O faixa-preta Antonio Assef, também conhecido como Dr. Porrada, conquistou a medalha de prata na divisão Até 120kg Master 2, do World Pro da ADWPJJC, evento realizado entre 20 e 22 de novembro, nos Emirados Árabes.

Acessar o pódio de uma grande competição não é nenhuma novidade se considerarmos o histórico vitorioso de Assef. O que, no entanto, chamou a atenção da equipe de GRACIEMAG foi a lembrança de reportagens relativamente recentes em que Assef competia com cerca de 180kg.

“É verdade. Ao longo de quatro ou cinco anos, perdi 80kg de gordura e ganhei 20kg de massa magra ”, revela o lutador, que também atua como médico especializado em medicina do esporte. “O processo de emagrecimento é difícil para todo mundo. Ainda mais se nos deixarmos levar cegamente pelas cobranças da modernidade. As pessoas estão cada vez mais sem tempo para tratar a saúde como prioridade. O foco em geral é ganhar dinheiro, obter bens materiais… Não percebem, mas estão pagando um preço alto por isso: estresse, compulsão alimentar, falta de atividade física, alcoolismo. Nesse cenário, vários hormônios ficam desregulados e contribuem ainda mais para o aumento do peso. Para o cansaço. A depressão…”, explica Assef.

Em tempos de muitos atalhos emagrecedores, Dr. Porrada faz um alerta: “Não vejo essas canetinhas ao estilo Ozempic e Mounjaro como algo negativo. Pelo contrário, são positivas, ajudam bastante no início do processo de emagrecimento, acelerando a perda de peso. Porém, o segredo para a grande transformação saudável está na mudança de hábitos. As canetinhas não vão consolidar, nem manter o emagrecimento para sempre. É preciso entender a necessidade de mudar a rotina. Cada pessoa tem um tipo de genética. E não é possível mudar a genética. Se a sua genética tem predisposição a ganhar peso, você vai engordar tudo de novo no momento em que parar de tomar a medicação. A não ser que você mude os seus hábitos. E aqui não estou falando por um ponto de vista meramente estético. Quando eu tinha 180kg eu corria sério risco de morrer. Meu colesterol estava péssimo. Assim como minha diabetes. E eu sequer tinha trinta anos.”

Assef conseguiu adaptar muito bem o “novo corpo” ao seu repertório de técnicas e também às estratégias de luta. “Fiquei mais ágil, mais rápido, mais resistente… Muitas técnicas que antes não funcionam passaram a encaixar bem. Por outro lado, eu não imponho mais a mesma pressão em situações de esparramada, quando eu projetava o peso sobre os oponentes. Tive que redobrar a técnica para compensar nesse quesito”, analisa o faixa-preta. “Estou muito orgulhoso desta medalha de prata em Abu Dhabi. A gente sempre sai de casa para ser campeão, mas estou feliz com o segundo lugar. Essa é a primeira medalha da academia que está prestes a ser inaugurada, a Dr. Porrada Academy. Estreando com o pé direito! Mas, claro: ano que vem eu volto para buscar a de ouro, pois é assim que um campeão tem que pensar sempre.”

Quando a equipe de GRACIEMAG pediu uma última dica para repassar aos leitores que sofrem ao tentar emagrecer, Assef respondeu de bate-pronto: “Cerque-se de bons profissionais! Não tente fazer sozinho. Perder peso requer muita determinação, força de vontade, foco, mas sobretudo humildade. É um grande aprendizado. Posso dar muitos exemplos para explicar isso. Com um súbito déficit calórico, você pode se sentir muito fraco de repente, certamente vai ficar ansioso e estressado. Se você se submeter a exercícios muito rigorosos nesse período, tende a sofrer lesões, o que pode comprometer todo o processo. Por isso, bons profissionais e muito método são fundamentais. Existem vários detalhes para serem ajustados ao longo do processo e é preciso pedir a ajuda de quem entende profundamente do assunto.”

O atleta da Almeida Jiu-Jitsu Hugo Shiomi conquistou a medalha de ouro na categoria master 2, até 69kg, do World Pro 2023 em Abu Dhabi, após vencer 4 lutas, sendo duas por finalização e duas por pontos.

Com isso, Shiomi fecha a temporada com uma ótima sequência vitoriosa. Entre as principais conquistas de 2023 estão o ouro no Grand Slam de Abu Dhabi (finalizando todas suas três lutas), no AJP Continental Ásia em Dubai e no AJP Continental África, no Cairo, terminando o ano como o primeiro do Ranking Mundial AJP em sua categoria.

