Pablo beat Saggioro 5-3 to become the champion in the Professional black belt lightweight division. Photo: Personal archive

After succeeding in structuring his personal life in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, Pablo Mantovani resumed doing what he has always done well: competing. A teacher and athlete full-time, Pablo proved, in practice, that he is sharper than ever as he won the Grand Slam in Moscow, Russia.

In the tournament held by the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour (AJP), Pablo conquered the 69kg division when he defeated Leonardo Saggioro (BTT) in the final, scoring 5 points to Saggioro’s 3, with a guard pass and a back-take. Pablo’s path was not easy: he also had to eliminate Abubakar Khadaev and win a tough battle against Raul Basílio in the semifinal, where the score was 4-4.

In a recent interview, Pablo analyzed his fight with Saggioro, one of the biggest names in the division.

“I’ve been following him for a while,” said Pablo. “He’s done a World Championship final with Rubens Cobrinha, he’s done several tough fights with Rafael Mendes, and because of that, I knew I couldn’t afford to make mistakes. I left my comfort zone, and since I’m a guard player, I decided to take on his guard and try to pass. He has a good guard pass; that was when I decided to move away from his strong game. In the fight, he pulled; I accelerated to pass and take the back. Later, I ended up losing the back adjustments, and he put pressure to try to pass, but I managed to contain his impetus.”

Victory against great athletes, a Grand Slam title and lots of confidence once again. But how did Pablo keep his mind strong even after going a fair bit of time without competing? He explained:

“I believe that now, at 26, I’ve reached the maturity of an adult. What do I mean by that maturity? I mean not feeling pressure. Many times, I lost tournaments due to feeling pressured to win or because my opponent was tough. This time was different; I ignored that factor. I simply went there to have fun. I didn’t put pressure on myself before fighting; I was just a lot more focused this time. I fought moving forward because I wanted to win. Maturity was a determining factor in my victory.

“I read a few times that other athletes became world champions when they lost the fear of making mistakes. I just did what had to be done: I believed in my game and my potential. It made a big difference. I was ready to become champion — that’s my mindset. It’s to fight moving forward, whether on top or on the bottom, without the fear of making mistakes.”

It’s worth noting that when Pablo isn’t teaching at Baniyas Sport Club, he’s training with the Abu Dhabi national team, led by Ramon Lemos, which brings together some BJJ fighters that reside in the UAE. All the methodology that was being used at Atos Jiu-Jitsu gets applied to the team.

Patrick fighting in Moscow. Photo: IBJJF

From a childhood in Campo Grande, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, to teach classes in Russia and continue with intense competition training in Hawaii. Patrick Almeida tells his very unusual trajectory of those found in Jiu-Jitsu: he abandoned his career in medicine to follow his passion for the sport.

A lot has happened in the hiatus of his story full of challenges, consistency and determination, all thanks to the good old Jiu-Jitsu. Nothing was easy for black belt Patrick Almeida, 26, an athlete trained by professors Everaldo Penco and Fabinho Oliveira at Carlson Gracie Recreio. His successful trajectory can serve as an inspiration for you, a dreamer who wants to follow even more hard in pursuit of your goals.

Jiu-Jitsu appeared in Patrick’s life, as in many other cases, when he was still young, to fight the bullying he suffered at school. Patrick was the target of constant nicknames and constant assaults at school until his older cousin suggested that he enter Jiu-Jitsu classes. Patrick’s parents wrinkled their noses at first, fearing the still present image of bullies of the 90s, however, they ended up giving in to the sport.

Fabinho Oliveira and Patrick with Everaldo Penco. Photo: Personal archive

His first Jiu-Jitsu lesson was about adaptation. With a borrowed kimono and a lot of desire to learn, Patrick used his time after school to ride his bike to the gym and give his first “balls” at the Vikings academy, with professor Elienai Rodrigues. Later, the teacher moved and Patrick, already living at Recreio, had the opportunity to train at Team Nogueira, with professor Everaldo Penco, who was to be his master throughout his career as an athlete.

