Langhi against Durinho in photo by Alicia Anthony

Michael Langhi and Gilbert Durinho are, currently, the two biggest names in Jiu-Jitsu’s lightweight black belt division. Langhi is coming off wins at two World Championships, even beating Durinho in the final at the 2009 one. Now the Atos representative is the current World Pro champion, as well as holding other major titles, like the Brazilian Nationals and Asian Open.

Last Saturday at the Rio de Janeiro leg of the World Pro tryouts, the two met in the final yet again. The athlete from Alliance ended up with the win, but Durinho showed he’s got the good, having escaped from dangerous holds and only lost by two points.

Check out how it went, in this video shot by the folks at X-Combat.

Qualified for the Abu Dhabi, the black belt now hopes to carry on winning in both his divisions; and bring on the Pan!

Rodolfo in photo by Gustavo Aragão

How was your performance at the event?

At weight things weren’t easy at all. I beat João Gabriel by 6 to 2 in the first match; in the second, against Alexandre de Souza, I got the takedown twice and passed guard; in the semifinal, against Português, I had two advantage points; and in the final, against Moreno (Diogo Sampaio, watch the match below) I scored 20 to 0 and finished with a choke from the mount. I only got the finish in the final of the division. There were four more matches in the absolute.

You are from Campo Grande, where the event took place. What was it like literally being able to compete at home?

This time I fought in my own backyard and was super nervous. My first Jiu-Jitsu championship was here, in 2005, and it was my first contact with competitions. Since then this is the first big event to take place here. Thank God everything went well and I am now champion. The crowd was on fire and I didn’t let anybody down!

What’s the next big event now?

I’m going to try and win weight and absolute at the Pan, then I’ll head straight to the World Pro.

Will this hunt for weight and absolute continue in Abu Dhabi? In 2009 you opted only to compete at weight?

I’ll keep up the pace in training. If I don’t get injured, I’ll show up there in good shape. In 2009, I don’t even know how I managed to win. I had a hurt rib, I was just there for the ride and ended up winning, but I was unable to compete in the absolute. Last year I got hurt again and couldn’t compete in anything. This year is promising and, with God’s help, I’ll train a lot só I can become champion at weight and open weight too.

Photo: Ivan Trindade

Tipped in GRACIEMAG #167 as one of the best athletes of 2010, Michael Langhi keeps on proving how he’s deserving of it. Without tasting defeat since the 2008 Worlds, the Alliance black belt was one of the standouts at the World Pro tryouts in Rio this Saturday, qualifying in the under 74kg division. Now next Friday the beast will embark for Lisbon, where he will dispute the European Open.

Check out the conversation he had with GRACIEMAG.com:

How did the event go for you?

I had five fights in all and got the finish in the first four. The semifinal was against Zé Carlos, who surprised a bunch of black belts, despite his only being a brown belt. The kid is really tough, but I managed to pass his guard and catch his arm. Then I faced Durinho, who is at an excellent technical level. When he pulled guard, thank God I managed to get the takedown. Then I extended his arm, but he managed to defend. In the end we kind of locked up, but it was a good fight, and he is to be congratulated. I’m really happy, since it was the first championship since my shoulder surgery and it’s great to return with a win, even more so in such a thorny division. That gave me a lot of confidence for the upcoming European Open.

Your recovering shoulder didn’t seem to hinder you at all this event…

I had to stop Jiu-Jitsu for a while because of the operation on my shoulder I had after the Worlds, but I carried on strong with my physical conditioning. So I’d been preparing for these events since October. On December 31st I was training with Fabio Gurgel, so I’d kept a good pace.

Now the European Open is coming up. How are you going to organize yourself to later compete at the Pan and World Pro, them being so close together?

I’m going to cut my stay in Europe short compared to last year. I’m going to go to Germany after the Euro Open and only stay there for twenty days and prepare myself for the Pan. There are a lot of good training partners in Germany, too. I’ll be hard at it up until the Worlds!

What are your expectations in trying for your second title in Abu Dhabi?

The first installment I paid to be at out of my own pocket and I won. I had tough matches and even beat Claudio Calasans in the semifinal; he won his weight group and the absolute at the second event, he’s an excellent athlete. The event raises the athletes’ stock and provides fantastic structure. Last year I saved myself for the Worlds because of my shoulder, but this year I’m going to try for my second title over there. I always expect the best and I love the adrenaline from competing. I’m going to fight!

To find out more about Michael Langhi and the rest of Jiu-Jitsu’s top flight, secure the next issue of GRACIEMAG, #167, by subscribing here.

Rodolfo qualifies for Abu Dhabi once again and even wins absolute.