Brasileiro radicado em Abu Dhabi, Shiomi ensina Jiu-Jitsu no Exército dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, representando o Armed Forces National Team (A.F.N.T.) em competições oficiais realizadas pela AJP, e dá dicas aos leitores da GRACIEMAG que desejam competir de forma vitoriosa na divisão master 2:

“É preciso jogar com a experiência a favor, recorrer ao autoconhecimento”, diz Shiomi. “Entender melhor o nosso corpo, saber o que nos faz bem e o que nos faz mal. Ser mais confiante na hora de fazer escolhas e tomar decisões. Quando eu competia entre os adultos, vivia cheio de dúvidas. Com a maturidade veio a clareza, e é daí que vem a sagacidade de um lutador no master 2, além de muito treino, claro. Muito treino inteligente. Não devemos treinar de qualquer jeito, é preciso recorrer à experiência em todos os momentos, tanto durante as lutas, como fora delas também”.

As finais do Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu, disputadas na sexta-feira, 10 de novembro, na Mubadala Arena, em Abu Dhabi, reservaram surpresas e emoções de sobra para os amantes da arte suave. Nas categorias masculinas, Meyram Maquiné, Raimundo Sodré e Fellipe Andrew mantiveram seus cinturões após vencerem Khaled Mohammed, Sebastian Serpa e Renan Cruz, respectivamente.

Andrew teve trabalho para vencer o novato Renan Cruz. Foram quase 5 minutos com o placar inalterado até que o atleta da ADMA/Alliance tirou uma carta da manga e encaixou uma americana de pé faltando poucos segundos para o fim. Sodré, por sua vez, teve uma atuação inteligente e venceu por 3 a 0. O brasileiro se aproveitou do descuido do rival logo no início e fez dois pontos após puxar primeiro para a guarda. Depois, só administrou o placar. Já Meyram precisou ir no limite para superar o árabe Khaled Mohammed, por 1 a 0. O atleta da casa demonstrou um jogo de guarda laçada de alto nível e por pouco não surpreendeu o campeão.

Por outro lado, os brasileiros Lucas Protásio e Uanderson Ferreira foram surpreendidos pelos portugueses Pedro Ramalho e Bruno Lima e tiveram o sonho do título adiado para 2024. O primeiro foi derrotado na decisão dos juízes, após um empate em 0 a 0 no tempo regulamentar e no tempo extra. Uanderson, por sua vez, foi derrotado por 8 a 3. O brasileiro começou bem a luta, mas após um movimento arriscado acabou em uma posição ruim e cedeu à pressão do português.

Outros brasileiros a brilharem foram Yuri Hendrix e Felipe Bezerra, que sagraram-se campeões do maior torneio de jiu jitsu do mundo, pela primeira vez. O primeiro protagonizou um dos melhores duelos da noite, contra Zayed Alkatheeri. Quando vencia por 3 a 1, o brasileiro precisou resistir a um ataque no pé encaixado pelo árabe para ficar com o cinturação. Já Bezerra superou o russo Anton Seleznev, por 5 a 1, e levantou o público com uma bela queda no início da luta.

Entre as mulheres, o favoritismo mais uma vez prevaleceu. Com destaque para Mayssa Bastos, que dominou completamente sua adversária Margarita Ochoa até finalizar com uma baratoplata e conquistar pela primeira vez o título. Outro destaque da noite foi a performance avassaladora da atual campeã Júlia Alves. Muito agressiva, a carioca conseguiu uma vitória em menos de 1 minuto, com um armolock justo sobre Violeta Angelova e garantiu o bicampeonato do Abu Dhabi World Pro.

Outra brasileira a brilhar foi Gabrieli Pessanha. A pupila de Márcio de Deus garantiu seu quinto título do Abu Dhabi World Pro – contando as faixas coloridas -, após finalizar Yara Nascimento com uma chave de pé reta. Quem também não decepcionou foi Ana Rodrigues. Com uma atuação segura, a atleta da Dream Art fez 5 a 0 em Alexa Yanes e faturou o cinturão pela terceira vez. Ingridd Souza, por sua vez, conseguiu seu primeiro título após vencer Nia Blackman, pela diferença mínima no placar, 2 a 1.

