Lloyd Irvin em ação no Mundial Sem Kimono. Foto: Cooper/GRACIEMAG

No último domingo, a pirâmide de Long Beach, na Califórnia, recebeu mais uma edição do Mundial Sem Kimono, e muitos astros e mestres estavam presentes. Criador das feras Jonathan “JT” Torres, DJ Jackson e o badalado faixa-marrom Keenan Cornelius, o professor Lloyd Irvin foi um dos que meteu a cara e mostrou o Jiu-Jitsu que passa para os seus pupilos.

Veja a primeira luta de Lloyd, campeão do superpesado sênior 1 (o vice foi Mark Zuber, da academia Nova União).

E não foi apenas com sua atuação que Lloyd mexeu com a galera na Pirâmide. Após a controversa final entre seu aluno Jonathan “JT” Torres e Augusto Tanquinho, decidida nas vantagens no finzinho, o faixa-preta fez barulho no Facebook e pleiteou a presença de mais árbitros americanos em lutas decisivas, para não dar margem à dúvidas e patriotadas.

Com uma argumentação por vezes forte, comparando o corpo de arbitragem da IBJJF a uma corporação de “policiais bons e maus”, Lloyd pediu a presença, na trinca de juízes que julgam as finais, da faixa-preta Hillary Williams.

E você, o que acha?

With four submission wins in the Octagon and a total of nine in his career, Hazelett is regarded as one of the best ground fighters in the UFC’s welterweight division. Even so, he had his work cut out for him against JT, a fighter tipped for stardom since he was a brown belt displaying refined technique and full-throttle competition pace in the gi.

“I don’t think about how quickly I’m going to win any of my matches, I just go in and work to execute my game plan,” Torres, 20, told MMAFighting.com, without getting too excited about tapping out a fighter with eight fights in the UFC.

“I think it’s cool. It doesn’t matter really matter that they’re a pro fighter or not. I have friends that are pro fighters that still do gi and no-gi competitions. Lots of BJJ black belts who fight MMA still jump into grappling competitions. It’s not a big deal really,” he said, playing down the achievement.

Asked whether he has MMA ambitions, Torres said he does, that he hopes to represent Lloyd Irvin Jiu-Jitsu in the ring some day.

This is so because at this 7th European Championship, to take place from this coming Thursday through Sunday athletes from Alaska to Amman, Jordan are confirmed to be there at brown belt there’s Bob Grunder (Gracie Barra), and at white there’s Fadi Hussein (Jordan Team).

Middleweight Mike Fowler's is in. Photo: Ray Santana.

At black expectations of excellent matches are high, with confirmation from such new big new names at the tournament as Diego “Nosferatu” Herzog, Mike Fowler, Jonathan “JT” Torres, Fernando “Soluço” and Helder “Bob Esponja.”

The overall athletes list and timetable are available online at www.ibjjf.org.

As it is every year, the GRACIEMAG team will be disembarking in Lisbon soon, to bring you all the sport Jiu-Jitsu news first-hand.