatas Gracie venceu Natan Chueng, por decisão unânime;

Fellipe Andrew venceu Uanderson Ferreira, por finalização (triângulo), no 1R;

Marcin Held venceu Guram Kutateladze, por finalização (armlock), no 1R;

Thalison Soares venceu Zayed Alkatheeri, por decisão unânime;

Fabrício Andrey venceu Márcio André, por decisão dividida;

Abdul Kareem venceu Islam Rede, por decisão unânime;

Tayane Porfirio venceu Giovanna Jara, por decisão unânime;

Roberto Cyborg venceu Anton Minenko, por decisão unânime;

Marvin Vettori venceu Tarek Suleiman, por decisão unânime;

Isaque Bahiense venceu Gustavo Batista, por decisão unânime;

Neiman Gracie venceu Ben Henderson, por finalização (armlock), no 4R.

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ADGS Miami 2023 – What’s better than sunshine and Jiu-Jitsu?

News Room — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 02:22:54 +0000

The 2022/2023 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour and AJP Tour has whisked us away to the vibrant city of Miami. We began our journey in the United States on September 16 and 17, amidst the pulsating energy of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. Before setting foot on the west coast, our cameras delve into the intensive preparation regimes of athletes in California, recognized as the contemporary mecca of jiu-jitsu.

With its breathtaking coastline embracing enchanting beaches, California not only allures thousands of jiu-jitsu enthusiasts with its congenial climate and dynamic lifestyle but also houses prominent gyms and elite athletes in the discipline. Our documentary takes you through the revered halls of Checkmat HQ in Long Beach, Atos HQ, Alliance in San Diego, Fight Sports and Champion fit in Miami, providing an exclusive sneak peek into the sanctuaries where jiu-jitsu maestros hone their craft. As we traverse the nation to arrive in Miami, the host city for this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, witness athletes in their element, tweaking their techniques and shedding the extra pounds in the lead-up to the weigh-in during championship week.

Embark on a day in the sun-soaked life of Miami with Roosevelt Sousa and Lucas Lira, as our lens captures the ethos of the Magic City. The documentary offers unfettered access to behind-the-scene moments and encapsulates the electrifying highlights of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Miami 2023. CLICK HERE and revel in the experience!

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ADXC 1: Neiman Gracie versus Ben Henderson, and much more!

News Room — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:46:54 +0000

The Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) arrives with an impressive card for its debut edition, on October 20th at the Mubadala Arena. The most prominent grappling athletes in the world will step into the cage set up in the center of the gym, with the main fight of the evening featuring two MMA stars who have Jiu-Jitsu as a strong foundation in their careers. In the last bout of the event, black belts Neiman Gracie and Ben Henderson will face each other.

NEIMAN GRACIE vs. BEN HENDERSON – THE MATCHUP

The duel was chosen by the organization to symbolize the strength of grappling and how Jiu-Jitsu transcends traditional competitive environments, leading the gentle art to dominate outside the mats as well. Neiman and Bendo will have the chance to show their technical and submission-focused style in a no-gi superfight, with a ruleset similar to the one used in MMA tournaments, where the points are counted individually in each of the five rounds of three minutes. The battle will be in the welterweight division and closes the event, which will also feature a co-main event and ten more super fights.

Neiman Gracie
Neiman Gracie carries with him the responsibility of representing the most famous family in international Jiu-Jitsu every time he fights. A Jiu-Jitsu black belt, son of master Marcio Stambowsky, Neiman is one of Renzo Gracie’s most dedicated pupils, having gotten a taste for fighting while living on the famous blue mats of his master’s academy, in New York.

An MMA athlete, Neiman is a Bellator fighter and has an impressive record of nine victories by submission, out of the 12 in his resumé, holding the record for most submissions in his weight division. In Jiu-Jitsu, he has appeared on the podium of the most prestigious events with and without the gi. Neiman arrives at ADXC to show not only the strength of the Gracie family in the Abu Dhabi cage but also to prove once again the efficiency of the Jiu-Jitsu that has been his legacy from birth.

Ben Henderson

Ben Henderson is a former UFC and WEC champion, with stints at Bellator and numerous main events throughout his successful MMA career. A wrestling specialist, he has been a Jiu-Jitsu black belt since 2013 and used a lot of his knowledge of the mats in MMA, taking eight of his 30 victories in the cage through submissions, all via the neck with his tight guillotines and rear-naked choke adjustments. After venturing into grappling duels, with and without the gi, Ben Henderson joins the impressive ADXC card to make his debut within the organization, using his Jiu-Jitsu and cage experience in Abu Dhabi.

To further heat up the debut night of the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC), the organization included an old rivalry in its gi main event. In a fight in the middleweight division, Isaque Bahiense and Gustavo Batista are once again facing each other, but this time the AJP was able to turn up the rivalry between the champions even more.

The gi duel will take place in the ADCX cage, over five three-minute rounds. Even though the submission can define the winner at any moment of the fight, the score per round, defined by the side judges, will bring even more desire to show their abilities the best they can.

Furthermore, the absence of safety areas or room for escape makes the cage work another factor to be considered in the classic duel between Isaque and Gustavo. Isaque Bahiense, leader and athlete representing DreamArt, arrives to compete against Gustavo with two Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship titles in his career. Gustavo, an elite athlete from Atos Jiu-Jitsu, a team captained by André Galvão, has the notorious AJP King of Mats title on his resumé.

Dueling on the AJP mats, Isaque came out winning twice, in the final of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Rio in 2017, and at the Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2018. Gustavo, in turn, won the AJP King of Mats title in 2019 by overcoming Isaque in the final match of the event.

ADXC will have 13 fights on its card, with the gi main event between Isaque Bahiense and Gustavo Batista, in addition to the no-gi main event that closes the debut event, featuring MMA stars Neiman Gracie and Ben Henderson. Don’t miss the excitement and great fights scheduled for the event that will revolutionize the world of grappling. Access our profile on Instagram now, at @adxcofficial, and find out first all the details of the event and other fights on the electrifying card on October 20th.

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