FINAIS MASCULINAS FAIXA PRETA

56kg – Yuri Hendrix venceu Zayed Alkatheeri por pontos (3 a 1);

62kg – Meyram Maquiné (Brasil) venceu Khaled Mohammed por pontos (1 a 0);

69kg – Raimundo Sodré venceu Sebastian Serpa, por pontos (3 a 0)

77kg – Pedro Ramalho venceu Lucas Protásio, por decisão dos juízes (0 a 0)

85kg – Bruno Lima venceu Uanderson Ferreira, por pontos (8 a 3);

94kg – Fellipe Andrew venceu Renan Cruz, por finalização (americana de pé);

120kg – Felipe Bezerra venceu Anton Seleznev, por pontos (5 a 1)

FINAIS FEMININAS FAIXA MARROM/PRETA

49kg – Mayssa Bastos venceu Margarita Ochoa, por finalização (baratoplata)

55kg – Ana Rodrigues venceu Alexa Yanes, por pontos (5 a 0);

62kg – Júlia Alves venceu Violeta Angelova, por finalização (chave de braço)

70kg – Ingridd Souza venceu Nia Blackman, por pontos (2 a 1)

95kg – Gabrieli Pessanha venceu Yara Nascimento, por finalização (chave de pé)

This Tuesday, November 7th, the second and last day of the Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 took over the Mubadala Arena and welcomed the most experienced athletes of the competitive scene as they fought to earn the title of champion in the capital of Jiu-Jitsu.

After a first day of high-octane action, with black belts fighting for a spot at the main bracket in the country qualifiers and colored belts showcasing their prowess as they vied for a chance to advance in the sport, the tournament once again opened its battlefield for the men and women of the Master category.

The highlights were, as expected, the finals of the Master 1 division, with the athletes leaving their hearts on the mats as they fought for a chance to climb the podium. Check out how each final went down below and don’t miss the action schedule for the next days, as the Professionals take over the mats. Watch live at TX7.ae !

Men’s Gi / Master 1 / Black Belt

56kg – Emerson Cassio Silva vs. Masaaki Todokoro
In the lighter men’s division, the Brazilian Cassio Silva got the better of Japanese Masaaki Todokoro, who started the fight by pulling guard. Cassio tried a leglock spin and went up, then pulled and swept, opening the score at 2-0. After pressing on the side and passing the guard, making it 5-0, he left the north-south position to try and take Masaaki’s back. Without stabilizing the hooks, Cassio attacked the arm and earned another point on the scoreboard. Masaaki still received a point in his favor after an illegal grip from his opponent, but Cassio still took the win, conquering the title with a 6-1 score.

62kg – Hiago George vs. Nariman Mynbayev
A renowned player in AJP’s biggest tournaments, Hiago George displayed complete dominance and confirmed his favoritism. At the beginning of the fight, Kazakhstan’s Nariman Mynbayev pulled a half-guard. Hiago applied pressure and gained a point for almost passing, before reaching the side control with the three points. With a 4-0 score in his favor, Hiago disconnected before once again passing the guard and mounting twice in a row, raising the scoreboard to a whopping 18-0, ending the match in another major win for the Brazilian.

69kg – Thiago Marques vs. Gairbeg Ibragimov
A veteran of AJP tournaments, Brazilian Thiago Marques had an exciting duel against Gairbeg Ibragimov, from Russia. Gairbeg took the lead on the scoreboard when he landed a beautiful takedown, pulling Thiago with an ankle pick. Behind on the scoreboard by two points, Thiago managed to even the score after successfully defending against a foot attack. Thiago got another point after Gairbeg used an illegal grip, and went on to further increase his lead with a foot attack, putting the score at 4-2. Without faltering, Gairbeg rose again to even the score and take the lead 4-4. Being the last to score, the Russian came close to victory, but Thiago once again came dangerously close to going up, and with Gairbeg once again using an illegal grip, the Brazilian locked a triangle until the clock ran out, taking the victory by a 6-4 score.

77kg – Ali Monfaradi vs. Talison Costa
Bahraini athlete Ali Monfaradi closed his great 2023 season with a title at the World Masters. Facing the experienced Talison Costa, Ali had a tricky match against the Brazilian. Talison started in the lead on the scoreboard, almost taking down and catching the back, but still taking a 2-0 for the attempt. Ali entered with his dangerous half-guard and tied the score at 2-2. Talison attacked with the footlock and went up to make it 4-2. Underneath, Ali did a nice spin and went up trying to get the back. Two points were scored by attacking attempts, drawing 4-4. As he was the last to score, Ali conquered the win that will remain etched in the memory of Elements JJ Bahrain.