Rodolfo Vieira was the big standout at the World Pro Rio de Janeiro tryouts this Saturday (check out the results here). Besides winning his way to Abu Dhabi with all expenses paid, the GFTeam representative took home some extra cash for winning the absolute. Having missed out on the 2010 finals due to injury, now Rodolfo can try to repeat his feat from 2009, when he won.

In the under 92kg division, the black belt beat beasts like Alexandre de Souza, Eduardo Santoro, and Diogo Sampaio.

In the absolute, Rodolfo had four matches. After beating Eduardo Santoro in the semifinal, he submitted young revelation João Gabriel (Soul Fighters) with a triangle from the mount, as reported by Master Julio Cesar, of GFTeam.

Langhi against Gilbert Durinho / Photo: Alicia Anthony

This Saturday at the Miécimo da Silva Sport Center in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro leg of the World Pro tryouts took place. Big name black belts showed up to contend for all-expenses-paid trips to the main event. Reporting the results is Alliance’s world champion Gabrielle Garcia.

In the under 65kg division, GFTeam’s Theodoro Canal got the better of Alliance’s Bruno Malfacine via decision after a 0 to 0 draw.

Now in the under 74 kg division, Michael Langhi plowed through his opponents. In the grand finale, Langhi faced Gilbert Durinho (Atos), and in a rehash of the 2009 Worlds, Langhi was victorious, this time with a 2 to 0 end score for a takedown.

Barbosa duo Murilo Santana and Adriano Silva reached the under-83 kg divisional final together, with Murilo taking the win after a 0 to 0 draw.

Rodolfo qualifies for Abu Dhabi once again.

Rodolfo Vieira carries along with his winning streak and is qualified for the World Pro for the third year in a row since winning the tournament in 2009. In his wake he left beasts like Alexandre de Souza and Eduardo Santoro. In the final, the GFTeam black belt put away Diogo “Moreno” Sampaio (Soul Fighters) with a choke.

Gilmar Oliveira (Gracie Barra) flew in to Rio from Brasília to compete and didn’t regret it. The fighter qualified in the over 92kg division.

In the under-63kg female division, Beatriz Mesquita took the cake. She beat Gracie Humaitá brown belt Helen Bastos in the final.

In the over-63kg division, Gracie Barra’s Luzia Fernandes defeated Fernanda Mazelli after a 0 to 0 score.

Follow Gabi on Twitter @gabijiu and, of course, GRACIEMAG.com at @graciemag_br and @graciemag.

Gilbert Burns against Michael Langhi at last Worlds / Photo: Ray Santana

After a great string of wins in 2010, with titles like the No-Gi Worlds and World Pro among others, Gilbert Durinho is getting ready for action this season. The Atos black belt is confirmed for this weekend’s World Pro tryouts in Rio and the European Open in Lisbon, starting on January 27.

Check out the chat he had with GRACIEMAG.com:

How is training for the World Pro and European Open going?

We’re training hard here in Rio Claro. The whole gang’s together and the one leading training is Guto Campos. I’m feeling great, thank God, and we’re all focused, doing four training sessions per day. We do three Jiu-Jitsu sessions and one physical conditioning session with Atos’ physical conditioning coach Thiago Mendes, who uses the Octane method.

Will you still compete at lightweight?

I’m going into both competitions as a lightweight and I can guarantee there’s no lack of desire or fuel in the gas tank! I’ve got an appetite!

There will inevitably be strong matchups in both events. Are you anxious about these challenges?

It’s precisely these challenges that motivate me to compete. I like the mood of rivalry in the lead-up to a match, and I can see my evolution within the division with each championship, which makes me happy. My objective is to continue evolving and putting on better and better appearances with each championship. Becoming champion is a consequence of all these efforts. Last year was incredible for me, I gained a lot of confidence. I have some big wins and beat nearly all the big names in the division. I also fought at middlweight at the end of last year, and I also won major championships. That surely makes me more confident and experienced. But this year will be even better still, I’m working really hard for that to happen.

Durinho celebrates with André Galvão. Photo John Lamonica.

After the Euro Open will you stick around in Europe to teach seminars?

After the European Open I’ll go to Switzerland with my friend Eduardo Ramos, where I’ll stay a week for seminars and classes in Geneva and Zurich. Then I’ll return to Brazil to continue training. I’m planning a training camp in the USA with the whole Atos crew at André Galvão’s academy in San Diego. We’ll likely prepare for the Pan and World Pro there. As always, I’d like to thank my teammates for everything.

