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See these ten names below!

The 2013 World Championship is around the corner and while we wait for the brackets and schedule to be released, we can study the list of registered athletes in the meantime. Scanning the categories of people who will be stepping on the mats of the Long Beach Walter Pyramid May 29 – June 2, there are some who have become promising.

From blue to brown, here are ten people who we feel can put up a good fight in their respective divisions:

Hiago Gama Sousa – Blue Light-Feather

Hiago at European Open taking the back

From Alliance, Hiago was born in Vitoria da Conquista, the same town of Rodrigo Minotauro, and has won the European Championship, Pan American Championship and the Brazilian Nationals this year. The twenty-one year old has 87 other competitors in his division but was able to come out on top in his 72-man division at Pan Ams so we think he has a great chance of hitting the grand slam.

Ram Ananda – Purple Light-Feather

Ram Ananda after winning the 2013 Pan Ams

A member of Alliance under Rubens Cobrinha Charles, Ram Ananda is a dual competitor and champion. Last year he won the gold at the Worlds as an adult blue belt then earned another world title as a purple belt at the Worlds Masters and Seniors. This year he accomplished the gold in the adult category at the Pan Americans as well. Ram’s consistency will help him reach the podium this year at the Worlds.

Ostap Manastryski – Purple Light-Feather

Ostap attacking from the back at the 2013 Pan Ams

Ostap is a Ukrainian-Canadian purple belt from Open Mat MMA in Toronto, Canada. He won his light-feather division this year at the Europeans and placed second at the Pan American Championship. Last year he had a good run at the Worlds winning bronze before being stopped by Joao Miyao. An avid competitor at the largest tournaments, we believe he will be among the top in his division.

Rehan Muttalib – Purple Middle

Rehan taking the back at the 2013 Pan American Championship

In his first year at purple belt, Rehan of Cobrinha BJJ has not only competed a ton but also reached the podium at nearly every championship he has entered. Most notably he won the European Championship with a silver in the open weight division and then placed second at the Pan American Championship. He won double gold at the New York Open, and silver at both the Dallas Open and Las Vegas Open so we think he has created a good momentum for the Worlds.

Rafael Henrique Pereira – Brown Light

Rafael at the 2013 Pan American Championship

At his first year at brown belt, Rafael Henrique Pereira has secured two gold at two solid tournaments, the Pan American Championship and Brazilian Nationals respectively. The Gracie Elite Team member who comes from Gordo Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil also won the Brazilian Nationals last year as a purple belt and placed second at the Pan ams in 2012 as well. His run so far at brown belt is promising enough for us to bet he will podium at the Worlds this year.

Felipe Cesar Silva – Brown Middle

Felipe with a single leg at the 2013 Pan American Championship

This Barbosa JJ competitor has been a brown belt for less than two months but we already believe he has a chance to get to the Worlds podium. After winning the purple belt middle division and placing second in the open division at Pan Ams in March, Felipe Cesar Silva was promoted to brown belt and went on to win the brown belt middle division at Brazilian Nationals in April. Accustomed well to his new belt already, we see no problem in expecting a good performance from him at the Worlds.

Natasha Quiza – Blue Medium-Heavy

Natasha Quiza passing the guard at the 2013 Pan American Championship

This Fight Sports blue belt under Robert “Cyborg” Abreu just won her Pan Ams division and placed third in the open weight. As a solid blue belt for some time now she has placed at the Worlds and she won Brazilian Nationals last year. She does well in both division and open weight so medaling at the Worlds this year is expected for Natasha.

AaRae Alexander – Purple Light

AaRae Alexander preparing in the bullpen

At her first year at purple belt, AaRae Alexander is off to a great start by winning the Pan Ams. At the 2012 Worlds she secured gold in the blue belt featherweight division and despite priorities like going off to college, she has managed to keep her competitive edge at a high level. The Team Lloyd Irvin young member has been competing since she was a kid earning four golds at Worlds as a juvenile blue belt in 2009 and 2010. Since she knows how to win a world title or two already, we think she can manage another at this new belt.

Nathalia Azoff – Brown Middle

Nathalia Azoff submitting at the 2013 Pan American Championship

Nathalia is a member of Brazilian Top Team Boston and has had a great year so far winning Pan Ams and the Boston Open in the brown belt middleweight division. As an international competitor she has placed at the top tournaments such as Europeans and even Worlds as a purple belt. Last year she took silver but this year we think she can do the same or better.

Dominyka Obelenyte – Brown Medium-Heavy

Dominyka Obelenyte working a triangle at the 2013 Pan American Championship

Dominyka Obelenyte is a Marcelo Garcia brown belt but has only been wearing said belt for about three weeks. At only 17, she is the youngest brown belt in her division but her accomplishments prove her worth. In 2011 at the age of fifteen she won the purple belt adult absolute division at the Worlds and placed second in the middleweight division. She also just won the purple absolute division at Pan Ams winning silver in her weight. Although a fresh brown belt, her talent and resume are enough to prove her capable of winning at this year’s Worlds.