85kg – Flavio Vianna vs. Janos Estergal
Intense exchange standing up in the duel between Brazilian Flavio Vianna and German Janos Estergal. After receiving a punishment for not engaging in the fight, Flavio saw Janos take the lead at 1-0 and intensified his game. Flavio went down without stabilizing, tying at 1-1. With a double punishment for lack of combativeness, Flavio’s second punishment, the score was 3-2 for Janos. Flavio then went for a risky takedown and, without completely landing the move, earned the point he needed to tie the score again and take the win by scoring last.

94kg – Renato Cardoso vs. Roberto Dib Frias
UAE-based Brazilian Renato Cardoso was once again a standout on the mats of the Mubadala Arena. After winning a thrilling semi-final against superstar Jackson Sousa, Renato faced Australian Roberto Dib Frias in the final. Roberto rose from the double pull and started ahead with 1-0, but Renato soon adjusted himself to attack Roberto’s leg. By raising his hips, Renato managed to fully extend the leglock, winning by submission and taking another gold medal.

120kg – Felipe Bezerra vs. Justin Primrose
In the 120kg division final, the Brazilian Felipe Bezerra completely dominated the Canadian Justin Primrose, giving the latter no room to try and fight back. After opening the score with a takedown in the first seconds of the fight, Felipe increased the score from 2-0 to 5-0 with a lot of pressure on the guard pass. Upon arriving on the side, he controlled the actions, dominated Justin’s hips, and stabilized the winning score until the final whistle, taking the win via points.

Women’s Gi / Master 1 / Brown / Black Belt

49kg – Laura Peretti vs. Kacie Tan
Representing Italy, Laura Peretti showed a lot of technique in her duel against Thai Kacie Tan, who made the first action of the fight by jumping into closed guard. Laura opened her guard and used her knee to get to the side. Without completing the pass but scoring 1-0, Laura didn’t stop and brought constant danger to Kacie’s guard. By almost completing the pass again, Laura gained another point and closed the final duel with 2-0 on the scoreboard.

55kg – Ariadne de Oliveira vs. Chingwen Huang
Ariadne Oliveira gifted the crowd with a good showing of Jiu-Jitsu in her match against Taiwan’s Chingwen Huang. In a quick move, Ariadne pulled guard and then went up, scoring 2-0. Upon reaching the side, she passed to raise the scoreboard to 5-0 before trying a kata-gatame. Without completing the submission, Ariadne took the back and attacked with the winning choke. A Submission and a well-deserved gold medal for the Brazilian from the Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club.

62kg – Nadia Melo vs. Violeta Angelova
Nadia Melo was the main name of the 62kg division. Her duel against Bulgarian Violeta Angelova started slowly, with punishment for both sides for lack of combativeness. Violeta pulled a closed guard and made a good transition while looking for a chance to take the back, but Nadia avoided the danger and attacked Violeta’s leg. After adjusting her hip, Nadia managed to stretch and complete the submission, seizing the title.

70kg – Magdalena Loska vs. Tamara Rocha
A quick victory for Poland’s Magdalena Loska. Her opponent, Brazilian Tamara Rocha, pulled guard and went down. Magdalena saw the chance to land an attack on the foot and didn’t hesitate, landing a straight footlock to take the win in the first minute of the bout.

95kg – Katiuscia Yasmira Dias vs. Amanda Ribeiro
Yasmira Dias, from Guinea-Bissau, showcased her favoritism in the 95kg division. After a double punishment for lack of combativeness, Yasmira pulled and swept the Brazilian Amanda Ribeiro to take the lead 3-1. After passing guard and disconnecting, Yasmira swept again. Amanda managed to go up by the end, putting the scoreboard at 8-3, but Yasmira went up yet again, leaving the final score at 10-3 to add another victory to her grappling record.

Raphael Barbosa e seus alunos. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

Raphael Barbosa, brasileiro radicado em Dubai, é um dos principais faixas-pretas propagadores do Jiu-Jitsu nos Emirados Árabes. Praticante de Jiu-Jitsu desde novo e faixa-preta desde 2007, Raphael é o responsável pela metodologia da UFC Gym, no Oriente Médio, há mais de cinco anos. Ele só tem motivos para comemorar o crescimento do seu trabalho – não somente por conta dos resultados – mas pela evolução dos seus alunos.

Recentemente, o time liderado por Raphael e seu professores ficou na quarta colocação no AJP Festival, com um total de 151 academias em disputa. No master, a colocação do time foi no décimo sétimo lugar, mesmo com poucos competidores. Para Raphael, os resultados são apenas o início de algo grandioso para 2023.

