Weekend Recap: Four tournaments close September with a bang

September 30, 2024

The last weekend of September was a hectic one here at AJP. While the ADGS Dallas brought some memorable duels to the mats in the US, the organization decided to promote other competitions in different countries, allowing athletes worldwide to have their pick when it came to putting their skills to the test. With three Nationals and one International to cover in this week's recap, let's take a look at the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Chile National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Gabriel Costa takes the double gold in Santiago

Taking place on both days of the weekend, the Chile National landed at the Gimnasio Polideportivo Martín Vargas and welcomed colored and black belts of all ages to show their skills and fight for the AJP gold. Coming as a highlight in the tournament, the Brazilian Gabriel Costa "Maranhão" (Guigo Jiu Jitsu) managed to stand out as he conquered both his weight class and the Open Heavyweight division.

Starting in the 85kg division, Gabriel went up against Argentina's Ramiro Galvan (GFTeam) in the semis, taking his first win via submission. Ramiro then outscored his teammate Nicolas Ojeda and got his second chance to take the gold. The final, however, played out much like the first match, with Gabriel dominating the duel and scoring multiple times before landing a winning submission in the final minutes of the bout.

Later on, Gabriel entered the Open Heavyweight bracket and ended up facing Ramiro two more times. In the semifinal, Gabriel got the better of Ramiro in the last minute of the match and landed a winning submission. The gold round was a lot closer, with Ramiro holding his own, avoiding submission attempts, and even scoring a few points. When the clock ran out, Gabriel got his fourth victory with a narrow 3-2 score.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour South Africa National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Ricardo Brito and Alfredo Jacques take the gold from one another in Cape Town

Another competition taking place throughout the weekend was the South Africa National, a tournament that landed at the Camps Bay High School and attracted athletes of all ages and graduations to fight with and without the gi between Saturday and Sunday. With a majority of colored belts on both days, two Professional black belts from Z1 academy stood out among their younger and less experienced peers as they fought each other for the gold.

On the first day, Cape Verde's Ricardo Brito went up against the Angolan Alfredo Jacques for the 120kg division gold. After a pretty even start, that saw Ricardo taking the lead on the scoreboard by 2-1, the Cape Verdean saw his opportunity and locked a winning submission to become the champion.

On the second day, however, it was Alfredo's turn to rise to the top of the podium. Fighting without the gi in the 120kg division, Alfredo and Ricardo went at each other once again, with vastly different results. If Ricardo had the upper hand in the gi, Alfredo had complete control in the no-gi match, scoring 18-0 against Ricardo before landing a submission in the final seconds of the duel.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Varazdin International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Nicole Urschinger takes the gold in Croatia

On Saturday, September 28th, the City Sports Hall Varaždin opened its doors for the Varazdin International, the stage upon which local and foreign athletes could shine a light on their skills as they sought the gold and glory of becoming an AJP champion.

Hailing from Austria, Nicole Urschinger (Art of Flow Austria) had a tough battle ahead of her in the 95kg division. Facing the local black belt Emma Haci (LGJJ) for the gold, Nicole fought tooth and nail throughout the five-minute match, with both competitors defending most attacks and looking for a chance to tip the scales in their favor. When the clock finally ran out, a narrow 2-0 score gave Nicole the win and the title in the competition.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Italy National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Professional black belts fight for the gold in Catania

Moving on to Sunday, September 29th, The Paçazzetto Dello Sport in Catania set up the AJP mats in its halls and opened its doors for athletes from all over the world who had come to put themselves and the time they spent training to the test. Between Youths, Amateurs, and Masters, the highlight of the competition was the Professional category, which brought its experienced black belts to put on another memorable show for fight fans.

The 69kg division had its title decided after an incredibly balanced match between Brazil's Jefferson Fagundes (PSLPB Cicero Costha) and the Spaniard Jonas Andrade (Humbling Jiu Jitsu Club). Unable to land a single point against one another, the athletes saw the stalemate be maintained after both the regulated time and the golden score. Tasked with picking the winner, the referees analyzed the match and decided that Jefferson had been the most effective on the battlefield, giving him the win and the title.

Meanwhile, the 77kg division saw Spain's Hugo Le Metour (PSLPB Cicero Costha) beat the Angolan Bruno Almeida (Gracie Barra) for the gold. With five minutes on the clock, the competitors went at each other hungry to take the title, but Hugo's performance gave him the upper hand on the scoreboard, which was closed at a solid 6-3 to put him atop the podium.

Last but not least, Jonas Andrade and Jefferson Fagundes had a rematch for the 69kg no-gi gold. Having been bested once before, Jonas made sure to put on his best performance. The fight once again lasted the entirety of the regulated time and golden score, but when the time was up, the referees decided in favor of Jonas, giving him the title of champion in the division.

Check out the full results here!