Weekend Recap: AJP heads to the UAE, India, and Croatia with high-octane competitions
June 24, 2025
In another action-packed weekend, the AJP made its rounds around the globe and brought another batch of its traditional competitions, with practitioners of all ages and backgrounds rejoicing as they got to test their skills while fighting for gold and glory in the organization's mats. With three competitions this time around, the AJP brought Nationals to the UAE and India, in addition to an international in Croatia. Let's take a look at the highlights from each competition.
AJP Tour UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Black belts take the Professional gold in Abu Dhabi
Taking place between June 20th and 22nd, the UAE National took over the famous Mubadala Arena and brought about memorable duels between colored and black belts across seven fight areas. With the competition starting on Friday and ending on Sunday, practitioners and fight fans had their fill of competition as the event offered not only titles but also 1000 global ranking points for each of its champions.
Highlighting the tournament, the Professional Black Belt category showed the world yet again why they hold the title of "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu", with representatives pouring their blood, sweat, and tears on the mats as they sought the top of the podium. Starting with the men, Welison Fernandes (Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu) got the better of Carlos Samboni (Commando Group) before beating Bruno Borges (Abu Dhabi Police Academy) by 1-0 in the 62kg final, while the 69kg title went to Giovanny Nascimento (Commando Group) after a lighting-fast submission win over his teammate Felipe Fernandes. In the 77kg division, Luiz Guilherme Rodrigues (Commando Group) outscored his teammates Juan Carlos Diaz and Christian Lara for the lead, Agnelo de Sales (Palm Sports - Team 777) submitted both Faisal Ibraheem and Jefferson Goteu before landing an 8-3 win against his teammate Jakson Bernardo in the gold round, Axel Silva (MOD UAE) got a narrow 1-0 victory over Daniel Soares (GFTeam) in the semifinal and then became the champ with a submission over Victor Espindola (Commando Group), and Dennis Souza (Commando Group) quickly overwhelmed and submitted Andre Carvalho to reign over the 120kg division.
On the women's side, Ariadne de Oliveira (MOD UAE) showed her technical prowess and became the 55kg champion after scoring 11-1 over Maria Gabriela Almeida (Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club), Jamile Lima (MOD UAE) got two wins via points over Marwa Alhosani (Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club) to take the top of the 70kg division podium, and Stefhanie Costa (Fernando Terere Jiu-Jitsu) landed a last-minute submission to overcome Angelina Leonidova (Commando Group) and conquer the 95kg gold.
Check out the full results here!
AJP Tour India National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Krish Gupta, Robin Behl, and Kajal Kumari conquer the gold in Delhi
On Saturday, June 21st, the Jaypee Atlantic–Sports Complex opened its doors for the India National and gave fight fans another explosive competition, with colored belts of all ages stepping up to the mats looking not only for victory and accolades but also to earn the valuable experience that would take them to the next level of their careers.
Among the many champions that rose to the top of the podium, three local blue belts from the Amateur category managed to stand out as they used their stamina, techniques, and grit to make up for their lack of mileage. In the 69kg division, Krish Gupta (Crosstrain Fight Club) showed great promise as he advanced through a bracket filled with his compatriots, first submitting Anand James (PSLPB Cícero Costha) halfway through the semifinal and then landing a narrow 1-0 win over his teammate Nobojit Dey to become the champion. Meanwhile, Robin Behl (Westbay BJJ) got the 77kg division title after two dominating performances in the tournament, starting his campaign with a whopping 10-0 victory over Pranat Singh (PSLPB Cícero Costha) before facing the same opponent in the final and taking the lead with a 16-7 score.
Last but not least, the women's 55kg division saw the rise of Kajal Kumari (Warriors Cove Mixed Martial Arts), who entered the bracket with two other competitors and used her skills to come out on top. Starting in the semifinal, Kajal took the lead on the scoreboard and neutralized Anindita Santra (Crosstrain Fight Club) to advance with a comfortable 9-0 score. Then, in the gold round, Kajal was even more imposing as she faced Juveriya Khan (Westbay BJJ), scoring 5-0 before ultimately submitting around the four-minute mark to take the title.
Check out the full results here!
AJP Tour Kastav International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Black belts become champions in Croatia
On that same Saturday, The Kastav International landed at the Sports Hall of Kastav ready to add another stellar show to the AJP's record, bringing athletes from all corners of the planet to test their skills and fight memorable battles to conquer the organization's coveted gold medal.
Coming as the highlight of the tournament, the black belts from the Professional category joined the roster and went on to steal the spotlight with explosive performances as they advanced in their respective weight classes. In the 85kg division, ADNOC duo Mohamed Alamri and Yousof Alhosani went all-out against each other in the title match, with the former taking the lead on the scoreboard and controlling well to come out on top with a whopping 11-0 score. Meanwhile, Akos Szekeres (ZR Team Association) got two points wins on his way to the top of the podium, first landing an astounding 19-0 against Antonijo Bacic (Jiu-Jitsu Team Kastav) in the semifinal and then a narrow 2-0 to beat Vedran Cugalj (Mladost BD) in the gold round.
The women's 70kg division saw Yasmin Rodrigues (Team Carvalho International) go up against Tina Premate (LGJJ) in the final round, with the former taking the title with a 3-1 score after an incredibly strategic battle that took up the entirety of the regulated time. On the no-gi side, the Emirati teammates Yousof Alhosani and Mohamed Alamri returned to make another action-packed final in the 85kg division, with Yousof turning the tables on Mohamed and coming out victorious after scoring last in a 2-2 tie.
Check out the full results here!