“Fazendo uma análise dessa temporada, posso dizer que foi maravilhosa. A gente vem fazendo esse trabalho há seis anos. Nós fizemos algumas mudanças e podemos ver o crescimento da galera que desde a faixa-branca e laranja estão com a gente. Tive alunos em todas as competições conquistando o ouro esse ano. Os brancas também competiram nos festivais e conquistaram suas medalhas de ouro. Nós conseguimos no total 47 medalhas. Se compararmos com o Word Pro do ano passado, nós colocamos no geral 50 alunos e nesta edição que passou colamos 130 alunos. Praticamente, o número que colocamos no ano passado foi quase o número de medalhas que fizemos neste ano. Ficamos em quarto lugar no geral do Festival, sendo que haviam 151 academias. Alguns alunos, apesar da ausência da categoria master, lutaram de adulto no Festival e venceram. No master ficamos em décimo sétimo lugar, mas não tínhamos tantos alunos comparado aos primeiros dias no Festival e mesmo assim conseguimos um excelente resultado”, analisa o professor Raphael. Vale ressaltar que o time terá uma nova safra de atletas na faixa-roxa, isso abre a possibilidade de vencer em outros níveis de faixa nas competições.

Raphael é um dos principais propagadores do Jiu-Jitsu, em Dubai. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

Com trabalho a longo prazo, o que já vem gerando números expressivos, Raphael quer aumentar ainda mais o nível das escolas de Jiu-Jitsu da UFC Gym.

“Para a próxima temporada, planejo vir mais forte ainda e com um crescimento para o UFC não só nestas quatro academias que temos, mas para mais duas que estamos abrindo. Vamos vir maiores e mais fortes na próxima temporada. Meu plano é o meu time de professores, quero poder estar mais perto deles para trocarmos experiências e juntos traçarmos estratégias para o desenvolvimento da equipe. Planejo fazer intercâmbio entre as academias, tanto no adulto quanto no infantil. Logo seremos seis academias, então teremos treino duro para todos. Também quero fazer algumas competições dentro da próxima UFC. Já estou ansioso para a próxima temporada”, projeta Raphael, que também é formado em Educação Física pela Universidade da Cidade.
Raphael também planeja voltar a competir, mas vai focar primeiro na evolução dos seus alunos. Ele acredita que ser apenas professor ajudou a polir o progresso de aprendizado deles, aliado ao excelente trabalho de todos os outros professores da rede UFC Gym, que também são direcionados pelo faixa-preta.

“Eu estou com um time de professores de, no máximo, um ano de casa. Então muita coisa tem que ser trabalhada, alinhada e ter todo mundo pensando em um objetivo só. O que percebi foi que eu consegui captar detalhes que quando a gente está treinando, mesmo que com os alunos, a gente não consegue ver. Eu fiquei um pouco de fora dos treinos para ficar observando e dando suporte aos alunos. Eu observava as suas limitações e erros e depois passava um treino específico para cada um. Acho que foi uma lição que ficou para mim. Eu planejo voltar ao cenário de competição, foi uma experiência válida e interessante. Vamos ver”, diz Raphael.

O brasileiro, recentemente, formou mais dois alunos como faixas-pretas. O destaque vai para o romeno Marius Varlan, que é treinado por Raphael desde a faixa-roxa. Seus resultados expressivos foram duas medalhas de prata, conquistadas no World Pro e Ju Jitsu Championship, em Abu Dhabi.

Raphael and his students celebrate their victory. Photo: Personal Archive

Raphael Barbosa, a Brazilian living in Dubai, is among the main black-belts propagating jiujitsu in the UAE. A jiujitsu practitioner since his youth and black-belt since 2007, Raphael has been responsible for the methodology of UFC Gym, in the Middle East, for more than five years. He has nothing but reasons to celebrate the growth of his work—not just because of the results—but due to the evolution of his students.

Recently, the team lead by Raphael and his teachers placed fourth out of 151 gyms at the AJP Festival. In the masters, the team finished in 17th, despite having just a few representatives. In Raphael’s opinion, these results are but the beginning of something big for 2023.

