ADGS Rio: Masters use their experience to conquer the gold in the tournament's second day

July 20, 2024

After an explosive first day with Youths and Amateurs painting a promising picture for the future of Jiu-Jitsu, the ADGS Rio de Janeiro welcomed the Master category to lead its second day of competition this Saturday, July 20th. On the AJP mats set up at the Arena Carioca 1, the experienced competitors put on their best performances for both the attending crowd and the fight fans following the action via the modern TX7.com platform.

As always, the black belts from the Master 1 class were a show in their own right. Closing the second day of the event, these warriors stepped up to the battlefield with their sights set not only on the gold medal and ranking points but also on the glory of tasting victory in one of the most challenging tournaments in the AJP's roster. Without further ado, check out below how each Master 1 black belt final played out, and click here for the full results!

MEN'S GI / BLACK / MASTER 1

56kg - Emerson Cassio vs. Deeysson Cardoso

With both competitors coming from submission victories in the semis, Emerson Cassio and Deeysson Cardoso were evenly matched in the under 56kg division and the decisive moment came about in the final moments of the duel. With two penalties for each side and the score tied at 7-7, Emerson pulled off a last-minute sweep and closed the scoreboard at 9-7 to become the lightweight champion in his home country.

62kg - Leo Alves vs Nicolas Ponce

Coming from two submission wins in the bracket, Leo Alves brought a very technical Jiu-Jitsu to the featherweight final. Facing the Chilean Nicolas Ponce, the Brazilian athlete started by going up from the double pull to open the scoreboard at 1-0. Working from below, Nicolas tried to attack on the foot and Leo followed suit, putting both sides on the 50-50 guard until the latter found his way to the back and attacked on the neck, not getting the three taps but landing two points, one for reaching the back and another for almost submitting. At the end of it all, a 3-0 score gave Leo Alves the win and the title at the tournament.

69kg - Thiago Macedo vs Thiago Marques

Rivals of the same name meeting once again on the AJP mats, Thiago Macedo and Thiago Marques had another very well-balanced duel decided in the details. After going up from the double pull, Macedo scored an important point and went on to unleash the full might of his pressure on Marques' open guard, with the latter trying to sweep multiple times during the match and the former using his technical and physical prowess to avoid any unwelcome surprises. When the clock ran out, a narrow 1-0 score gave Thiago Macedo the ADGS gold.

77kg - Luan Carvalho Alves vs Lucas Barros

After a double penalty for lack of combativeness, Luan Carvalh managed to find his flow in the under 77kg final, entering with a single-leg, quickly sliding to Lucas Barros' back, and attacking with a dangerous choke to land a 3-1 on the scoreboard. Lucas fought valiantly throughout the match and managed to get up again after avoiding the submission attempt, but Luan still kept the upper hand and, in the final seconds of the bout, landed a takedown counter and closed the scoreboard at 6-1 to become the welterweight champion.

85kg - Lucas Laet Moutinho vs Manoel Junior

A strategic match between Lucas Laet and Manoel Junior in the under 85kg division gold round. With both sides looking for a chance to take the other down, the competitors ended up receiving two penalties for lack of combativeness. With a 3-3 on the scoreboard, the duel remained deadlocked throughout the regulated time. After a takedown attempt during the golden score, Lucas managed to convince the referees and got the victory via decision.

94kg - Leandro Santos vs Jackson Sousa

Representing Fratres Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Leandro "Baião" Santos had to face a tough battle before conquering the light heavyweight title. Going up against Jackson Sousa, Leandro found himself evenly matched during the five minutes of the regulated time but managed to break the tie and decide the match with a timely sweep, putting the scoreboard at 2-0 and taking his spot atop the under 94kg division podium.

120kg - Felipe Bezerra vs Juan Bitterncourt

A quick win for the highly decorated Felipe Bezerra in the ADGS Rio de Janeiro. In the opening moments of the match, Juan Bitterncourt tried to pull guard but Felipe used the move to quickly slide to the back, locking an iron grip on Juan's collar and choking the super heavyweight title right out of his opponent.

WOMEN'S GI / BROWN / BLACK / MASTER 1

55kg - Alexa Yanes vs Lina Grosset

Alexa Yanes emerged victorious in the under 55kg division and added another gold to her collection of ADGS medals. With France's Lina Grosset taking the lead on the scoreboard after going up from the double pull, Alexa used her flexible guard to attack with a very dangerous triangle choke. A warrior in her own right, Lina managed to withstand the pressure and avoid the submission, but the attack tied the score at 1-1 and Alexa used her guard to take control of the match, dishing out attacks while avoiding any of her opponent's attempts of scoring back. At the end of it all, Alexa conquered the top of the podium by scoring last during the duel.

62kg - Andreia Cavalcante vs Melise Cavenaghi

In the lightweight final, Andreia Cavalcante needed less than a minute to take the gold medal. Facing Melise Cavenaghi in the Rio de Janeiro mats, Andreia started by pulling guard and immediately attacking the foot, quickly locking the submission and crowning herself an ADGS champion.

70kg - Elen Tito vs Barbara Brito

Representing GFTeam at the ADGS Rio, Elen Tito made full use of her pressure to beat Barbara Brito in the under 70kg final. After a brief struggle while standing up, Elen managed to take her opponent down twice, following the latter move with a back take to put the scoreboard at 7-0. Barbara fought back, but Elen kept everything under control to take the title.

95kg - Carla Leal vs Karla Albuquerque

A very well-balanced match decided the fate of the Master 1 heavyweight gold. Facing the local "Karlona" Albuquerque, Portugal's Carla Leal found herself evenly matched throughout the regulated time. With three penalties for each side and 6-6 on the scoreboard, Carla spent the extra minute of the golden score working from the guard, unable to score against her seasoned opponent but doing well enough to convince the referees and take her spot atop the under 95kg podium.

With two days for the books, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro gears up for its third and final day of competition, in which it will receive the long-awaited Professional category. Watch every second of the action on the TX7.com platform, and make sure to follow @ajptour on social media to stay up-to-date on this and all the other high-level tournaments that the AJP promotes around the globe.