The training life was intense, but the biggest plan at that time was to study medicine at a federal college since Patrick had excellent grades at school. The entrance exam took him on a different path, which was to study Engineering in Minas Gerais, and there his first steps as a teacher started in a small social project. Subsequently, a general shutdown of the college in Minas Gerais took Patrick back to Rio, giving him another opportunity to study medicine, this time in icy Russia.

“I went to Kursk, a very cold and extremely remote city,” says Patrick, “at that time I didn’t have Jiu-Jitsu, but sambo, judo, and wrestling were part of their daily lives. In my college there was sambo and I decided to try it. I was lucky enough to get there on the day of solo training and I with Jiu-Jitsu lay down and rolled over the Russians. I earned their respect, but they didn’t relieve me from falling training. I didn’t know what floor or ceiling was in the felling class. In striking training, it was the same thing, only worse. I started attending the Bola de Neve church there and I was told that they had plans to open a Jiu-Jitsu training, except that a teacher was missing. I applied and the classes grew ”. Little did the black belt know that he would have been one of the pioneers of Jiu-Jitsu in Kursk, leaving a legacy in the city.

Patrick with his students, at the Moscow Open 2014. Photo: Personal archive

With the experience gained teaching classes and a referral from his friend Mahamed Aly, Patrick moved to St. Petersburg, also in Russia, to train and help at a Jiu-Jitsu academy, requesting a transfer to the St. Petersburg University of Medicine. As Patrick fought and won most national championships, his passion for Jiu-Jitsu began to speak louder than his ambition for medicine. Patrick then decided to take a risk, drop everything and pursue his career as an athlete. This was the first time, of many, that the black belt learned to reinvent himself.

Back in Rio de Janeiro, Patrick helped to found Carlson Gracie Recreio and, later, began to act as a teacher, giving some private Jiu-Jitsu classes. One of her students paid her hours in advance, and her biggest dream in Jiu-Jitsu would be realized: fighting the Worlds in California.

With tickets and hotel reserved, everything was fine to compete in the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournament, if it weren’t for an unforeseen event: an ear infection hindered the final stretch of training and the weight didn’t go down as it should, forcing Patrick to rise from the middleweight. for heavyweight. Even with all the difficulty and against medical advice, and tears on reaching the Long Beach Pyramid, the tough guy came in to fight, being overcome.

“Once again Mahamed was at my side to help me,” revealed Patrick. “I had problems with the ticket back to Brazil that forced me to stay in the USA for a while longer. I did not fail and went back to Rio, where I would have another sensational experience. ”

Patrick with Leo Dalla and Mahamed Aly. Foto: Personal archive

Patrick spoke of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A friend of the family indicated the sportsman to work at the event, coordinating the weighing area of several modalities such as judo, taekwondo, and boxing. This baggage made him receive a new invitation to return to the country that was indispensable in his career: Russia. This time Patrick was not going as a medical student but as a Jiu-Jitsu professor and partner of one of the largest academy chains in greater St. Petersburg.

“I got there at a time when the government supported newaza tournaments, a fight that was fought with submissions,” recalled Patrick. “Our students trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and were outstanding in these competitions. In the middle of this rush of classes and tournaments, Everaldo Penco traveled to Russia for a seminar tour, and when I got there I graduated to black belt. I was even training for the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, with a focus on brown belt, but he said that I would have to turn around and fight as a black belt because I would graduate anyway. ”

As a teacher, Patrick won his weight class and won the no-gi absolute at the Moscow Open, in addition to refereeing in tournaments across Europe in cities like Copenhagen, Prague, Lisbon and Moscow, which he had previously referred. Unfortunately, in one of these tournaments, the beast ended up breaking two knee ligaments and had to reinvent himself a second time. Classes decreased due to the severity of the injuries, with some students being turned off by the lack of a teacher. After a while, he and his then partner, Igor Buchman, received an interesting proposal to sell the academy. And so they did.

With his knee injured and being forced out of competition for a period, Patrick took the opportunity to travel the world and visit other countries – more than 30, according to the athlete. His sabbatical season ended when he received a proposal to teach in Denver, USA, appeared, but another factor would tangle such a simple equation.

