Alan Nascimento’s life came dangerously close to be changed forever on June 1, 2014.

When Otavio Sousa swept him in the middleweight semifinal of the world championship, he hit his head on the mat.

After he tapped to an armbar, he could not get back on his feet.

He explains what happened at that moment: “I had a neck injury and a nerve got pinched, which made me lose the feeling both on my arms and legs.”

He left the Long Beach Pyramid in a stretcher and spent the next days in a hospital bed.

The injury was so important that five months later Finfou was still experiencing some symptoms: “They’re not as bad as before. I feel much better now. I have almost no pain and don’t have to take pills. I still feel tired from time to time,” explained Alan on November 2014.

Gradually, he went back to teaching classes, then doing some physical conditioning and, later on, some actual training.

The comeback to competition happened on April 2015, at the Rome Open.

Alan Finfou at the podium. Photo: IBJJF/Kenny Jewel

Even so, one thing was still missing and it was to go back to the very place he got hurt, the Long Beach Pyramid.

That he did this weekend, at the 2015 Worlds No-Gi, as Finfou registered to compete in the master 1 medium-heavy division.

The outcome could not have been better, as Finfou himself tells us: “Last time I Competed at this arena, I left the place paralyzed from my neck down and went straight to the hospital in an ambulance. Today, I was back here again and I walked out of the building as a world champion. Praise the Lord!”

Alan Nascimento

Day 2 of the 2013 London Open has come to a close.

Sunday was devoted to the no-gi divisions.

Just like on Saturday, Alan Nascimento (Checkmat) and Max Carvalho (Gracie Barra) were the names of the day.

The two fighters were in the medium-heavy and absolute adult black belt finals.

This time, Alan won both golds and walked away as the big name of the event.

Here are the other results in the black belt division:

BLACK / Adult / Male / Light Feather
First – Baruc Martin Barrios – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team

BLACK / Adult / Male / Light
First – Maxmiliano Oliveira Campos – Oxford Shootfighter
Second – John Raymond Kavanagh – SBG International (SBGI)
Third – Bruno Emanoel M. de Oliveira – Gracie Humaita

BLACK / Adult / Male / Middle
First – Charles Negromonte Santos – Gracie Barra
Second – Oliver Leys Geddes – Roger Gracie Academy

BLACK / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Alan Douglas Pereira do Nascimento – CheckMat
Second – Maximiliano de Figueredo Carvalho – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Adult / Male / Ultra Heavy
First – Alan Vitor Oliveira Ferreira – De La Riva International
Second – Francisco Ramos Mendes Neto – CheckMat

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
First – Alan Douglas Pereira do Nascimento – CheckMat
Second – Maximiliano de Figueredo Carvalho – Gracie Barra
Third – Maxmiliano Oliveira Campos – Oxford Shootfighter
Third – Alan Vitor Oliveira Ferreira – De La Riva International

BLACK / Master / Male / Light Feather
First – Ivan Jose Rocha Araruna – Batatinha Team Italia

BLACK / Master / Male / Light
First – Marco Aurelio Oliveira Canha – CheckMat
Second – Carlos Eduardo de Almeida Goncalves – BJJ Revolution Team – International
Third – Arek Zienkiewicz – Gold Team Fighters
Third – Nathan John Roberts – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Master / Male / Middle
First – Jonatas Eliaquim da Silva – Gracie Barra
Second – Fergal Quinlan – BJJ Revolution Team – International
Third – Giordano Brozzi – Tribe JJ

BLACK / Master / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Lucio Sergio dos Santos – Gracie Barra
Second – Alexandre Sousa Izidro da Silva – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team
Third – Thomas John King – SBG International (SBGI)
Third – Leonardo Queiroz da Cunha – Banni Fight Combat UK

BLACK / Master / Male / Super Heavy
First – Grzegorz Henryk Szatkowski – Gold Team Fighters

BLACK / Master / Male / Open Class
First – Carlos Eduardo de Almeida Goncalves – BJJ Revolution Team – International

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Light
First – Rumen Yeray Caraballo Martin – WING BJJ

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Middle
First – Jose Carlos Hissa Granja – Nova União
Second – Luiz Osvaldo Ribeiro Duo – CheckMat
Third – Bruno Fiaschi Zancaner – Roger Gracie Academy

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Heavy
First – Per Christian Andresen – Team Trondheim BJJ

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Open Class
First – Per Christian Andresen – Team Trondheim BJJ
Second – Bruno Fiaschi Zancaner – Roger Gracie Academy
Third – Rumen Yeray Caraballo Martin – WING BJJ

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Light
First – Leonardo Augusto Martins Loureiro – GF Team

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Medium Heavy
First – John Paul Hartley – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Ultra Heavy
First – Nicolai John Holt – Roger Gracie Academy

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Open Class
First – Nicolai John Holt – Roger Gracie Academy
Second – John Paul Hartley – Gracie Barra

In the Teams competition, the top three academies were:

1 – Roger Gracie Academy – 120
2 – Gracie Barra – 80
3 – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team – 77

For the complete results, go to ibjjf.com

In the black belt open class division, Gracie Barra’s Max Carvalho beat Checkmat’s Alan Nascimento for the gold.

