Weekend Recap: AJP opens the month of March with five stellar tournaments

March 2, 2024

For the joy of athletes and fight fans, the AJP has brought another powerful batch of competitions this weekend. Aiming to increase Jiu-Jitsu's influence and spread its benefits through the sport, the organization has continued to promote tournaments all around the world and visited five different countries, with Nationals in Australia and Colombia, a Regional in Russia, and Internationals in Austria and Angola. There's a lot of ground to cover, so fasten your seatbelts, and let's check out the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Australia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Professional black belts take the gold in Sydney

Taking place on Saturday, March 1st, the Australia National landed at the Camellia Indoors Sports Centre and gave competitors of all ages and graduations the chance to test their skills while fighting for the AJP gold and 1000 global ranking points.

Commonly known as the "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu", the black belts from the Professional category stole the show during the event, using their finely honed skills to conquer their weight classes and become champions in the land down under. Starting on the men's side, the local Max Ferreira (Gracie Barra Oceania) conquered the 69kg title after facing two Brazilians, first beating Guilherme Bernardi (Alliance) in the semifinal and then outscoring Ryan Silva (Roots BJJ) by a narrow 4-3. Meanwhile, the No-Gi 69kg division saw the rise of the Malaysian representative Journ Tang (Absolute MMA Australia), who kicked off the bracket with a 5-3 win over the Brazilian Ryan Silva (Roots BJJ) before heading to the final match and landing a submission with less than a minute on the clock to beat the local Daniel Ung (Forza Jiu Jitsu) and become the champion.

Over on the women's side, the Australian Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths (Immersion Mixed Martial Arts) ruled over the 70kg division and took the gold after submitting her compatriots Miranda Okazima (Dominance Will-Machado) and Frances Bavaro (Forza Jiu-Jitsu). The No-Gi 62kg division brought an action-packed duel in its final, with the local Olivia Ulman (Forza Jiu-Jitsu) scoring 7-0 against the Welsh Leah Budd (Absolute MMA Australia) before ultimately submitting to climb the podium. Last but not least, the Australian Alice Grostein (Legacy) came out on top of the No-Gi 70kg division, defeating her compatriot Victoria Gonzales (Marcelino Freitas BJJ) by 6-0 to take the title in the competition.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Colombia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Felipe da Silva submits his way to the double gold in Bogota

On that same Saturday, the AJP also made its way to South America and hosted the Colombia National, inviting athletes from all corners of the world to gather at the Parque Recreodeportivo El Salitre, in Bogota, for an entire day of competition at the highest level.

Among the many champions who rose to the top of the podium in the event, the Brazilian black belt Felipe da Silva (Atrixion Combat Sports) was perhaps the most outstanding one, fighting with and without the gi in the 120kg division to conquer the coveted double gold. Starting with the cloth, Felipe joined the heaviest bracket and went straight to the final match, facing the Mexican Jorge Lagos (Bujutsu) for the title. Despite facing an experienced opponent at the top of the competitive food chain, Felipe left no room for doubts when it came to his technique as he quickly seized control of the battle, scored six points, and ended the bout with a submission around the one-minute mark.

Later on, Felipe returned to the battlefield once again, this time fighting without the gi to conquer the 120kg division for the second time. Starting in the semifinal this time around, Felipe first submitted the local Luis Diaz (Team Predador International) and then found himself locked in a rematch against Jorge Lagos in the gold round. The last battle started differently from the previous one, with Jorge showing more control and scoring back against Fellipe's attacks, but the Brazilian didn't take too long to find his footing and end this match with his third and final submission, closing the duel around the one-minute mark and ending his campaign as a double champion in Colombia.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Ural Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Tamerlan Eslemesov keeps the double gold in Russia

Also taking place on Saturday, the Ural Regional visited the Russian city of Yekaterinburg and gave local athletes the chance to compete in the AJP while easing on travel expenses. With the event being held at the Rodina Sport Palace, competitors of all ages and graduations stepped up to the mats and showed their skills to take the gold.

Coming as the highlight of the tournament, the Russian black belt Tamerlan Eslemesov (Top Team Fight Club) showcased his impressive skill set and became a double champion in his homeland. Starting in the 94kg division, Tamerlan went up against his compatriot Pavel Samultsev (Bruno y Betinho Madrid) in a balanced match, with both sides fighting to the best of their abilities throughout the five minutes of regulated time. When the clock ran out, a 3-1 score gave Tamerlan the win and his first title.

Not long after, Tamerlan made his way back to the mats with his sights set on the Open Heavyweight division and kicked off the bracket with a submission win over Igor Vasilyev (Fight & Fitness). In the second match of the bracket, Igor went all out and landed a submission of his own against Artem Nevskii (Russian Budo-Center), taking the victory and a chance at a rematch against Tamerlan in the final. The last duel of the Open Heavyweight division saw Tamerlan and Igor going up against each other in an intense battle, with Tamerlan once again overpowering Igor, landing 9-0 on the scoreboard, and locking the winning submission around the one-minute mark to take his spot atop the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Graz International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Ahmed Laaribi and Emil Jansson take the gold in Austria

Still on Saturday, the Bluebox Arenz opened its doors for Jiu-Jitsu athletes from all over the world and hosted the Graz International, filling four fight areas with talented competitors and giving fight fans another memorable event.

With a majority of colored belts in the tournament, two black belts showcased their skills and gave their younger peers a glimpse into what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport. First, the Tunisian Ahmed Laaribi (Atos) joined the Professional 85kg division and faced the Croatian Alen Kontrec (MS Jiu-Jitsu) in an action-packed final match, quickly taking control of the flow and landing a winning submission with a little over a minute on the clock. Meanwhile, the Swede Emil Jansson (Halavanca Ljubljana) entered the Master 1 No-Gi 85kg bracket and had a run-in of his own with Croatia's Alen Kontrec (MS Jiu-Jitsu), facing a balanced duel during the regulated time and taking the division gold with a 6-4 score.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Benguela International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Otchivela Catanha becomes a double champion in Angola

On Sunday, March 2nd, the Benguela International landed at the Pavilhão Multiusos Acácias Rubras and brought three fight areas to be the stages upon which competitors of all ages and graduations would show the results of their training sessions. With the title of champion and 600 global ranking points on the line, warriors left their hearts on the mats as they sought to reach the top of the podium.

Highlighting the tournament, the Professional black belt Otchivela Catanha (Academia CP) took the action to the next level and had her technical prowess on full display as she conquered the coveted double gold in her home country. Starting in the 70kg division, Otchivela reached her first title after overcoming her compatriot Joselaide Fragoso (Z1 Academy) in a tough battle, with both sides exchanging attacks throughout the regulated time. When the clock ran out, a 3-0 score gave Otchivela the win and her first trip to the top of the podium.

Later, Otchivela entered the No-Gi 55kg division and went up against the Angolan Eucadia Gualdino (Z1 Academy) for the title. Facing another talented opponent, Otchivela unleashed her Jiu-Jitsu and scored important points during the five minutes of regulated time. At the end of it all, Otchivela became a double champion with a 2-0 score.

Check out the full results here!