>>To watch the Worlds from your seat at home, go to www.ibjjftv.com!

GRACIEMAG will be present tomorrow, April 20 at the 2013 IBJJF New York International Open. Set at the City College of New York in the heart of the city, the Nat Holman Gymnasium will be the battlefield for local teams to determine who is the best. You can follow all the coverage on our google + page!

Gracie Barra has sent a team of some of their best black belts to the other coast from California. Philippe Della Monica came out and held a seminar at GMA Gracie Barra Long Island and will be present along with his teammates. World champion Otávio Sousa leads the pack that includes also Rodrigo Simoes, Gustavo Pires and Magid Hage. Renzo Gracie team has opted to represent their academy without combining into the Gracie Elite Team name and Alliance is being represented by both New York academies Alliance NYC and Marcelo Garcia Academy. Nova Uniao is holding their own with Times Square locals Vitor Shaolin Academy. Many streams of competitors will be present from all over the nation to see who comes out on top. This tournament, however, has always been very important to the teams who are all located in rather close proximity and who gains the overall lead in points to win the team trophy. Will you be present to catch all of the excitement and/or defend your team’s glory?

The schedule is up as well as the brackets so be sure to check those both below:

Click here to see the schedule!

Click here to see the brackets!

Make sure you follow our live and up-to-date coverage tomorrow for all the action on our google plus page: www.gplus.to/GRACIEMAG

Watch the replay below:

JT uses his guard to overcome heavyweight Salazar at Houston Open. Photo by Mike Calimbas.

This past weekend was replete with Jiu-Jitsu of the highest quality in Texas, at the IBJJF Houston Open that took place at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center, with the likes of the Mendes brothers, André Galvão, Marcello Salazar, Stephen Hall, Diego Gamonal, James Harbison, Pablo Santos, Ryan Hall, and a lightweight who ended up with two gold medals and the status of big standout of the event.

(Watch the medium heavyweight final, between Galvão and Gamonal, below.)

That lightweight is none other than Lloyd Irvin academy’s Jonathan Torres, Houston Open champion of the lightweight and absolute divisions. To win at weight. he overcame Bruno Amorim in the division final, while to take top spot in the absolute, he had to face his training partner James Harbison in the absolute final.

EARLY-SEASON TOURNEY, IN-FORM JIU-JITSU

At featherweight, Gui Mendes placed first, with his brother, Rafael, in second. At medium heavyweight, André Galvão defeated Diego Gamonal in winning the gold. And Marcello Salazar won in the heavyweight division.

Another little guy to outdo the big guys was Gracie Elite’s Gianni Grippo, who won the brown belt absolute. As well as the featherweight division. In the team contest, Gracie Barra was rampant in the overall team competition, winning both the trophies: the kids, as well as the adult/masters categories.

Check out the full results at the IBJJF website.

Watch JT in action against Harbison and comment below: who was the big standout of the Houston Open to you, if you happened to be there?

JT usa sua guarda para vencer o peso pesado Salazar no Houston Open de Jiu Jitsu. Foto por Mike Calimbas.

O fim de semana foi de Jiu-Jitsu de altíssimo gabarito no Texas, no Houston Open da IBJJF. Realizado nas dependências do Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center, o campeonato teve a participação de estrelas do quilate dos irmãos Mendes, André Galvão, Marcello Salazar, Stephen Hall, Diego Gamonal, James Harbison, Pablo Santos, Ryan Hall, e um peso leve terminou com duas medalhas douradas e com o status de destaque do evento.

(Veja a final dos meio-pesados abaixo, entre Galvão e Gamonal.)

Trata-se de Jonathan Torres (Lloyd Irvin), campeão no peso leve e no absoluto. JT venceu Bruno Amorim na final do peso, e encarou o parceiro de treinos James Harbison na final do absoluto.

Começo de temporada, Jiu-Jitsu em forma

No peso-pena, Gui Mendes sagrou-se campeão, com o irmão Rafa em segundo. No meio-pesado, André Galvão venceu Diego Gamonal para levar o ouro. E Marcello Salazar levou o ouro no peso pesado.

Outro magrinho a se consagrar foi Gianni Grippo (Gracie Elite), campeão no absoluto na faixa-marrom, depois de vencer também o peso-pena. Entre equipes, a Gracie Barra sobrou e levou os dois troféus em disputa, os títulos do infantil e do adulto/masters.

Veja os resultados completos aqui, no site da IBJJF.