Patrick with the gold medal at Lisbon. Photo: Personal archive

“Tiago Oliveira, who is a soccer coach and trained with me and Everaldo at Recreio, came to me intending to take me to Hawaii, to give a seminar. They sent the tickets and when I got there, I met Keola Akao, an outstanding Hawaiian who introduced me to the local culture. I ended up falling in love with the place, the people and their hospitality. He commented that he was looking to expand the academy, form a competition team and such, so I talked about the proposal I had in Denver to teach, but I would still like to stay in Hawaii and continue my dream of being a top athlete. Keola made me a counteroffer, offering me all the support and we agreed that I would stay. I was also lucky to have the support of Horlando Monteiro, a black belt from Kimura, who is also here in Hawaii, as the team’s coach. We are of similar age and weights, being able to help each other in the process. I’ve been here for a few months and I’m applying to stay as an athlete, so I can live my dream again. ”

With a history that began in Rio de Janeiro, taking Jiu-Jitsu classes to defend himself at school, then going on to teach classes in Russia in parallel to his medical course and, finally, going to Hawaii, where he is currently continuing to your career as an athlete. Choice of dreams, changes in plans and, above all, a lot of determination and intense training. Patrick Almeida learned to reinvent himself with every unforeseen and opportunity that life offered him. “It is very difficult to stay away from the people we love, family, friends and give up so many other things for a purpose because this is your dream and you need to win in life. The price of giving up so many things is very expensive, but without that nothing is possible ”, says the black belt.

Patrick fighting against Tommy Langaker. Photo: Personal archive

In this way, we can conclude that even a young man in the face of such different dreams and having to reinvent himself several times throughout his career, was able to reach the world and will continue to fight until he conquered his goals in his career as an athlete. Even in times of pandemic, with quarantine in all parts of the world, Patrick’s baggage of overcoming and willpower makes the teacher deal with the moment particularly, already with plans for the end of the storm.

“‘ The winner is the winner for winning. The loser is a loser because he gives up. ’ Not even this quarantine will stop me. I operated on my knee during the severe winter in Russia, I couldn’t move around the neighborhood because of the cold and the ice accumulated on the street, which slipped a lot. I was practically in a semi-quarantine at that time, and I learned that stuck at home, you either sink or you rise to the maximum. We cannot let ourselves rest, staying at home makes us lazy. We have to fight comfort. I have used the quarantine to train more, read more and take several courses online. Take the time to invest in yourself and become a better person”, he concluded.

Banner oficial do evento na Rússia. Foto: Divulgação

Após anos de negociação e tentativas de colocar o maior evento de MMA do mundo no gélido leste europeu, o UFC chega a Rússia neste sábado, dia 15 de novembro, em vento com transmissão ao vivo e com exclusividade no Combate, a partir das 11:30 da manhã.

No card, teremos de ex-campeões e ex-desafiantes ao título do Ultimate, com a luta principal reservada para Mark Hunt, que volta ao octógono em duelo contra Alexey Oleinik na divisão de pesos pesados. Ainda entre os pesados, Andre Arlovski, ex-dono do cinturão dos pesados, encara Shamil Abdurakhimov.

Antes, na luta de abertura do car principal, Thiago “Pitbull” Alves, ex-desafiante ao cinturão dos meio-médios, terá pela frente Alexey Kunchenko, em duelo para se firmar na categoria.

Hoje pela manhã o atletas do card passaram pela balança, e você confere as encaradas no vídeo abaixo, com o card completo logo em seguida.

UFC Rússia
Moscou, Rússia
15 de setembro de 2018

Mark Hunt x Alexey Oleinik
Jan Blachowicz x Nikita Krylov
Andrei Arlovski x Shamil Abdurakhimov
Alexey Kunchenko x Thiago Pitbull

Card preliminar

CB Dollaway x Khalid Murtazaliev
Petr Yan x Jin Soo Son
Rustam Khabilov x Kajan Johnson
Mairbek Taisumov x Desmond Green
Magomed Ankalaev x Marcin Prachnio
Adam Yandiev x Jordan Johnson
Ramazan Emeev x Stefan Sekulic
Merab Dvalishvili x Terrion Ware

Leonid Gatovskiy, one of BJJ’s pioneers in Russia, got his black belt from Renzo’s hands.

