ADGS Istanbul: Professional black belts steal the show on the final day in Turkey

June 9, 2024

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour reached the third and final day of its competition in Turkey. After opening the tournament on Friday with Amateurs and following that up with Youths and Masters on Saturday, the ADGS Istanbul saved the best for last and brought the Professional category to show their skills this Sunday, June 9th.

On the AJP mats set up at the Basaksehir Genclik ve Spor Ilce Mudurlugu Tesisleri, the "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu" made its debut at the tournament, putting their very best performances as they sought both the title in their respective divisions and enough points to take the lead in the organization's global ranking. Check out below how each of the black belt finals played out, and for the full results, click here.

MEN'S GI / BLACK

56kg - Kalel Santos vs Omar Alsuwaidi

In a well-balanced fight, Kalel Santos managed to snag the win after maintaining the pressure on Omar Alsuwaidi's guard in both the regulated time and the Golden Score. Omar made some submission attempts, but Kalel's performance was effective enough to convince the referees, who voted in favor of the Brazilian and landed him the 56kg division title.

62kg - Jefferson Fagundes vs Pablo Dutra

Keeping his cool in the face of a challenging opponent, Jefferson Fagundes showcased his technical depth as he beat Pablo Mantovani. After 3-3 due to two double pulls, Pablo rose and got a point, only to see the score tie again when Jefferson almost managed a sweep. Having scored last in 4-4, Jefferson had the victory in his hands, so he focused on controlling Pablo's attacks and attempts to pass the guard until the clock ran out.

69kg - Thiago Macedo vs Thiago Marques

The rivals Thiago Macedo and Thiago Marques once again met in the 69kg division final. After rising from the double pull with one point, Macedo mercilessly applied pressure from the top, keeping Marques on his toes while also avoiding any of his opponent's attacks. At the end of the match, a 1-0 score gave Macedo the win and the gold medal.

77kg - Lucas Protasio vs Jefferson Goteu

Lucas Protasio added another title to his resumé. Facing Jefferson Goteu in the 77kg final match, Lucas worked from the top while trying to pass his opponent's elastic guard. The decisive moment in the duel was when Lucas almost passed and took the back, putting the scoreboard at 2-0 for the remainder of the fight and lifting the Brazilian to the top of the podium.

85kg - Uanderson Ferreira vs Bruno Lima

In one of the most exciting fights of the year, Uanderson Ferreira and Bruno Lima had a match worthy of a Grand Slam. Bruno started with the lead after landing a counter-takedown on Uanderson, but the latter quickly went up and tied the score at 2-2 before rising to his feet. With Uanderson gaining four more points with two single-leg takedowns and Bruno earning another point by almost taking his opponent down near the end of the duel, the final score sat at 6-3 and gave Uanderson the victory alongside the 85kg division title.

94kg - Marcos Carrozzino vs Jackson Sousa

With the division title at stake, Marcos Carrozzino and Jackson Sousa found themselves locked in a stalemate for most of the 94kg final. After three penalties for both sides due to lack of combativeness, the score was tied at 6-6 until the end of the fight, when Marcos got a point by countering a single-leg takedown attempt by Jackson. With a 7-6 score, Marcos Carrozzino came out on top and conquered the gold at the ADGS Istanbul.

120kg - Matheus Xavier vs Felipe Bezerra

Matheus "Tá Danado" Xavier managed to overcome the defending champion Felipe Bezerra in the 120kg final. Fighting from the bottom, Matheus controlled Felipe's pressure, entered the deep half-guard, and swept to put the scoreboard at 3-1. Felipe tried to go up, but Matheus spun quickly and managed to stay on top, controlling the match until the clock ran out to win on points.

WOMEN'S GI / BROWN / BLACK

49kg - Diana Teixeira vs Flavia Soares

Diana Teixeira was on top of her game in the 49kg division final. In the duel, she took Flavia Soares' back twice, going straight for the collar the second time and choking her opponent to add another gold medal to her already-stacked grappling record.

56kg - Asma Alhousani vs Alexa Yanes

A big win for Asma Alhousani in Istanbul. Wearing her brown belt, Asma faced the experienced Alexa Yanes in the 56kg final, with the latter taking the lead on the scoreboard by rising from the double pull. After Alexa attacked on the foot, Asma not only defended but also used the movement to go up with two points, overtaking her opponent on the scoreboard by 2-1. Alexa didn't slow down and tried to lock an armbar multiple times, but Asma managed to defend herself well and took the ADGS title via points in Turkey.

62kg - Rafaela Bertolot vs Julia Alves

Rafaela Bertolot got an important victory against the relentless Julia Alves in the 62kg division final match. Fighting on top against Julia's dangerous guard, Rafaela managed to hit the side and use her opponent's defense to her advantage, lunging straight for the rear naked choke without placing hooks or even fully reaching the back. With the choke locked, Rafaela submitted Julia in the very first minute of the bout and conquered the gold.

70kg - Raquel Santos vs Anna Remneva

Raquel Santos had a safe victory in the 70kg final. Rising from the double pull with one point, Raquel ended up getting swept by Anna Remneva, who overtook her on the scoreboard by 2-1. Raquel quickly positioned herself in the bottom and landed a sweep of her own, putting the score at 3-2. After playing guard again, Raquel scored another point and controlled her opponent from below to end the match at 4-2.

95kg - Yara Soares vs Marwa Alhousani

Yara Soares used all her pressure to conquer the 95kg division. Fighting from the top against Marwa Alhousani, Yara attacked from the side, passed the guard, put her knee on the opponent's stomach, and tried to submit on the neck, putting the scoreboard at 6-0 and becoming the champion after five minutes of relentless attacks.