“Analyzing this season, I can say it was wonderful. We’ve been doing this work for six years. We made some changes and can see the growth of the guys who have been with us from the white and orange belts. I’ve had students in all competitions winning gold this year. The white-belts also competed in the festivals and won their gold medals. We collected 47 medals in total. If we compare this to last year’s World Pro, we generally put 50 students, and in this recent edition we put 130 students. Practically, the number we put last year was almost the number of medals we won this year. We placed fourth overall at the Festival, and there were 151 gyms. Some students, despite their absence in the masters, fought as adults in the Festival and won. In the masters we placed 17th, but we didn’t have as many students compared to the Festival’s first days, and even so we achieved an excellent result,” analyzes Prof. Raphael. It’s worth stressing that the team is about to have a new crop of athletes in the purple belt. This opens up the possibility of winning at other levels in future competitions.

Raphael is one of the top black belts in Dubai

With long-term work, which has already been yielding expressive numbers, Raphael wants to raise the level of UFC Gym’s jiujitsu schools even more.

“For the next season, I plan to arrive even stronger and with growth for UFC Gym not just in these four schools we have, but for two more that we’re opening. We’re going to show up bigger and stronger in the next season. My plan is my team of teachers; I want to be able to be closer to them for us to exchange experiences and together lay out strategies for the team’s development. I plan to promote exchange amongst the schools, both in the adults’ and kids’ age groups. Soon we’ll be six gyms, so we’ll have tough training available for everyone. I also want to host some competitions in the next UFC Gym. I’m already anxious for the coming season,” says Raphael, who also has a degree in physical education. Raphael also plans to go back to competing, but first he’ll focus on the evolution of his students. He believes that being only a teacher has helped him polish their learning progress, coupled with the excellent work by all the other teachers from the UFC Gym schools, who are also led by him.

“I have a team of teachers who have, at most, one year working with us. So there’s a lot to work, line up and have everybody thinking in just one goal. What I noticed is that I managed to capture details that when we’re training, even if with the students, we can’t see. I’ve sat out the training sessions a bit to keep observing and providing support to the students. I’d observe their limitations and mistakes and then I’d give each one a specific training program. I believe that was a lesson that lingered for me. I plan to go back to the competitive scene—that was a valid and interesting experience. We’ll see,” says Raphael.

Recently, the Brazilian promoted two more black-belts. One of them is Romania’s Marius Varlan, who has been training with Raphael since he was a purple-belt. His noteworthy results are two silver medals, won at the World Pro and Ju Jitsu Championship, in Abu Dhabi.

Check out the challenges faced by Catriel inside and outside the World Pro mats. Photo: Reproduction

In the early hours of that Friday, April 8th, during breakfast, athlete Catriel Oliveira had the first Herculean challenge of the day, a big dose of discouragement in a whisper nearby: “Sebastian Rodriguez from Unity is on a roll! He is the best athlete in the tournament. It’s impossible to beat him at 85kg ”. Enrolled in the same division, Catriel had moments of anxiety at the table while eating at that hotel in Abu Dhabi. But the hours leading up to his brown belt duels at World Pro 2021 would be to scare off this old ghost of his day, which would be epic.

“Before the European 2020, I had a lot of problems with that”, revealed Catriel, who represents Braus Fight, in a chat with GRACIEMAG. “If I heard that I would face a tough athlete or that someone was doing well in the category, I would promptly sabotage myself mentally. In the European, I fought with another mindset. I went in to have fun, without pressure and did my best tournament. Since then, these ideas have been trying to get around me, but I focus more on myself, fight as I like and the results keep coming. The goal now is happiness. ”

A week earlier, Catriel had fought the Grand Slam, also in Abu Dhabi. In addition to overcoming two fierce disputes, against Yago Neves in the semifinal and Mikael Rhaillander in the final, the six days that separated the Grand Slam from the World Pro were critical, focusing on his complete recovery for the most complicated tournament of his life, something he did not yet know.

“I was fully supported by coach Leonardo Micussi, who has been working with me and Braus for a while. I gave my all in the Grand Slam and arrived ready to do the World Pro marathon with all those fights. ”

Catriel refers to the complicated road towards the title at the World Pro, which is divided into two stages: a classification event between Brazilians and the main bracket. In total, Catriel faced eight fights to the gold, against the best of the world in his weight division.

In the qualifying round, a real undertaking, Catriel passed by Yago Neves, Jansen Gomes, Pedro Machado, and again, Mikael Rhaillander. The four duels would already be worth a title, but four more duels would be needed to guarantee the gold and the prize money. Only a honey packet, lost in the bottom of his backpack, nourished Catriel amid so many duels. In the main bracket, his first dispute would be against Mateus Meyer, classified directly by the AJP ranking.