When black-belt Ali Magomedov pulled guard, swept with help from the lapel and then finished Bruno Frazatto on June 30th in an ACB event in Moscow, many people may have found it weird. “A Russian who knows his levers and wins without a single takedown?” Yup, it’s true: BJJ has been reaping riper and riper fruits in the land of competent judoka Vladimir Putin. But the seeds were planted some time ago.

Indeed, the first time the Graciemag team tried to map BJJ in the host country of the 2018 World Cup, there wasn’t even one black-belt there.

The year was 2011, and our director, Luca Atalla, disembarked at Domodedovo airport to follow a camp organized by Gracie Barra Moscow in the pleasant village of Chelnavka.

Igor Gracie, the teacher recruited for the seminar, soon saw the difference in culture when a very helpful blue-belt asked to roll with him. It was that same Ali Magomedov, at the time a 19-year-old student of engineering hailing from Dagestan, whose environmentalist dad had quite the eventful like. “My father was once attacked by a pack of hyenas in Africa, and had to defend himself with just a torch.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evvVvzboQI4

Brave like his old man, Magomedov would win his black belt one year later, and today he is one of Russia’s biggest names in the gi, alongside Abdurakhman Bilarov, Ayub Magomadov and some other talented competitors.

Soon after Graciemag’s journey, Russia would have its first BJJ teacher: Leonid Gatovskiy, who had begun training in Poland and would go on to be made black-belt by Renzo Gracie in New York. The story of the pioneer Leonid illustrates how, little by little, the sport gained traction in the country of Tolstoy.

“I practiced a bunch of martial arts, like traditional European ju-jitsu,” he said. “One day, in 2002, I went to Poland to compete, and when I rolled at a BJJ school there, I was caught in a triangle. I was dying to know what that was that neither I nor my master had ever seen.”

Leonid only started seriously practicing the Gracies’ art in 2004, traveling whenever he could, and rolled with multiple teachers known to our readers, like Sergio Benini of GB BH, Alberto Crane and Roger Gracie, until he got his black belt in 2011.

These days, BJJ in the capital Moscow and in the main Russian cities is still not as big as hockey or soccer, but it already boasts promising numbers. There’s talk of 6 to 7 thousand students in the country, mostly children and teenagers.

In 2014 the IBJJF held the first edition of the Moscow Open, with packed stands and competitive divisions, especially at blue and purple belt. For this year, there is the prospect of the first Saint Petersburg Open, with confirmation expected to come soon.

A member of Alliance in Moscow, Ayub Magomadov estimates that there are about 20 Russian black-belts teaching in the country, as well as the many Brazilians that arrive from time to time.

“But it’s not all 20 that compete, so the sport is only beginning,” says the black-belt under Alexandre “Gigi” Paiva. “We are probably four or five who are fighting all the time.”

For those arriving, however, the scene makes a big impression. “The structure of the academies is excellent, and I teach seminars for schools that are always packed, with over a hundred students present,” says three-time world champion Bráulio Estima, who also fought in the last installment of ACBJJ on June 30th in Moscow. “The sport has been growing a lot in the region, not only in Russia but also in Chechnya, Dagestan, the Ukraine, Azerbaijan and other nearby republics.”

Every Brazilian black-belt who visits the country of Oleg Taktarov and Fedor Emelianenko points out the warrior spirit of the Russians, a peculiarity fed by several factors.

“They have an absurd disposition on the mats,” says Bráulio. “First, it’s hard to see a Russian boy who’s never practiced judo, sambo or Olympic wrestling. It’s like finding a kid who’s never played soccer in Brazil. In their culture, every boy must practice a combat sport to gain the respect of the others. Just look at the ears of the general public.”

Bráulio at ACB JJ 14, with champion Lucas Lepri.

Another explanation for the Russians’ tenacity comes from the rules: As pointed out by Graciemag in 2011, most federations of judo and sambo only allow students with medals to change belts — that is, it’s necessary not only to compete, but to win in local tournaments if you want to move up.

In a region of the planet where doing a single-leg is like doing kick-ups in Brazil, it’s hard to tell where Russians will end up when it comes to BJJ. But Bráulio Estima ventures a guess. “They know how to move on the ground since they are little boys, they are explosive when they take down, and they hate to lose. In eight to ten years, who can possibly stop these monsters?”

