AJP Newsletter July 2024: Your monthly recap of the highlights from all over the world

August 3, 2024

Another incredible month for the books here at AJP. With Nationals, Internationals, Regionals, and even another action-packed edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, fight fans and athletes had no shortage of options when it came to their weekly dose of competitive Jiu-Jitsu so, before we start looking for what's coming in August, let's take a moment to go over the highlights of the month of July.

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Rio de Janeiro 2024: Professional black belts fight for gold and glory in Brazil

Taking place between July 19th and 21st at Arena Carioca 1, the ever-challenging ADGS Rio de Janeiro 2024 returned for its 2024 edition as the tour celebrated its 10th anniversary. With Youth and Amateur athletes fighting on the first day followed by the Master category on the second, the tournament was shaping up to be another memorable event on the tropical shores of Brazil, but the Professional athletes still managed to exceed expectations on the third and final day of the competition.

In the 56kg division, the Emirati rising star Omar Al Suwaidi showcased his technique and grit as he beat Pedro Romanelli to become an ADGS Champion. Jhonathan Angelim beat Davi Carlos in the 62kg final, and Diego Sodré had fans on the edge of their seats with his narrow 7-6 win over Israel Almeida. Jefferson Goteu overcame the favorite Natan Chueng and got the 77kg title, Alex Munis landed a powerful Estima lock on Rafael Borges in the 85kg final, Vinicius Liberati took his spot atop the 94kg division podium after beating Luiz Henrique Betta, and Victor Honório used his performance to convince the judges and take the 120kg division gold medal from Herico Hesley.

On the women's side, Diana Teixeira defeated Giulia Gregorut to become the 49kg champion, Grasielle Brandão showed her technical know-how and got a 12-4 win over Lina Grosset in the 55kg final, Sarah Galvão debuted her brown belt in the 62kg division by beating powerhouses Julia Alves and Vitória Vieira back to back, Sabatha Lais landed a lightning-quick submission on Giovanna Carneiro to take the 70kg gold, and the powerful Yara Soares used her pressure to triumph over Tamiris Silva in the 95kg final round.

AJP Tour Armenia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Rafael Kostanyan becomes a double champion in Yerevan

On July 20th, the Armenia National took over the Dynamo Sports Club and welcomed athletes of all ages and graduations to put their skills to the test across four fight areas. A Legacy Jiu-Jitsu Armenia representative, Rafael Kostanyan was a standout in the competition as he conquered not just one but two gold medals in the tournament.

Starting in the gi, Rafael entered the 69kg bracket and faced Australia's Tyson Read in a five-minute match, securing a 7-2 victory in the semifinal. In the gold round, Rafael went up against Iranian Bahman Honardar, scoring 6-3 before securing a winning submission in the last minute.

With one gold medal already in hand but eager for more, Rafael returned to the mats, this time competing without the gi to confirm his dominance over the 69kg division. With a single fight standing between himself and the title, Rafael had a rematch with Tyson Read and decided to put the pedal to the metal from the get-go, overwhelming his opponent and getting the submission with less than 20 seconds on the clock.

AJP Tour Kyrgyzstan National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Adilzhan Tursunov conquers the double gold in Progress

On July 21st, the Gazprom Sports and Fitness Complex welcomed colored belts from around the world, inviting them to compete for the title of AJP champion at the Kyrgyzstan National. One such contender was the Kazakh Adilzhan Tursunov, a Strela Alliance representative who rose to prominence as he showcased his technical know-how and achieved double gold in the 69kg division of the tournament.

Starting in the gi, Adilzhan faced local competitor Kutman Dosmailov in the semifinal, securing a 10-0 lead on the scoreboard before submitting his opponent to advance to the final. Following his defeat, Kutman went on to submit his fellow countryman Kalbaev Mars (PSLPB Cícero Costha), setting up a rematch against Adilzhan in the gold round. Their second fight went pretty much the same as the previous one, with Adilzhan scoring multiple times and eventually submitting Kutman to claim victory.

With one gold medal secured, Adilzhan returned to the battlefield, this time competing in no-gi to get his second title. His opponent this time was Kalbaev Mars, who fought well but still was unable to stop Adilzhan's advance as the latter locked another submission and rose to the top of the podium yet again, closing the competition with two golds and a 100% submission rate.

UPCOMING: ADGS Moscow, Nationals, Regionals, and Internationals

With the ADGS Rio de Janeiro down for the count, the tour now shifts its attention to its next chapter, which brings the AJP's signature action to the northern lands of Russia. Between August 30th and September 1st, the ADGS Moscow welcomes athletes of all ages and graduations, with Amateurs fighting on the first day, Youths and Masters on the second, and Professionals taking the stage on the third day. It is worth noting that the registration window closes on August 26th, so make sure to save your spot to fight among the best in Russia.

This month will also feature four Nationals, with Uruguay and Angola coming first on August 10th, followed by Singapore on August 17th, and New Zealand on August 31st. On the Regional side of things, the AJP will have two offers this time around, with Socal hosting one on August 11th and South China bringing another between August 17th and 18th.

Last but not least, August will also feature the usual batch of internationals all around the world. Here's the list of International for this month: Amman (August 3rd), Newcastle (August 4th), Bogota (August 10th), Gallegos (August 17th-18th), Merida (August 17th), Lages (August 25th), Baikal (August 25th), Dubai (August 30th-September 1st).