“I was going to my fifth fight of the day, after facing tough opponents from Brazil, and Mateus would make his first fight with me. It is at that time that the mind has to be stronger. I focused on fighting forward and it worked, ”recalled Catriel.

After beating Mateus on the points and submitting Saif Alhimany, Catriel beat Hermes Lazarus in the semifinal to finally challenge Costa Rican Sebastian Rodriguez. A complicated fight, with no points or advantages in regulation time, was defined in the golden score, after a takedown applied by Catriel. And so the cycle was closed, with 12 challenges on and off the mat, which culminated in two gold prizes and a bunch of dollars in the pockets of the Brazilian athlete.

“I never had so many fights on the same day, nor in such a short time, seeing as I faced ten fights of a high level in less than a week. I’m happy with my evolution. I lost my father a few months ago and he was my biggest supporter. I really wish he was here to see that it worked, but now my fight is for my family who is in Brazil. I am going to stay in the United Arab Emirates for a while, training and teaching at JDA Center/GFTeam Dubai, of the black belt Julio dos Anjos. But I can only think about rest next month because in June there is another big tournament here ”, concluded the beast.

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Negromonte’s final vs. Jaime Canuto. Gentle Art Media

A representative of Roger Gracie Academy, last month Charles Negromonte added to his collection of titles.

Fighting at King of Mats, the event that kicked off the week of Abu Dhabi World Pro 2018, Negromonte was among the middleweights that fought for the inaugural belt.

To claim the title, Negromonte had to beat some of the strongest athletes in activity. Right off the bat he bested André Galvão, the favorite, by two advantages to nothing. Even losing to Jaime Canuto in the groups stage, Negromonte advanced to the semifinals.

Then he got past Renato Canuto and again faced Jaime Canuto, this time with the belt on the line. With pressure in the final moments, Negromonte got the advantage he needed and clenched the title.

Play the following video to see a highlight reel of Negromonte’s campaign.

Felipe Preguiça. Ivan Trindade/Gentle Art Media

At the Abu Dhabi World Pro qualifiers, held April 26th, Felipe Preguiça managed to secure his spot in the final bracket of the 94kg division by beating his Brazilian competition.

With a versatile game and a knack for submissions, he was able to advanced to the Friday matches. In the final of the qualifier, he applied a nice inverted triangle.

After controlling and attempting an attack, Preguiça saw the chance to trap his opponent in the inverted triangle. With the technique sunk in place, he made a transition with an adjustment of his body to maximize the squeeze. Watch it play out here:

Trans takes the back and finishes Cyborg for the heavyweight belt. Ivan Trindade/Gentle Art Media

Press release:

The 10^th anniversary edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship kicked off this Tuesday, April 24, with the first installment of a new event designed to put the best grapplers in the world face to face.

The King of Mats debuted in Abu Dhabi with 24 athletes divided in three weight classes. They competed within two groups in a round robin system that provided non-stop action for the crowd present at the Mubadala Arena as well as for viewers all over the world. Here’s how each champion was crowned.

Lightweight

With 10 athletes fighting for the belt, the road for the top of the podium in the lightweight division was the longest of the three weight classes. On Group A, Leonardo Saggioro left no opponent standing on his way to the semifinals. He came out a winner of all four of his matches. He first beat Samuel Canquerino by points, then overcame Hiago George by referees decision in a close match. Saggioro’s third match was another narrow victory over Isaque Paiva before closing the group stage with a fourth win over Jose Lima. Isaque Paiva, with three wins in four matches, also qualified for the semifinals. On Group B, Gianni Grippo, Celso Venícius and Thiago Marques finished the group stage with three wins and one loss. The point count after all the matches put Grippo and Marques in the semifinals as first and second in the bracket.

In a sweep battle, Gianni Grippo made it to the final in a hard-fought semifinal against Isaque Paiva that ended with a 8-6 lead for the American. On the other semifinal, Saggioro was able to make it to the gold medal match with a narrow 1-0 lead on advantages.

The King of Mats lightweight belt knew its first owner following a strategic match between Grippo and Saggioro. Both grapplers were very respectful of each other’s games and the match ended in a 0-0 tie. The referees saw Saggioro as more active and granted him the win.

Middleweight

Group A had three competitors and each one won one match and lost another. The point count put Charles Negromonte in first place followed by Jaime Canuto, leaving Andre Galvão out of the semifinals. On Group B, Renato Canuto won all his three matches, beating Roberto Satoshi 2-0; finishing Clark Gracie and finally beating Tarsis Humphreys by WO. The second place finisher was Roberto Satoshi, who finished Tarsis Humphreys with a triangle and beat Clark Gracie 2-0.

