Weekend Recap: AJP promotes seven explosive tournaments around the world

September 23, 2024

Whether you're a fight fan or an athlete, it has been a solid weekend here at AJP. With one week to go until the ADGS Dallas 2024, the organization refused to slow down and hosted no less than seven competitions around the world. We have a lot of ground to cover, so fasten your seatbelts, and let's check out the highlights from each championship!

AJP Tour Oceania Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Martin Melecchi, Roberto Dib Frias, and Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths take the gold in Australia

Hosted at the Billbergia Sports Centre this Sunday, September 22nd, the Oceania Continental condensed all the action into one day, welcoming Youths, Amateurs, Masters, and Professionals on the same day to deliver a mighty dose of action to kick off the week.

Be it colored or black belt, there was no shortage of champions, each highlighting how far Jiu-Jitsu has come and how many talented athletes each country has to offer. However, three local Professional competitors managed to stand out among their peers as they faced their opponents and took the gold with stellar performances.

Starting in the 85kg division, Martin Melecchi (Braddah Jiu Jitsu) began his campaign by going toe-to-toe with his Brazilian teammate Raphael Moraes, ending the match with a sound 9-1 to advance to the final. The gold round saw Martin go up against Brazil's David Belmonte (Legacy) in a tough match that ended in a 3-0 for the Aussie. Meanwhile, the 120kg division saw the rise of Roberto Dib Frias (One Purpose BJJ), who kicked off the round-robin by submitting the Brazilian Marcus Vinicius Silveira (Braddah Jiu Jitsu). After that, Roberto dominated his compatriot William Bunn (Team Perosh Mixed Martial Arts) over the five minutes of regulated time, scoring a whopping 18-0 in the final round and taking the title.

On the women's side, Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths (Immersion Mixed Martial Arts) faced Miranda Okazima (Guigo Jiu Jitsu) twice before reaching the gold. In the first match, Nikki scored 2-0 before landing a submission around the two-minute mark. Miranda managed to hold on for longer in the second duel, but Nikki was simply unstoppable and landed another submission halfway through the bout to take her place atop the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Kazakhstan National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Dzhimsher Razmadze and Brendo Babilonia take the Professional gold in Astana

Taking place on both days of the weekend, the Kazakhstan National was held at the Beeline Arena and welcomed athletes of all ages and graduations to its three fight areas. The tournament's highlights came about on the first day, with two Professional black belts showing their skills as they overcame their foes and conquered their respective weight divisions.

Starting in the 69kg division, the Georgian Dzhimsher Razmadze (Gojira Jiu-Jitsu) had a very challenging duel against the Brazilian Erick Lobo (Kazakhstan National Team) in the final match. The bout took up all five minutes of regulated time, with both competitors evenly matched for most of it. Erick managed to open the scoreboard, but Dzhimsher used his prowess to tie the score at 2-2 and controlled the match until the clock ran out, taking the win and the title by scoring last.

Meanwhile, Brazil's Brendo Babilonia (Nova União International) took over the 77kg division. After submitting the Russian Vsevolod Demish (Ludus Academy/Alliance BJJ) in the semifinal, Brendo had a tough match against his compatriot Thayron Brito (Kazakhstan National Team) for the gold. With no submission from either side, the duel lasted the entirety of the regulated time, with Brendo scoring last in a 2-2 tie to become the champion.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Yangtze River Delta Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Xiaosong Shi takes the triple gold in China

Also held on both days of the weekend, the Yangtze River Delta was a great opportunity for Chinese athletes to fight for the gold while easing on the travel expenses, and the competitors seized that chance and put on memorable displays of technique across Saturday and Sunday.

Representing Kuzushi BJJ, the local brown belt Xiaosong Shi managed to stand out from his peers as he conquered no less than three gold medals in the competition. Starting in the 77kg division, Xiaosong first submitted the Russian Pavel Belichenko (Level Up Jiu-Jitsu) and then landed a second submission over his compatriot Zhishang Liu (Drills Club) to take his first title.

Later on, Xiasong went back to the 77kg division, this time fighting no-gi to add another gold medal to his count. He once again ran into Zhishang Liu, who managed to hold on better but was still unable to fully keep up with his foe, leaving Xiaosong to take the win by 5-2. Still hungry for more, Xiasong entered the Open Lightweight division to taste glory once more, outscoring Mingjia Wang (Nanjing BJJ Academy) and Baolu Wan (Over Limit CHN) on his way to the final. Here, Xiaosong had his third and final encounter with Zhishang Liu, who reached the final by submitting his previous opponent. The ensuing battle was fierce and could've gone either way, but Xiasong showed his strategic side and scored last in a 2-2 tie to earn his final trip to the top of the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Portugal National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Francisco Andrade takes the double gold in Braga

On Saturday, September 21st, the Forum Braga welcomed athletes from all over the world to compete at the Portugal National. Whether you were a white, blue, purple, brown, or black belt, there was always a spot ready for you to show your skills while seeking the gold.