ACB JJ 14
Moscow, Russia
June 30, 2018

Lucas Lepri def. Davi Ramos, points

João Miyao def. Ary Farias, points

Luiz Panza def. Rodrigo Cavaca, RNC

João Gabriel Rocha def. Nicholas Meregali, points

Igor Silva def. Abdurakhman Bilarov, points

Lucas Hulk def. Romulo Barral, points

Lucas Rocha def. Daud Adaev, armbar

Thiago Sá def. Ayub Magomadov, foot lock

Ali Magomedov def. Bruno Frazatto, foot lock

Gabriel Marangoni def. Osvaldo Queixinho, points

Gabriel Lucas and Marcos Santa Cruz were DQ’d for stalling

Rodnei Barbosa def. Samir Chantre, points

Watch Leonid fighting now-UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov:

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Leonid-Gatovskiy from David Grappler Bista on Vimeo.

Igor SIlva following an important win at ACB JJ. ACB JJ

Last weekend, ACB Jiu-Jitsu held its 14th edition in Moscow. One of the athletes invited to take part in the event was Igor Silva, who faced Russia’s own Abdurakhman Bilarov and achieved his third win fighting for the organization this year.

“It was a tough fight,” he said. “I adapted throughout and was strategic during the match. I wound up getting a good advantage in round two, which gave me peace of mind for round three. I was very happy with the win, especially because I closed this season as the athlete with the greatest number of wins in my category. I hope this factor helps me and that I get the chance to fight for the title in my next match.”

During his stay in Moscow, Igor also scored a ticket to watch the World Cup match between Brazil and Serbia, which he called a unique experience. “From the national anthem to the 2-0 win. It was all very cool.”

Well done, Igor. Now enjoy your time off as you await the birth of your baby girl, and see you soon.

Igor SIlva após vitória importante no ACB JJ. Foto: Divulgação

A Rússia respira futebol com a Copa do Mundo. Mas um país com forte ligação com os esportes de combate (seu presidente, Vladimir Putin, é faixa-preta de judô) não poderia deixar passar a oportunidade de realizar um evento de lutas na capital do país. E foi o que o ACB Jiu-Jitsu fez no último final de semana ao realizar a sua décima quarta edição em Moscou. Um dos atletas escalados para participar do evento foi Igor Silva, que encarou o russo Abdurakhman Bilarov e chegou a sua terceira vitória na organização em 2018.

“Foi uma luta difícil. Fui me adaptando e sendo estratégico durante o combate. Acabei conseguindo uma boa vantagem no segundo round, o que me deu uma tranquilidade para o terceiro. Fiquei muito feliz com a vitória, principalmente porque fechei essa temporada como o atleta que obteve o maior número de vitórias na minha categoria. Espero que esse fator me ajude, e na próxima luta eu tenha a chance de disputar título”, disse Igor.

A “festa” na Rússia foi completa para Igor. Antes da luta, o faixa-preta conseguiu descolar um ingresso para assistir a partida entre Brasil e Sérvia, jogo no qual a seleção venceu por 2 a 0 e carimbou sua passagem para as oitavas de final da Copa do Mundo. “O jogo do Brasil contra a Sérvia pela Copa foi uma experiência única! Desde o hino nacional até a vitória por 2 a 0. Foi tudo muito legal. E o melhor é que eu fui pé quente nessa viagem, né? (risos), brincou Igor.

Igor acabou machucando o pé na luta e deve ficar parado um tempo. Apesar de não ter sido uma lesão séria, Igor já planejava dar um tempo para focar na família. Sua esposa está grávida e seu segundo filho está prestes a nascer.

“Agora vou dar um tempo nas viagens e focar na família, pois minha esposa está grávida e estamos nos aproximando do melhor momento, que é o nascimento da nossa menina. Será bom também para passar um pouco mais de tempo com o meu filho, que sempre me pergunta porque estou indo trabalhar toda hora (risos). Mas vou continuar treinando e estarei pronto para o próximo evento que decidir lutar”, encerrou o casca-grossa.

