Cyborg on top of Bruno Bastos in the ultraheavyweight final / Photos: Mike Calimbas/TXMMA.com.

Promoted by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the Dallas Open featured some of the sport’s top competitors last weekend at TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena in Texas. The top-placed black belt was Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, who won the absolute division and proved his game is up to speed for the World Championship coming up late May in California.

Cyborg returned home to Florida with two gold medals, one at ultraheavyweight and another at open weight. In winning his weight class he had to make it past Bruno Bastos in the final, with Ricardo Evangelista taking bronze. In the absolute, Roberto defeated Traves Edward Serna of Lovato team in the final, according to the IBJJF.

Check out the official tournament results here.

Another standout was the beast from Oklahoma State Justin Rader, who overcame Pablo Silva in the featherweight final. Watch the showdown in the following video taken by our contributor Mike Calimbas:

Another black belt to raise the roof was Renato Tavares. The teacher and competitor in the senior division braved facing the big, younger guys in the master division and took gold in the absolute. In the semifinal he applied an eyeful sweep on Gracie Barra’s Professor Ulpiano Malachias. In the final he outpointed Alexandre “Dande” Ferreira via judges’ decision.

The big teams showed up en mass, and Nova União, with Bruno Bastos at the helm, took the overall team contest; with Lovato Jiu-Jitsu, led by Rafael Lovato and Justin Rader, in second; and Renato Tavares Association, under Renato Tavares and Piet Wilhelm, taking third.

Gracie Barra took its pint-sized competitors and took third in the overall kids results.

Team Standings

1. Nova União – 298
2. Lovato Jiu-Jitsu – 168
3. Renato Tavares Association – 148

Kids

1. Nova União – 37
2. Renato Tavares Association – 22
3. Gracie Barra – 12

Check out the 29 finest photos from the tourney, by Mike Calimbas:

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Cyborg por cima de Bruno Bastos, na final do pesadíssimo. Fotos: Mike Calimbas/TXMMA.com..

Organizado pela International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), o Dallas Open levou alguns dos melhores lutadores do esporte ao Texas no último sábado, nas dependências da TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena. Melhor para o faixa-preta campeão absoluto Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, que provou estar com o jogo afiado para o Mundial da Califórnia, no fim de maio.

Roberto Cyborg volta para casa na Flórida com duas medalhas de ouro, no pesadíssimo e no absoluto adulto. No peso, precisou passar por Bruno Bastos na final, com Ricardo Evangelista ficando com o bronze. No absoluto, Roberto venceu na final Travis Edward Serna (Lovato), de acordo com a IBJJF.

Confira os resultados oficiais do torneio, aqui.

Outro destaque foi a fera de Oklahmoma Justin Rader, que venceu Pablo Silva na final dos penas. Assista à peleja abaixo, em mais um vídeo feito por nosso colaborador Mike Calimbas:

Outro faixa-preta que levantou a galera foi Renatinho Tavares. Professor e atleta sênior, o levinho Renato se atirou entre os gigantes do master e faturou o ouro absoluto. Na semifinal, raspou bonito o professor da GB Ulpiano Malachias. Na final, venceu Alexandre “Dande” Ferreira na decisão dos juízes.

As equipes grandes compareceram em massa ao campeonato, e a Nova União liderada por Bruno Bastos venceu por equipes, com a Lovato Jiu-Jitsu (liderada por Rafael Lovato e Justin Rader) e a Renato Tavares Association (guiada por Renato Tavares e Piet Wilhelm) ficando em segundo e em terceiro.

A Gracie Barra levou seus pequenos e beliscou um terceiro lugar nos resultados do Infantil.

Resultado por Equipes

1. Nova União – 298

2. Lovato Jiu-Jitsu – 168

3. Renato Tavares Association – 148

Kids

1. Nova União – 37

2. Renato Tavares Association – 22

3. Gracie Barra – 12

Confira a seguir as 29 melhores imagens do torneio, por Mike Calimbas:

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Gustavo Dantas with Nova União's first-place trophy at Phoenix Open 2012 / Publicity photo

Nova União is preparing the team for the 2012 Worlds with two main training camps, in Arizona and Texas. “We understand that this is a big challenge, but we’re going for it,” said Dantas. “We have good talent in the juvenile, female and male divisions coming in from Brazil, plus many standouts from the United States.”

The team standouts include black belt Marcelino Freitas, who will be flying over from the Land Down Under, Australia, to further bolster the heavily stacked featherweight division. The standouts making the trip from Brazil are young talents who come from very humble backgrounds. With the help of the veteran competitor and leader of Nova União Bangu Bruno Bastos and his black belt Fabio Andrade, who organized funding for the competitors from Brazil to travel, the future frontline of Nova União was given the opportunity to fly to the US to pursue their dreams of becoming world champions.

“Bruno has a big heart and does an amazing job with these kids; he literally takes it out of his pocket to support them,” Dantas explained. “Marcio Andre, who won the blue light feather division last year and just won the Brazilian Nationals last weekend will be returning to the fold, but not to defend his title, as this time around he’ll compete at purple belt. Other competitors like Isaque Bahiense and Paulo Silva, who also won the Brazilian Nationals, and Yuri Santos, who recently won at the Phoenix and Dallas Opens, are just a few of the competitors who have benefited from the fundraising programs organized by NU Brazil and NU USA. They come from very humble families, and live in neighborhoods where drugs, crime, and violence are rife. Without Jiu-Jitsu, it is possible that these young men would never leave the state, let alone the country. We help raise money and Bruno opens his arms and home to them because we truly believe in their potential and they deserve to have these kinds of opportunities.”

Team Nova União took first in the overall team contest in the adult male and beginners divisions at last weekend’s Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship. For the complete results, click here.

Beginners:

1 – Nova União – 23
2 – Alliance – 16
3 – Gracie Humaita – 13

 Adult Men:

1 – Nova União – 78
2 – Alliance – 69
3 – CheckMat – 43