
ADXC: Why the caged tournament took the sport to the next level in 2024
January 20, 2025
Mixing Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling in a MMA setting with a generous serving of showmanship, the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship has been a success since its 2023 debut in the UAE. Bringing some of the most talented athletes in all three sports to compete in a cage with a 10-point format, the organization has seen steady growth in 2024, hosting memorable tournaments in Brazil and France while also fostering an ever-growing fanbase around the world.
A big part of the event's success stems from its powerful line-up of warriors. The Brazilian Jansen Gomes, for instance, had an incredible year as he emerged victorious in two Jiu-Jitsu Main Events in the organization. Making his ADXC debut in the third edition, which took place in Brazil, Jansen got his first win over none other than the Portuguese Bruno Lima, who joined the event fresh out of a win over Manuel Ribamar in the previous edition of the tournament in addition to a golden campaign in the 85kg division of the ADWPJJC 2023. Jansen later returned for the ADXC 6 and showed his prowess once again as he overcame his compatriot Uanderson Ferreira, defending submission and takedown attempts while using his top game to keep the match under his control until the end.
Another highlight from 2024 was the Welsh Ffion Davies, who showed her dominance and won two Grappling Co-Main Events. Her first duel was in the ADXC 2, using her agility to quickly lock a guillotine and then shift to the back with a rear naked choke over Brazil's Luana Pinheiro in under one minute. Ffion found her way back to the ADXC cage on the tournament's fourth edition, this time using her guard to sweep, mount, and land an armbar on Morgan Black in the first few minutes of the second round.
Down in the Main and Preliminary cards, the Brazilian Jonnatas Gracie was a standout, taking not one or two but three titles in the cage. Making his debut with a win over Natan Chueng in the ADXC 1 prelims, the black belt used his aggressiveness to reach the main card, beating Levi Leary-Jones in the ADXC 3 and then overcoming Burak Sarman in the ADXC 5. Meanwhile, the Emirati Khaled Al Shehhi also made quite a name for himself in the organization, first by beating his AJP rival Leonardo Mario in the ADXC 4 Jiu-Jitsu Co-Main Event, and then by closing the year with a sound win over the Brazilian powerhouse Thalison Soares in the ADXC 8 Main Card.
Another memorable moment that took place in the ADXC last year was the return of the legendary Rodolfo Vieira to grappling. Away from gi and no-gi Jiu-Jitsu for years as he focused on his MMA career, the Brazilian joined the ADXC 7 roster to show that he is still very much on top of his game. Facing Derek Brunson in the Grappling Main Event, Rodolfo had fight fans all over the world on the edge of their seats as he measured up his opponent in the first round and came out on the following one ready to bag the win, landing a single-leg takedown, mounting, and then locking a merciless katagatame to emerge victorious as the attending crowd chanted his name.
While 2024 has been an amazing year for the ADXC, 2025 stands to be even better, with the organization planning even more memorable competitions around the world. Follow @adxcofficial to stay up-to-date on the next big tournament, and catch up on the action with the modern TX7.com platform.