(Fonte: Assessoria de imprensa)

Leonid Gatovskiy, um dos pioneiros do Jiu-Jitsu na Rússia, recebeu sua faixa-preta das mãos de Renzo. Foto: Reprodução

Quando o faixa-preta Ali Magomedov puxou para a guarda, raspou com o auxílio da lapela e por fim finalizou Bruno Frazatto, no último dia 30 de junho no evento ACB em Moscou, muita gente pode ter estranhado. “Ué, um russo cheio de alavanca que vence sem dar uma quedinha?”. Sim, é verdade: o Jiu-Jitsu brasileiro vem colhendo frutos cada vez mais maduros na terra do exímio judoca Vladimir Putin. Mas as sementes foram plantadas há um tempinho.

De fato, na primeira vez em que a equipe GRACIEMAG se aventurou a mapear o Jiu-Jitsu no país da Copa do Mundo 2018, não havia sequer um russo faixa-preta em BJJ por lá.

O ano era 2011, e nosso diretor Luca Atalla desembarcou no aeroporto Domodedovo, para acompanhar um camp organizado pela escola Gracie Barra Moscou no simpático povoado de Chelnavka.

Igor Gracie, o professor escalado para o seminário, viu logo a diferença de culturas quando um faixa-azul para lá de prestativo pediu para rolar com ele. Era o próprio Ali Magomedov, então com 19 anos e estudante de engenharia vindo do Daguestão, cujo pai ambientalista vivera poucas e boas. “Meu pai uma vez foi atacado por um bando de hienas na África, e precisou se defender apenas com uma tocha”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evvVvzboQI4

Valente como o pai, Magomedov pegaria a faixa-preta anos depois, e hoje é um dos principais nomes do kimono na Rússia, junto com feras como Abdurakhman Bilarov e Ayub Magomadov, entre outros competidores de talento.

Logo depois da jornada de GRACIEMAG, a Rússia conheceria o seu primeiro professor na arte suave: o faixa-preta Leonid Gatovskiy, que começara a treinar Jiu-Jitsu na Polônia e terminaria graduado em Nova York, pelas mãos de Renzo Gracie. A história do pioneiro Leonid ilustra bem como o Jiu-Jitsu foi ganhando, aos poucos, força no país.

“Eu praticava uma série de artes marciais, como o Ju-Jitsu tradicional europeu. Certo dia, em 2002, fui à Polônia competir, e ao treinar numa academia de BJJ fui pego num triângulo. Fiquei doido para saber o que era aquilo, que eu nunca tinha visto – aliás, nem eu nem meu mestre.”

Leonid só foi começar a treinar a sério a arte dos Gracie em 2004, viajando sempre que podia, e rolou com vários professores conhecidos dos leitores, como Sergio Benini da GB BH, Alberto Crane e Roger Gracie, até conquistar a faixa-preta em 2011.

Hoje, o Jiu-Jitsu na capital Moscou e nas principais cidades russas ainda não tem o tamanho do hóquei ou do futebol, mas já apresenta números promissores. Fala-se de 6 a 7 mil praticantes de BJJ no país – crianças e adolescentes em sua maioria.

Em 2014, a IBJJF sediou o primeiro Moscou Open no país, com arquibancadas cheias e divisões bem recheadas, em especial nas faixas azul e roxa. Para este ano, há a previsão do primeiro São Petersburgo Open, a ser confirmado em breve pela IBJJF.

Lutador da Alliance em Moscou, Ayub Magomadov estima que já há cerca de 20 faixas-pretas russos ensinando no país, fora os vários brasileiros que chegam.

“Mas não são todos os 20 que competem, então o esporte está apenas começando. Devemos ser uns quatro ou cinco lutando direto”, calcula o faixa-preta de Alexandre “Gigi” Paiva.

Para quem vem de fora, porém, o cenário impressiona. “A estrutura das academias é excelente, e dou seminário para escolas sempre cheias, com mais de cem alunos inscritos”, conta o tricampeão mundial Bráulio Estima, que também esteve presente no último ACBJJ, no dia 30 de junho, em Moscou. “O esporte vem crescendo muito na região, tanto na Rússia como na Chechênia, Daguestão, Ucrânia, Azerbaijão e outras repúblicas próximas.”