Veja JT em ação contra Harbison abaixo, e comente quem foi o destaque do Houston Open para você, se passou por lá.

This has been a very good year for Lepri. He won the lightweight division at the 2010 European Open in Portugal, closing out with Michael Langhi. Then he and Langhi closed out the Gi Pan in California together. “Michael took the win because last year I took first place.” At the 2010 Gi Worlds, he took third place and he just won gold at the No-Gi Pan in New York and the No-Gi Worlds on Sunday. “I’m so happy with my results,” he says.

Lucas Lepri submits Lucas Leite. Photo: Luca Atalla.

Lepri, who flew in from New York City for the tournament, had three matches on Sunday. In his first match, he won with a choke from back mount. “I tried to take him down but he escaped, and then I tried to submit him a couple times but he blocked me,” Lepri says, “After about five minutes, I took his back and then applied the choke from the back… the mata-leão.”

In his second match, he faced Philipe Della Monica from Gracie Barra. “I took his back and submitted him from behind,” he says. After going two for two with the rear-naked choke, Lepri entered the finals ready to go and prepared to win. “I fought Augusto Mendes (Soul Fighters),” he says, “He was winning the match. He got the takedown, and then, at around eight minutes, I took his back and finished from the back again.” Lepri pulled a hat trick – he submitted his three opponents with a choke from back mount three times.

“I train that move every day,” he says, “I practice it over and over and do the drills so that it’s automatic,” Lepri says, “But sometimes it’s a risk. You can take a person’s back, but if the guy escapes, you go on bottom and the guy goes on top and gets points for the sweep.”

That’s what happened to Lepri in the 2010 Gi Worlds, and he was really disappointed. “I lost because of a sweep,” he says, “I was fighting Celso Vinicius from Gracie Elite Team. I tried to take his back and he escaped and took out my hooks. I was on the bottomand he stayed on top, swept me, and took two points. Then I tried to sweep him and take his back, but he escaped. I finished the match behind by two points.”

Lepri says the guys in the lightweight division are really tough. “There are a lot of really good fighters in my division,” he says, “They are all very technical and strong. All the fighters train a lot, so we all know how hard we work and how much energy we expend to try and win tournaments. The emotion is very high.”

One interesting fact about Lepri is that he easily fights and wins at two different weight divisions: lightweight and middleweight. Most players will gain or cut weight to try to get an advantage to win their matches, but Lepri just roams between the two divisions without much thought. He fought at the 2008 No-Gi Worlds in the middleweight division and took second place. “I lost to Daniel Moraes by one advantage point,” he says. Last year, he fought at the No-Gi Worlds and the No-Gi Pan but changed to lightweight and won both. In 2010, he won the No-Gi Pan at middleweight and the No-Gi Worlds at lightweight.

Lepri usually fights in the lightweight division and tries to keep that weight, but it’s hard for him. “Every tournament I have to cut weight,” he says, “I cut four to five pounds.” But Lepri feels very comfortable in both divisions. “I can fight at lightweight or middleweight,” he says, “I’m short, so if I fight lightweight, I have a better chance. Middleweight guys are taller and that can be more difficult, but sometimes I don’t want to cut the weight and so I just fight at middleweight. And sometimes I fight at middleweight just in no-gi.”

It’s nice to have that kind of flexibility in your Jiu-Jitsu game. “I’m very flexible for fighting either,” he says, “I can gain weight or cut it. Both divisions have really tough guys. I get good fights in either division.”

As for his no-gi game, Lepri says he likes gi better, but feels his game is more suited to no-gi. “I don’t train too much no-gi,” he says, “But I think my game is very good for it. When I sign up to fight no-gi, I still train with the gi. I think my game has helped me with the transitions. I like to apply the takedowns, I play more half-guard, and the transitions are good for me. This has helped me a lot.”

After the No-Gi Worlds Lepri hung around California to hold a couple seminars at Paragon BJJ. He conducted one in Hollywood on Wednesday and the other is in Santa Barbara on Thursday. “If anyone wants to come, they can contact Ronald at (213) 308-1205,” Lepri says.

At the end of the week Lepri’s flying back to New York to resume his teaching and training at Alliance New York City. He’s going to take a bit of a rest until the beginning of 2011 when he will begin his hard-core training regimen for all the big gi and no-gi tournaments coming up during the year. “I love this life,” he says, “I love to travel, fight, and teach. It’s my life.”

Lepri wants to thank his students at Alliance New York City. “Thank you to my wife for giving me the support when I need it,” he says, “Thank you also to GRACIEMAG so I can talk about my experience at the tournament.” Lastly he’d like to thank his sponsors Keiko Sports for giving him the support to fight, and KP Studio Physical Conditioning, “They help me prepare for all my tournaments.”