Weekend Recap: Four tournaments keep the action going around the globe

June 24, 2024

Another busy weekend here at AJP, with the usual batch of tournaments bringing the fires of competition to many cities across the globe. This time around, the organization held Nationals in Romania and India while hosting an International in Croatia, and a Regional in Kazakhstan. Without further ado, check out the highlights from each championship!

AJP Tour Romania National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: David Cartwright and Tamara Toros take the Professional gold in Brasov

On Saturday, June 22nd, the Romania National welcomed athletes of all ages and graduations to the fight areas set up at the Liceul Teoretic George Moroianu Săcele for an afternoon of competition. Coming as the highlights for the tournament, two fighters faced challenging battles in their respective weight divisions to take the gold.

First, in the 120kg Division, the UK's David Cartwright (Apex Jiu-Jitsu HQ) added another gold medal to his AJP record. Facing the Belgium representative Paulo Silva (Gracie Barra) in the final, David saw himself Starting behind in the scoreboard by 1-0 but remained steadfast in his mission and managed to tie at 1-1, taking the win by scoring last in the match.

Then, in the women's 70kg division, the Hungarian brown belt Tamara Toros (Atos) faced a daunting challenge to reach the title. Faced with the Brazilian black belt Raquel Santos (Cantagalo Jiu Jitsu London), Tamara had to use every tool at her disposal to overcome her opponent, and by the end, her efforts paid off with a 2-0 score that landed her right atop the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour India National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Colored belts tease a promising future in New Delhi

Still on Saturday, the India National had local and foreign colored belts in a frenzy as fighters made their way to the KD Jadhav Wrestling Stadium in New Delhi to fight for the gold and the 1000 ranking points reserved for each of the champions.

Presented with the chance to gain experience, recognition, and a better position in the AJP global rankings, two athletes went all out in their respective divisions and got the title. In the 62kg bracket, the Indian purple belt Tarun Yadav (Crosstrain Fight Club) got the better of two opponents and became the champion. Starting in the semifinal, Tarun completely dominated his fellow countryman Amitabh Dixit (BJJ India) and advanced to the next stage with a staggering 15-1 score. Tarun managed to maintain his momentum in the final and, when facing the Philippines' Blaine Tagudena (Atrixion Elite Team), he just completely unleashed his game and got the winning submission with a little over three minutes on the clock.

Meanwhile, the American blue belt Elvin Cordero (Westbay BJJ) had the 94kg No-Gi bracket completely under his control as he made his way to the top. His first opponent was the local Udayraj Kochar (Warriors Cove Mixed Martial Arts) and while the fight lasted all five minutes of regulated time, Elvin was never once in danger of losing and took the win with a 12-0 score. In the gold round, Elvin went up against Kunal Yadav (Crosstrain Fight Club) and yet again the athletes squared off until the clock ran out. While Kunal managed to put up more of a fight, Elvin still had the upper hand and scored 12-2 to conquer the division title.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Kastav International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Vedran Cugalj and Matteo Parolin show their skills in Croatia

On that same Saturday, the Sports Hall of Kastav had its doors wide open to welcome fighters from all corners of the world in another explosive AJP tournament. With five fight areas ready to house the action, the competition had athletes from all categories showing off their skills as they advanced through the brackets.

Among the many noteworthy competitors, two Professional brown belts rose to prominence at the tournament. In the 85kg division, the local Vedran Cugalj (Mladost BD) was almost a force of nature. Facing two opponents for the title, Vedran first submitted his fellow countryman Alen Kontrec (MS Jiu-Jitsu) in the semis and then went on to land another submission, this time against Colombia's Mateo Vanegas, to take his rightful place atop the podium.

Meanwhile, in the 120kg division, the Italian Matteo Parolin (Stance) left no room for questions about his skills. Facing the Croatian Goran Basic (JJK Lotus) in the final, Matteo spent all five minutes of regulated time in control of the bout, scoring multiple times while offering no chance for his opponent to do the same. When the clock ran out, a whopping 16-0 score gave Matteo the gold and the title of champion.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Aktobe Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Alinur Kuatuly and Ali Imanverdiyev put their skills to the test in Kazakhstan

On Sunday, June 23rd, athletes and fight fans in Kazakhstan had reason to celebrate, as the Dvorets Yedinoborstv opened its doors for the Aktobe Regional and became the stage upon which champions would once again be born. With only colored belts competing here, the tournament also provided a valuable glimpse into the future of the sport and showed how the AJP's efforts to globalize the sport have been faring.

Among the roster of promising up-and-comers, two purple belts from the Kazakhstan National Team kept the spotlight by facing their Professional teammates and conquering their respective divisions through inspiring displays of technique. In the 62kg division, Alinur Kuatuly gave the show that fight fans have come to expect from him. An 18-year-old ADGS Rome champion, a title he attained after beating four opponents in the bracket, Alinur went all out against Yernaz Myrzabekov, offering no quarter to his opponent and quickly ending matters with a well-locked submission.

In the 77kg division, Ali Imanverdiyev showed his skills and conquered the title. With 12 victories in his AJP record, Ali entered the tournament with high expectations after conquering both the UAE National and, more recently, the Astana International. Facing Braliyev Alpamys this time around, Ali faced a challenging match but managed to keep his cool throughout the duel, reaching the end of the regulated time with a winning 7-1 score.

Check out the full results here!