In the photos to come, notice how the fighter varied his submissions. Foto: Carlos Ozório

Rafael Mendes stood out in both Brazilian tryouts for the Abu Dhabi World Pro. In Gramado he shut out the division with his brother Guilherme, who took the airfare to the main event on 17 April in Abu Dhabi. To ensure he would be there, the black belt also fought in Rio, where he got the submission in the six matches he did.

“I was confident because my training is going strong in Rio Claro; I’m focused and believe I will be champion. Now I’ll head to Abu Dhabi to defend my title and win my second in a row,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.

Besides the choke above, Rafa applies an armbar. Photo: Carlos Ozório

In the Rio qualifier, Rafa displayed a very versatile game. He got the finish from the open, closed guard, from the bottom, from the top…

“I feel we have to always look to innovate in Jiu-Jitsu, always look for new positions. And that’s what I do. I always train new positions to always evolve and not to stagnate. Things are going well with my Jiu-Jitsu and when we are confident, no one beats us. That’s what I did. I trained to be confident and I managed put to use everything I practiced in the gym. ”

This submission hold came along with a choke from the guard. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Defender of the controversy guard fifty–fifty guard, Rafael proved once again his game is not limited to the position.

“I’m not thinking about that. People talked a lot about it, but as I said, the important thing is to try keep evolving and finding new and different positions. That’s what I did. I created a position that no one knew and there was all this controversy. But I’ve shown that’s not all that I do. A lot of folks said that I was a one-trick pony, but it’s just another attack. I fight with variations and don’t limit myself to just one position. I try to do everything to put on a good fight and to get the finish. Thank God it’s working,” he says.

Rafael Mendes also spoke with our collaborator Diego Marcello. Check out the video below:

These folks have already qualified! Photo: Carlos Ozório

This Saturday at the Helio Maurício gymnasium, in the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo club, the disputes to define the second bevy of athletes with all-expenses-paid travel to compete at the Abu Dhabi World Pro in April kick off. Many of the best Jiu-Jitsu competitors in South America are signed up and the matches should go off on the first day, when the playoffs begin. What’s more, the matches will be broadcast live (visit: http://www.abudhabipro.org.)

The event’s organizers have released some information pertaining to the event to public, competitors and the press:

Tickets are on sale for $ 20 for both days at Bibi Sucos juice shops in Leblon and Jardim Botânico. Whoever wishes to just go one day can purchase tickets at a cost of $ 15. They will also be sold at the ticket stand next to the gymnasium. Those not holding a ticket nor credentials or are not competitors will be barred entry.

Parking within the club costs $ 10.

Athletes signed up:

Celso Venicius (Ryan Gracie)

Renan Vital (Gordo JJ)

Bernardo Augusto (Alliance)

Victor Bonfin (Gordo JJ)

Alexandre de Souza (Gracie Floripa)

Rafael Lang (Akxe)

Augusto Ferrari (Barbosa)

Theodoro Canal (GFTeam)

Wallace Castro (GFTeam)

Leonardo Nogueira (Alliance)

Antonio Braga Neto (Gordo JJ)

Rafael Mendes (Atos)

Adriano Silva (Barbosa)

Rodolfo Vieira (GFTeam)

Cesar Tozi (Tozi JJ)

Fernanda Mazzeli (Striker)

Kim Terra (CheckMat)

Denilson Pimenta (GFTeam)

Leon Amâncio (CheckMat)

José Carlos (GFTeam)

Gustavo Campos (Atos)

Vitor Henrique (GFTeam)

Mário Reis (Gracie Barra)

Silvana Silva (Manimal)

Gilbert Durinho (Atos)

Rafael Formiga (Soul Fighters)

Ricardo Evangelista (GFTeam)

Delson Pé de Chumbo (Gordo JJ)

Ana Maria Índia (CheckMat)

Diego Gamonal (BTT)

Marcos Alexandre (Asle)

Richard Flood (GFTeam)

Gabriel Willcox (Willcox)

Diana Menezes (Bom-Sai)

Felipe Varela (Gracie Humaitá)

Thiago Alves (Barbosa)

Elisangela Silva (CheckMat)

Vinícius Marinho (GFTeam)

Frederico Zaganelli (Gracie Barra)

Pé de Chumbo wants a spot in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Registration is now into the second round and many of the divisions, as reported by organizer Fernando Paradeda, are approaching the limit. Besides Pé de Chumbo, beasts like Gilbert Durinho, Ricardo Evangelista, Ana Maria India and Diego Gamonal, among numbers of others, are all confirmed.

The organization also warns that the public will only be admitted into the Club de Regatas do Flamengo gymnasium with the purchase of a ticket, which go on sale next Wednesday, at Bibi Sucos in Leblon.

For further information and to sign up, visit http://www.abudhabipro.org/.