Todos os faixas-pretas brasileiros que visitam o país de Oleg Taktarov e Fedor Emelianenko destacam o espírito guerreiro dos russos, uma peculiaridade alimentada por diversas razões.

“Eles têm uma disposição descomunal nos tatames”, repara Bráulio. “Em primeiro lugar, é difícil ver um garoto russo que nunca praticou judô, sambo ou luta olímpica, é como encontrar uma criança que nunca jogou futebol no Brasil. Na cultura de lá, todo rapaz precisa praticar um esporte de combate para ganhar o respeito dos demais. É só olhar as orelhas do povo em geral.”

Bráulio comentou o ACB JJ 14, realizado em Moscou, que teve Lucas Lepri como novo campeão. Foto: Reprodução

Outro motivo para a garra russa vem das regras: segundo apurou GRACIEMAG lá em 2011, a maioria das federações de sambo e judô só permite a mudança de faixa e graduação ao praticante que apresenta medalhas; ou seja, é preciso não apenas competir como vencer torneios locais para ganhar a nova faixa.

Numa região do planeta onde saber dar um single-leg é praticamente como fazer embaixadinhas no Brasil, é difícil saber onde os russos vão parar no Jiu-Jitsu. Mas os campeões têm seu palpite: “Eles sabem se movimentar no chão desde garotinhos, são explosivos ao derrubar e detestam perder. Daqui a uns oito a dez anos, quem vai segurar esses monstros?”, pergunta-se Bráulio Estima.

ACB JJ 14
Moscou, Rússia
30 de junho de 2018

Lucas Lepri venceu Davi Ramos por pontos
João Miyao venceu Ary Farias por pontos
Luiz Panza finalizou Rodrigo Cavaca nomata-leão
João Gabriel Rocha venceu Nicholas Meregali por pontos
Igor Silva venceu Abdurakhman Bilarov por pontos
Lucas Hulk venceu Romulo Barral por pontos
Lucas Rocha finalizou Daud Adaev no armlock
Thiago Sá finalizou Ayub Magomadov na chave de pé
Ali Magomedov finalizou Bruno Frazatto na chave de pé
Gabriel Marangoni venceu Osvaldo Queixinho por pontos
Gabriel Lucas e Marcos Santa Cruz foram desclassificados por amarração
Rodnei Barbosa venceu Samir Chantre por pontos

Veja Leonid enfrentando o hoje campeão do UFC Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Leonid-Gatovskiy from David Grappler Bista on Vimeo.

Preguiça had his armed raised following his win over Abdurakhman Bilarov. ACBJJ

Three fights, three wins and one more title for his collection. Thus Felipe Preguiça wrapped up his 2017 season as he triumphed at ACBJJ 9, held last Saturday in Russia.

Preguiça caught Gutemberg Pereira (GFTeam) in a calf slicer, then beat Lucas Hulk (Atos) via guillotine, reaching the final versus the Russian Abdurakhman Bilarov, whom he proceeded to defeat with another guillotine.

You can watch his convincing final win in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbg5vJSMC1w

Preguiça teve o braço levantado após finalizar Abdurakhman Bilarov na guilhotina. Foto: Divulgação

Três lutas, três finalizações e mais um cinturão na carreira. Com esse números que Felipe Preguiça fecha a temporada 2017 no Jiu-Jitsu profissional após conquistar o título sem kimono do ACBJJ, realizado no último sábado, dia 9 de dezembro, na Rússia.

Preguiça, na campanha vitoriosa, pegou Gutemberg Pereira (GFTeam) na chave de panturrilha. Depois, despachou Lucas Hulk (Atos) com uma guilhotina, e assim se credenciou para a final contra o local Abdurakhman Bilarov, que já havia finalizado Erberth Santos e Jackson Sousa naquela noite.

Para ficar com o título, Preguiça trabalho forte com seu jogo, sempre impondo o ritmo, até ser premiado no decorrer com a justa guilhotina que definiu a disputa.

