ADGS Moscow: Professionals rise as champions on the tournament's final day

September 1, 2024

After three days of high-octane competition, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Moscow 2024 is complete. The tournament, which began last Friday, took over the Sports Academy Dinamo and went on to receive athletes of all ages and graduations throughout the weekend, with Amateurs fighting on the first day, Youths and Masters on the second, and now finally, Professionals closing the event this Sunday, September 1st.

Maintaining the ADGS' high standard for action, the tournament's final day had fight fans on the edge of their seats as the "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu" took to the mats and fought for the gold in the Russian capital. Check out below how each of the Professional Black Belt finals played out, and for the full results, click here.

MEN'S BLACK BELT

56kg - Omar Alsuwaidi vs Theyab Alnuaimi

A stellar performance from the ADXC champion Omar Alsuwaidi in the ADGS Moscow 2024. Facing Theyab Alnuaimi in the 56kg division final, the Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Association representative started by going up from the double pull to seize the lead on the scoreboard. Later on, Omar pulled and swept to increase his score to 3-0, avoided Theyab's attacks, and, in the final moments of the duel, found his way to the back and choked to take the title in Moscow.

62kg - Khaled Alshehhi vs Yuri Hendrex

In the Under 62kg division, AJP aces Yuri Hendrex and Khaled Alshehhi showed their skills as they fought for the gold. Representing the UAE in the tournament, Khaled saw Yuri take the lead on the scoreboard by going up from the double pull, but the Emirati kept his cool and, when the Brazilian tried an attack on the foot, the Emirati went up without sweeping and tied the score. With a very strategic game, Khaled looked for a chance to pass but his main focus was on maintaining control in the duel while Yuri tried every trick in his arsenal to tip the scales in his favor. In the final moments of the bout, Yuri even attempted a triangle choke, but it brought no real danger to Khaled, who scored last in the 1-1 tie and got another high-profile win to his name.

69kg - Mohammed Alsuwaidi vs Omar Alfadhli

Facing his teammate Omar Alfadhli in the Under 69kg final, Mohammed Alsuwaidi showed just how sneaky his Jiu-Jitsu can be. After Omar took the lead by going up from the double pull, Mohammed started working from below and used a one-leg to stop his opponent's advance while also planning his next attack. That attack, as it turns out, didn't take long to happen, as Mohammed quickly put his legs up and locked an armbar from the triangle to get his first ADGS title.

77kg - Jefferson Goteu vs Lucas Protasio

Representing Commando Group, Jefferson Goteu conquered the Under 77kg gold in the ADGS Moscow 2024. After an initial struggle that ended with the score tied at 1-1, the final opponent Lucas Protasio pulled guard and Jefferson put pressure from the top, eventually passing twice and ending up at side control with a 7-1 score. Lucas saw an opportunity and attempted a submission, but Jefferson responded with a dangerous armbar attempt and got another point. In the final moments of the duel, Lucas made a last-ditch effort and went straight for the back, locking a choke to try and turn the tables at the very last second, but Jefferson endured the pressure and got his victory by 8-2 on the scoreboard.

85kg - Uanderson Ferreira vs Ramazan Shihshabekov

Known for his aggressive style and flashy moves, the Brazilian Uanderson Ferreira was back to his usual antics in the Under 85kg final. Facing the Russian Ramazan Shihshabekov for the gold, Uanderson kicked off the match with a flying triangle and then switched to an armbar, with both attacks defended by Ramazan before the latter dished out an attack of his own on the foot. After escaping the danger, Uanderson unleashed his game and swept before passing and taking the back. With one penalty already in the match, Ramazan briefly managed to take the Brazilian off his back, but made an illegal grip on the pants and gave another two points for Uanderson, who by this time was eleven points ahead in the count. The fight went on and Uanderson found his way to the Russian's back again, went up, and then took the back one last time before trying to lock a triangle in the last moments of the duel. When the clock ran out, a whopping 20-0 score gave Uanderson another title in the AJP.

94kg - Luiz Henrique Betta vs Abdulbari Guseinov

A familiar face in AJP competitions, the Brazilian Luiz Henrique Betta added another ADGS title to his collection. Facing the local Abdulbari Guseinov in the gold round, Betta started the match with a beautiful takedown and opened the scoreboard with a 2-0 before unleashing his pressure on his opponent's guard. Abdulbari stayed active throughout the match, using his guard to stop Betta from passing, but the Brazilian's pressure kept the Russian on the defensive most of the match. After gaining another point from hitting the side and almost passing, Betta maintained control and ended up taking the top spot on the podium with a 3-0 score.

120kg - Felipe Bezerra vs Vladimir Blium

Facing off in the heaviest division, the Brazilian Felipe Bezerra and the Russian Vladimir Blium went toe-to-toe for the title in the gold round. Vladimir started the match by pulling guard, but Felipe promptly used his enormous pressure from the top to pass and then mount, scoring 7-0. Vladimir managed to get Felipe back in the half-guard, but the Brazilian positioned his body diagonally to increase the pressure and managed to pass again, adding three more points in his favor. In the last seconds of the bout, Vladimir managed to get up and charged at his opponent, but Felipe used the momentum to attempt a single-leg takedown, getting another point and closing the scoreboard at 11-0 to take the Professional title, after conquering the gold medal one day before, among the Masters.

WOMEN'S BROWN/BLACK BELT

49kg - Diana Teixeira vs Anastasiia Leonovich

Up against the local Anastasiia Leonovich, the Brazilian Diana Teixeira entered a best-of-three bracket and got the gold in the Under 49gk division. After winning the first match via submission, Diana saw her opponent start the following bout by pulling guard and attempted to pass with a leg drag. Anastasiia placed firm grips on Diana's sleeves, but the latter managed to spin to reach side control before freeing herself with a 3-0 score. Diana then put her knee on her opponent's stomach, shifted to the north-south position, and tried to end the duel with a key lock, but Anastasiia defended. After passing again, Diana took the back in the final stretch of the fight, locking the winning submission five seconds before the end of the final.

55kg - Lina Grosset vs Lara Castro

A well-balanced duel between the French Lina Grosset and Brazil's Lara Castro in the Under 55kg division final. The match took up the entirety of the regulated time and was deadlocked between both athletes for most of it, with Lina using her pressure from the top to look for enough room to pass while Lara relied on her guard to stop her opponent while also seeking to sweep. The deciding move came about only in the final seconds of the match, with Lina dishing out a dangerous attack on the foot. Lara managed to defend herself, but the attempt was enough to tip the scales in favor of the School of Champs' representative, who took the win and the gold with a 1-0 score.

62kg - Julia Alves vs Dayane Bazzoni

An explosive match in the Under 62kg final, as Brazilians Julia Alves and Dayane Bazzoni unleashed their games in hopes of conquering the division title. Dayane started the match by pulling and then attacking with a triangle, which Julia defended before using her pressure to look for a pass. Before long, Dayane managed to sweep and opened the scoreboard with a 2-0, promptly shifting gears and looking for the pass while Julia used her guard to avoid losing any more points. In one of Dayane's moves, Julia saw her opportunity and swept, tying the score at 2-2 and controlling the match from the top until the clock ran out to take the win by scoring last.