AJP Newsletter April 2024: Your monthly recap of the highlights from all over the world

May 1, 2024

Among the many exciting months that the AJP has brought to the Jiu-Jitsu community over the years, this April has managed to stand out. Not only did it bring the usual weekend tournaments, all of which gave athletes the chance to hone their skills while seeking gold and glory in the organization, but it also marked the very first Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in the Italian city of Rome, the land of the gladiators. As if that wasn't already enough, April also had the North America Continental bringing some of the most famous names in the sport to compete in Miami. It's been an incredible month so before we start talking about May, let's go over the highlights of April!

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Rome 2024: Champions are born in the land of gladiators

It's impossible to talk about this month and not mention the ADGS Rome. Debuting in the Italian city from April 12th to 14th, the tournament was open for athletes of all ages and graduations, with Amateurs competing on the first day, Youths and Masters on the second, and Professionals on the third and final day. After the Masters raised the bar the prior day, the Professionals made their way to the mats set up at the Centro Olimpico Matteo Pellicone and put on their best performances to make sure that fight fans would have something to talk about for the foreseeable future.

Starting on the men's side, the 56kg division saw Welison Fernandes get the gold after sweeping at the last minute to close the scoreboard at 6-5, while Jefferson Fagundes and Diego "Pato" Batista used their skills to overwhelm their opponents and take the 62kg and 69kg titles, respectively. Luiz Paulo Medeiros reigned over the 77kg division, Matheus Vetoraci beat the favorite Uanderson Ferreira to conquer the 85kg title, Luiz Henrique Betta scored a narrow 2-1 to beat his rival Marcos Carrozzino, and Felipe Bezerra got the top spot of the 120kg division after scoring 4-0 against Jean Maltese.

On the women's side, Brenda Larissa got the 49kg title after a very well-balanced match against Diana Teixeira, Ana Rodriguez used a foot attack to reach the 55kg division gold, Maria Delahaye reached the top of the 62kg division podium via lapel choke, Ingridd Sousa outmaneuvered Izadora Silva for 70kg title, and Yara Soares used her pressure passes and powerful grips to beat Maria Carolina Vicentini and become the 95kg division champion.

AJP Tour North America Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Black belts raise the stakes in Miami

On April 27th and 28th, the North America Continental took over the Miami-Dade County Youth Fairgrounds, in Florida, and brought the AJP mats to US soil for a weekend packed with action. Among the many Masters who awed the attending crowd with their experience and fighting prowess on the first day, João Miyao went above and beyond competing in the Master 1 62kg division, outscoring his first opponent and closing the bracket by submitting Justin Ordinario to take the gold.

With such a powerful display to warm up the mats, the Professional category marched up to the mats ready to put on a show worthy of the title "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu". Among the highlights, Yuri Hendrex dominated Guilherme Lima with a 19-0 score to take the 62kg title while Diego "Pato" Batista overcame two opponents on a round-robin to reach the 69kg gold. Gesias Cavalcante submitted everyone in the 77kg No-Gi bracket, Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu took home both the 120kg No-gi and Open Heavyweight titles, João Rocha became the Open Lightweight champion after beating the favorite Yuri Hendrex, and Julia Maciel got the titles for both the 62kg division and the Open Lightweight.

AJP No-Gi Europe Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Daniel de Groot and Jed Hue take the gold in Istanbul

On April 21st, the No-Gi Europe Continental landed at the Bağcilar Gençli̇k Ve Spor İlçe Müdürlüğü Oli̇mpi̇k Spor Salonu and attracted No-Gi competitors from all over the world with the chance to show their skills and the allure of 1400 ranking points for each division champion. There was no shortage of athletes conquering both their weight divisions and the gold medal, but two Professional black belts stood out by competing at the highest competitive level and still putting on a show.

For example Daniel de Groot, a Dutch athlete representing Checkmat International who, through his technical know-how and prowess, conquered the 62kg division. Facing Qatari Salman Al Thani in a best-of-three bracket, Daniel started off on the right foot and submitted his opponent. The second time around was a little tougher, with a cautious Salman avoiding any submissions, but Daniel still had almost complete control over the bout, taking the gold with a sound 12-2 score.

Meanwhile, the UK's Jed Hue got the title by overcoming two contenders in the 85kg division. His first match ended in a quick submission against the Welsh Benjamin Robson, but the second fight was much more challenging. Facing Russia's Magomed Abdulkadirov, Jed had a lengthy battle ahead of him as both athletes went at each other for the entirety of the regulated time. Magomed started ahead on the scoreboard, but Jed managed to tie and kept the score until the clock ran out, taking the win and the 85 kg title.

UPCOMING: ADGS Abu Dhabi, Nationals, Regionals, and much more!

After carving its name in the annals of Rome in April, the ADGS is returning to its birthplace in May. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour 2023-2024 - Abu Dhabi is set to take place at the modern Mubadala Arena from May 10th to 12th, welcoming athletes of all ages, graduations, and nationalities. The registration window closes on May 6th, so you better hurry if you're looking to compete in one of the greatest tournaments in the AJP while getting to see the UAE's beautiful landmarks.

Offering the chance for local athletes to compete while easing expenses, the AJP will be bringing two Regionals in the month of May. On May 15th and 16th, the AJP Tour Dornogobi Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 lands at the Mongolian city of Sainshand (Dornogobi Sport Palace), and then, on May 18th and 19th, Erenhot receives the AJP Tour Erlian Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 (Customs Sports Activity Center).

As for the Nationals, here are the ones who'll be taking place in May: Russia (May 1st), Mauritius (May 4th), Croatia (May 18th), Georgia (May 18th), Uzbekistan (May 19th), Cyprus (May 25th). Last but not least, here's the list of places and dates for this month's Internationals: Brisbane (May 11th), Benguela (May 11th), Alicante (May 11th), Doha (May 17th), Zurich (May 18th), Houston (May 18th), Vila Real (May 25th), Mosquera (May 25th-26th), Burgas (May 25th).