The semifinals put Jaime Canuto to face Satoshi and Charles Negromonte to face Renato Canuto. Jaime built a 6-0 lead over Satoshi with two guard passes to reach the final. Negromonte held on to a 0-0 tie to beat Renato by referees decision.

The gold medal match was decided in the very last seconds, when a near guard pass by Negromonte earned him a 1-0 lead over Jaime Canuto and the right to wear the King of Mats middleweight belt.

Heavyweight

With seven athletes competing for the belt, the division featured a series of thrilling matches. On group A, Alexander Trans won his two matches to reach the semifinals. He beat Tanner Rice 2-0 with a sweep and then Helton Junior with a 2-0 lead on advantages. American Tanner Rice joined Trans in the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Junior on advantages. On Group B, Roberto “Cyborg” sailed through the bracket with three wins in three matches. He beat Andre Campos by referees decision, then outscored Lucio Rodrigues before finishing Alexandre Souza from the mount. With two wins in three matches, Alexandre Souza also made it to the semifinals.

The first semifinal put Trans against Souza and a rib injury early in the match during a takedown defense put Alexandre out of commission and granted Trans a spot in the final. Cyborg made it to the gold medal match with a referees decision win over Tanner Rice following a 0-0 tie.

The heavyweight belt found its way to Alexander Trans hands when the Danish caught Cyborg’s back to sink a bow and arrow choke and get the tap. The first heavyweight King of Mat was crowned.

The 2018 ADWPJJC returns this Wednesday. The black belt division kicks off on Thursday with the country qualifiers, followed by the main brackets on Friday and the finals on Saturday. Stay tuned for more action.

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Bráulio Estima in 2009. Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

In 2008, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan okayed what would become one of the biggest events of BJJ worldwide. The Abu Dhabi World Pro was born with the promise of awarding good sums of money to the best athletes of our sport.

In this decade of electrifying matches, Graciemag closely followed the birth of legends, like when a brown-belt Rodolfo Vieira became known as the “black-belt hunter.”

Below you can see a collection of ten fights that stuck with our team, featuring some of the very best fighters we’ve ever seen.

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Braulio Estima

Lucio Lagarto vs. Marcus Buchecha

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Rafa Mendes

Braulio Estima vs. Fabio Gurgel

Marcelinho Garcia vs. Victor Estima

Mackenzie Dern vs. Gabi Garcia

Marcio André vs. Paulo Miyao

Beatriz Mesquita vs. Tammi Musumeci

Felipe Preguiça vs. Xande Ribeiro

Erberth Santos vs. Max Gimenis

Bia, the medal and the belt. Abu Dhabi World Pro.

Beatriz Mesquita confirmed her favoritism at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, which ended last weekend in the UAE capital. The Gracie Humaitá star brilliantly defended her 62kg title as she overcame Bianca Basilio (Ryan Gracie), Luiza Monteiro (Brotherhood) and finally Tammi Musumeci from the back. The 26-year-old champion then analyzed the evolution of her game in an interview with Graciemag.

“I hate the pull to a flush guard and getting stuck on the 50/50,” she said. “I don’t like that jiu-jitsu; I think it’s ugly, and I saw myself trapped in that game. After the Pan, I started thinking better about strategies, and everybody encouraged me to believe in my pass, which is stronger now. Because of that, I decided to change a little. I already have a lot of confidence on the bottom, and now I believe in my top game as well. I am not afraid of being swept, because I know I will land comfortable on the bottom, as well as with plenty of chances to pass or take the back. The back-take happened often during my fights; I developed that game well.

“The women’s category is tough, because most will pull guard, and I saw myself in a situation that demanded change — or else I would always be stuck with boring, monotone fights. I have much more jiu-jitsu to show, and this championship proved this.”

About the fight with Musumeci specifically, Mesquita said: “I trained plenty and listened to the opinion of many people about how to shut down the berimbolo; I believe that made the difference. So, besides shutting it down, I was able to impose the pass. When she defended against the pass, she ended up giving me her back, and I was able to finish. A fight with her is always dangerous; she has this very strong position. If I’m a little late, it gets complicated. But now I have a more open mind to this type of game and, especially, to defend myself.”

Mesquita’s performance was likely a factor in her getting invited to ADCC 2017, set to take place on the 23rd and 24th of September in Finland. But one need not wait that long to see her in action, as she will be fighting in the Brazilian Nationals this weekend in Sao Paulo.