In the other black belt divisions, the results were:

BLACK / Adult / Male / Light Feather
First – David Gustav German Lejenäs – Hilti BJJ Stockholm
Second – Baruc Martin Barrios – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team
Third – Cristofer Martin Barrios – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team
Third – Andrea Verdemare – Cyclone

BLACK / Adult / Male / Feather
First – Maxmiliano Oliveira Campos – Oxford Shootfighter
Second – Luiz Henrique Cunha Tosta – Gracie Barra
Third – Simone Franceschini – Cyclone

BLACK / Adult / Male / Light
First – Wim Louis Deputter – Brasa
Second – Oliver Leys Geddes – Roger Gracie Academy
Third – Felipe Thiago Pereira da Silva – Carlson Gracie Team
Third – Bruno Emanoel M. de Oliveira – Gracie Humaita

BLACK / Adult / Male / Middle
First – Charles Negromonte Santos – Gracie Barra
Second – Kenneth Alan Baker – Gracie Barra
Third – Gareth Edwin Neale – Gracie Barra BJJ
Third – Claes Christer Edgar E. Weyde – Hilti BJJ Stockholm

BLACK / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Alan Douglas Pereira do Nascimento – CheckMat
Second – Maximiliano de Figueredo Carvalho – Gracie Barra
Third – Julien Cazier – Gracie Barra
Third – Francisco Ramos Mendes Neto – CheckMat

BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
First – Gabriel Kitober Vieira – Kitober BJJ

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
First – Maximiliano de Figueredo Carvalho – Gracie Barra
Second – Alan Douglas Pereira do Nascimento – CheckMat
Third – Mathias Fernandes Ribeiro – Alliance RS
Third – Gareth Edwin Neale – Gracie Barra BJJ

BLACK / Adult / Female / Light
First – Laurence Cousin Fouillat – Tropa de Elite
Second – Esther Huong Tang – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Adult / Female / Medium Heavy
First – Janni Margareta Larsson – CheckMat
Second – Gretchen Dawn Zoeller – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Adult / Female / Open Class
First – Janni Margareta Larsson – CheckMat
Second – Laurence Cousin Fouillat – Tropa de Elite
Third – Esther Huong Tang – Gracie Barra
Third – Gretchen Dawn Zoeller – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Master / Male / Light Feather
First – Ivan Jose Rocha Araruna – Batatinha Team Italia

BLACK / Master / Male / Light
First – Carlos Eduardo de Almeida Goncalves – BJJ Revolution Team – International
Second – Marco Aurelio Oliveira Canha – CheckMat
Third – Arek Zienkiewicz – Gold Team Fighters
Third – Nathan John Roberts – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Master / Male / Middle
First – Jonatas Eliaquim da Silva – Gracie Barra
Second – Giordano Brozzi – Tribe JJ
Third – Matthew James Callaghan – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Master / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Lucio Sergio dos Santos – Gracie Barra
Second – Leonardo Queiroz da Cunha – Banni Fight Combat UK
Third – Alexandre Sousa Izidro da Silva – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team
Third – David Robert Iverson – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Master / Male / Super Heavy
First – Grzegorz Henryk Szatkowski – Gold Team Fighters
Second – Matteo Calamandrei – Rio Grappling Club Italia

BLACK / Master / Male / Open Class
First – Lucio Sergio dos Santos – Gracie Barra
Second – Grzegorz Henryk Szatkowski – Gold Team Fighters
Third – Matthew James Callaghan – Gracie Barra
Third – Carlos Eduardo de Almeida Goncalves – BJJ Revolution Team – International

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Light
First – Rumen Yeray Caraballo Martin – WING BJJ
Second – Steven Campbell – Stealth BJJ

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Middle
First – Jose Carlos Hissa Granja – Nova União
Second – Guillermo Salas – Gracie Academy
Third – Alex Souto de Souza – Nova União International
Third – John Scott Pickering – Mario Sukata International

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Antônio Sérgio Zimmermann Cardoso – Pound for Pound Team

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Heavy
First – Per Christian Andresen – Team Trondheim BJJ
Second – Flavio Roberto Ferreira e Silva – Brazilian Top Team

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Open Class
First – Antônio Sérgio Zimmermann Cardoso – Pound for Pound Team
Second – Per Christian Andresen – Team Trondheim BJJ
Third – Alex Souto de Souza – Nova União International
Third – Rumen Yeray Caraballo Martin – WING BJJ

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Light
First – Leonardo Augusto Martins Loureiro – GF Team

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Heavy
First – Richard Martin – Carlson Gracie Team
Second – David Armendariz Arauzo – Taz BJJ

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Open Class
First – Richard Martin – Carlson Gracie Team
Second – Leonardo Augusto Martins Loureiro – GF Team

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Medium Heavy
First – Patrik Isberg – Hilti BJJ Stockholm
Second – John Paul Hartley – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Ultra Heavy
First – Nicolai John Holt – Roger Gracie Academy

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Open Class
First – Nicolai John Holt – Roger Gracie Academy
Second – John Paul Hartley – Gracie Barra

The London Open continues this Sunday, with the no-gi divisions.