Confira no vídeo abaixo a final completa entre Felipe Preguiça e Abdurakhman Bilarov!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbg5vJSMC1w

Preguiça subbed Lucas Hulk and a local star. ACBJJ

Felipe Pena’s season has been almost perfect in the second semester. After becoming champion of almost everything he fought in, including the ADCC Worlds, he has now closed out the year in style.

Already a champion in the gi in the Absolute Championship Berkut Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ), last Saturday Preguiça fought in Moscow, Russia for his second belt under the organization. This time he took part in the no-gi GP in the under-95kg division. By the end he had achieved three finishes.

First up was Gutemberg Pereira, whom Preguiça finished with a calf slicer so nice it earned him submission of the night. “I practiced this submission a lot,” Preguiça said later, “and I knew I would manage to apply it in one of the fights.”

Preguiça’s following challenge was Atos’s Lucas Hulk. “I had never fought him,” Preguiça said. “I managed to finish him via guillotine in round 2.”

The final match of the tournament pitted Preguiça against Russia’s own Abdurakhman Bilarov, who had made it so far by submitting Erberth Santos and Jackson Sousa. “But I caught him in a guillotine as well,” said Preguiça.

In the end, on top of the belt and the bonus for submission of the night, the Gracie Barra BH black-belt could boast of not having allowed a single point. A fitting conclusion to a brilliant year.

Preguiça finalizou Lucas Hulk e um astro local para brilhar novamente em evento russo de Jiu-Jitsu. Foto: DIvulgação

A temporada de Felipe Pena, o Preguiça, foi quase perfeita no segundo semestre. Após ser campeão de quase todos os campeonatos que participou, com destaque para o título do absoluto do ADCC, maior evento de luta agarrada do planeta, em setembro, agora o faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu fechou o ano em grande estilo.

Campeão do torneio com kimono do Absolute Championship Berkut Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ), Preguiça lutou no último sábado, 9 de dezembro, em Moscou, na Rússia, em busca de seu segundo cinturão do evento. Desta vez, o evento foi o GP sem kimono na categoria até 95kg, que Felipe venceu da melhor maneira possível: finalizou todos os seus três adversários. Preguiça comentou cada vitória em detalhes:

“A primeira vitória foi contra o Gutemberg Pereira, que finalizei na chave de panturrilha – ainda ganhei o bônus de finalização da noite por esta chave”, contou Preguiça. “Treinei bastante essa finalização e sabia que conseguiria aplicar em alguma das lutas do torneio. Na segunda luta, enfrentei o Lucas “Hulk”, da Atos. Nunca tinha lutado contra ele. Consegui finalizá-lo na guilhotina, no segundo round. Na final enfrentei o russo Abdurakhman Bilarov, que estava muito bem, já tinha finalizado o Erberth Santos e o Jackson Sousa do outro lado da chave. Mas também o peguei na guilhotina”.

Além do título e do bônus pela finalização mais bonita do evento, o faixa-preta formado pela Gracie Barra BH teve mais motivos para celebrar: ele não sofreu nenhum ponto no torneio.

“Estava muito bem preparado e me senti muito bem, estava com o condicionamento físico em dia. Não poderia ter sido melhor. Treinei muito e, graças a Deus, deu tudo certo e fechei o ano como queria, com chave de ouro”, concluiu Preguiça.

Felipe Preguiça looks to wrap up the year with a no-gi title. Thiago Máximo

ADCC world champion Felipe Preguiça is already in Moscow, Russia, getting ready to fight for another important title this season. On December 9th he will take part in the ACBJJ’s no-gi GP in the 95kg division. Felipe will be vying for his second belt in the organization.

“It will be a tough GP,” he said in a recent interview. “As was the other one I fought in. There are big names in the tournament, but I’m very well prepared and very motivated. I have momentum due to winning the ADCC, and I’ve been keeping up my training. I’ve already won the gi tourney, and, if I win in no-gi as well, I will be the only fighter in this event to own two belts.”

The GP will feature eight athletes, including Erberth Santos, Jackson Sousa, João Assis and Gutemberg Pereira. Preguiça will have to beat three of them if he is to bag the title. Well aware of the challenge ahead, he pointed out: “The most important thing in a tournament like his one is to be well trained, especially because the rules are for three to five rounds, so these are much longer matches and they demand more physical conditioning.”