Hailing from Spain, the Professional black belt Francisco Andrade (Humbling Jiu Jitsu Club) had his prowess on full display as he conquered the 62kg division twice and got the coveted double gold. Starting in the gi, Francisco went up against his compatriot Jose Beteta (Ja Jiu-Jitsu España) in an almost entirely one-sided duel, scoring 20-0 before landing the winning submission in the last moment of the match.

With one title down, Francisco returned to the 62kg division later on, this time fighting without the gi. He once again ran into Jose Beteta, but things were different this time around, as Jose proved to be a more challenging opponent this time around. The fight ended up lasting the entirety of the regulated time, but Francisco still managed to impose his game, taking the win by 9-1 and climbing the podium for the second time.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Dalanzadgad International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Erdenebaatar Ulziitogtokh and Mongoljin Ganbaatar take the Professional gold in Mongolia

On that same Saturday, the Dalanzadgad Sports Hall was the stage upon which Mongolian colored and black belts could shine, showing the fruits of their extensive training and just how strong Jiu-Jitsu is becoming in the country. With three fight areas filled with colored belts of all ages, two Professional black belts stepped up to the battlefield ready to show their younger peers what it takes to compete at the highest level.

On the men's side, the Mongolian Erdenebaatar Ulziitogtokh (Ralph Gracie Mongolia) took over the 77kg division. Facing his teammate Davaadorj Munkhtur in the final, Erdenebaatar refused to pull any punches and went all out over the course of the five minutes in the regulated time. When the clock ran out, a whopping 15-2 score gave Erdenebaatar the win and the title.

On the women's side, another local athlete was ready to put on a show, as Mongoljin Ganbaatar (Garuda Jiu Jitsu Academy) went toe-to-toe against Thailand's Amanda Cacciola (Bangkok Fight Lab) in the 62kg division final. The match had no submissions, but Mongoljin was dominant throughout the match, scoring multiple times while offering her opponent little chance of doing the same. At the end of it all, Mongoljin became the division champion with an 8-1 score.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour South Brazil Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Leonardo Kochman and Aghata Alves conquer the double gold in Curitiba

Moving on to Sunday, September 22nd, the South Brazil Regional took over the Ginásio de Esporte PUCPR for an afternoon of competitive Jiu-Jitsu, with representatives of all ages and graduations climbing the mats to show their prowess and seek the title of AJP champion. Among the many contenders that rose to the top of the podium, two Professional black belts managed to stand out by conquering their weight classes and the always-challenging Open Weight division.

On the men's side, Leonardo Kochman (Nova União International) began his journey in the 85kg division, submitting Davys Silva (GFTeam) in the semis and then outscoring Lucas Baia by 8-1 to take his first gold medal. He later made his way back to the battlefield, joining the Open Heavyweight bracket and facing Clayson Junior (PSLPB Cícero Costha) for the title. With no submissions from either side, the match took up the entirety of the regulated time, with Leonardo coming out on top by a narrow 2-0.

On the women's side, Aghata Alves (Checkmat International) started off in the 62kg division, submitting Katiucia Mello (Gracie Barra) in the semifinal and then taking the title by scoring 6-0 over Edcleia Magalhães (NS Brotherhood) in the gold round. Not long after, Aghata joined the Open Heavyweight division and faced Melise Souza (JFC Almeida JJ) to climb the podium for the second time. Showing great dominance, Aghata was in control from the get-go, scoring 10-0 over Melise and then quickly landing the winning submission to become a double champion.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Chuy Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: blue belts take the gold in Kyrgyzstan

Still on Sunday, the Chuy Regional landed at the Gymnasium School 29 in Maksim Gorkyi, welcoming colored belts of all ages to enter the AJP battlefield and gain the valuable mileage that would help them advance in the sport. Among the tournament's highlights, the Amateur Blue Belt category brought its fiercest competitors, each stepping up to the mats with the resolve to put on their best performances and painting a promising picture for the future of Jiu-Jitsu.

In the 69kg division, Abdulkhamid Vahapov (Kyrgyzstan Top Team) outscored Usmanali Khalikulov (Kristian Cestaro Jiu-Jitsu Association - Cyprus BEEJJ) by 2-0 for the title, while Miroslav Tan (Kyrgyzstan Top Team) used the scoreboard to beat both Islam Ismailov (Kristian Cestaro Jiu-Jitsu Association - Cyprus BEEJJ) and Murad Rabadanov (Kyrgyzstan Top Team) in the 77kg bracket.

In the 85kg division, Abdulazizbek Tohtasinov (Kristian Cestaro Jiu-Jitsu Association - Cyprus BEEJJ) submitted Dinmukhamed Azimbaev (Ayu BJJ Team) for the gold, and Ardilet Kudaibergenov (Kyrgyzstan Top Team) became the 94kg division champion after submitting Ramazan Uulu (Ayu BJJ Team).

Check out the full results here!