For full results, go to ibjjf.com.

Robert Drysdale is undefeated in MMA with six wins by submission. The fighter’s goal is a career in the UFC and fighting the best. Photo: Legacy FC/ Disclosed

Robert Drysdale is a hot issue in MMA. The fighter, son of an American father and a Brazilian mother, was born in America but raised in Brazil. As an adult and with a black belt, he returned to Las Vegas where he opened his own gym, Drysdale BJJ, and began to help in the training of big UFC names, like Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva and Randy Couture, who encouraged him to start in MMA.

After becoming the ADCC 2007 absolute champion, Drysdale left the competitions on the mats to join the world of cages, but like he says, Jiu-Jitsu remained being more than a sport, it is a lifestyle for him.

Proof of this is found in all his professional fights. The phenomenon of the gentle art has won by submission in the first round every fight. The last one happened Friday, April 12, at Legacy FC 19. The light heavyweight faced D.J. Linderman, an experienced fighter who has fought in events like Bellator and WSOF, and the Brazilian won with a nice rear-naked choke.

To check the level of this fighter, review Drysdale’s duel against Chris Reed at Legacy FC 15:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpMeQMsfWRc

Now that he is undefeated for six fights, Drysdale aims for the UFC and wants to fight the best in the category. The truth is that his performance within the cages has drawn the attention of the leaders of the sport, and it is quite possible that we will see Drysdale’s BJJ shining on the biggest stage in the world of MMA, in a short time.

His contact with the UFC is old. The professional fighter was one of the coaches of Team Mir on “TUF 8” in 2008. The following year, Drysdale prepared Forrest Griffin prepared for UFC 101, which had the historic title fight between the American and the middleweight champion, Anderson Silva. The program “Countdown to UFC 101” put the spotlight on Drysdale, giving prominence to the coach, who went on to help other stars of the organization.

Check the results of the last event Drysdale attended, Legacy FC 19:

LEGACY FC 19
Allen Event Center, Allen, Texas
April 12, 2013

Will Campuzano beat Alan Nascimento by unanimous decision
Georgi Karakhanyan beat Din Thomas by unanimous decision
Robert Drysdale submitted DJ Linderman with a rear naked choke at 1:48 of round one
Matt Hobar beat Nelson Salas by unanimous decision
George Pacurariu beat Steven Peterson by knockout at 3:42 of round one
Reynaldo Trujillo beat Chris Jones by knockout at 3:59 of round one
Kevin Aguilar submitted Hunter Tucker with an armbar at 2:24 of round one
Brad Mitchell beat David Armas by unanimous decision
Evan Thompson beat Angelus McFarlane by unanimous decision
Bull Lawal beat Jabari Shakur by unanimous decision
Vernon Lewis beat James Hall by TKO after round one

Alan Nascimento disputa o cinturão dos moscas do Legacy contra o atual campeão, o mexicano Will Campuzano. Foto: Legacy/ Divulgação

Nesta sexta-feira, 12 de abril, o Legacy FC retorna em sua 19^a edição, a Allen, no Texas. Além da disputa de cinturão dos moscas entre o brasileiro Alan Nascimento e o campeão Will Campuzano, o card ainda conta com a participação do faixa-preta Robert Drysdale.

Nascido nos Estados Unidos e criado no Brasil, Drysdale foi campeão absoluto do ADCC 2007, em Nova Jersey e desde 2010 compete profissionalmente no MMA. O lutador está invicto com cinco vitórias, todas por finalização. Robert já foi treinador de Jiu-Jitsu de nomes como Forrest Griffin, Randy Couture e Wanderlei Silva. Nesta sexta-feira, ele enfrenta o estreante no Legacy, DJ Linderman.

O card principal será transmitido pela AXS TV.

Confira as lutas do evento:

LEGACY FC 19
Allen Event Center, Allen, Texas
12 de abril de 2013

Card Principal

Will Campuzano vs Alan Nascimento
Georgi Karakhanyan vs Din Thomas
Robert Drysdale vs D.J. Linderman
Matt Hobar vs Nelson Salas
George Pacurariu vs Steven Peterson
Chris Jones vs Reynaldo Trujillo
Hunter Tucker vs Kevin Aguilar

Card Preliminar

Sean Holden vs Armando Servin
David Armas vs Brad Mitchell
Angelus McFarlane vs Evan Thompson
Bull Lawal vs Jabari Shakur
James Hall vs Vernon Lewis

GMA member Ezekiel Zayas welcomed recently black belt Alan “Finfou” Nascimento for a special seminar in Valencia, Spain.

Finfou spent a whole week at Ases JJ.

Zayas, also a black belt, talked about the experience:

“We had two sessions a day and Finfou showed a lot of positions and variations. It was very interesting, once he not just showed the technique, but also explained the reason why he was using it. We are learning a lot from his technique and also his humble way of being and teaching”.

For more info, go to asesbjj.com.