Weekend Recap: AJP promotes six explosive tournaments around the world

April 28, 2025

Gifting athletes all over the planet with the chance to hone their skills and make a living from the sport, the AJP is back with another batch of Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. With six competitions held this time around, the organization brought a National to Qatar, a Regional to Russia, and Internationals to South Africa, Chile, the United States, and Romania. We have a lot of ground to cover, so fasten your seatbelts, and let's check out the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Qatar National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Black belts take the gold in Doha

Taking place at the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall on Friday, April 25th, the Qatar National welcomed competitors from all corners of the world to compete for the gold and the 1000 global ranking points reserved for each of the champions.

As always, the Professional black belt category was the highlight of the tournament, with the members of the esteemed "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu" putting on memorable performances on their way to the top of the podium. On the 77kg division, Andrew Santos (Commando Group) went through a true battle against his teammate Diego Pinheiro, taking the win via decision after the match was locked in a stalemate throughout the regulated time and Golden Score. Meanwhile, the 120kg division saw the rise of Clemer Canario, a Commando Group representative who kicked off his campaign by submitting Ali Almazroeai in the semifinal before landing a narrow 2-1 score to beat Matheus Marinho for the gold.

Over on the women's side, Maria Souza (Commando Group) entered the ever-challenging Open Heavyweight division and managed to defeat Shouq Aldhanhani (Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club) in the final round. A strong athlete with a lot of mileage competing in the AJP, Shouq Aldhanhani is a force to be reckoned with, but Maria Souza proved herself to be even more dangerous on the mats, going all-out from the start of the match and quickly overwhelming her opponent to seize the win and the title with less than a minute on the clock.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Cape Town International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Dunilson Francisco and Cara Du Plessis become Open Weight champions in South Africa

Coming on Saturday and Sunday, the Cape Town International made its way to South Africa and landed at the German International School for two days of explosive action between athletes of all ages and graduations.

Among the many champions that rose to the top of the podium, the Professional black belts Dunilson Francisco and Cara Du Plessis were the most impressive as they used their skills to defeat their opponent and take the coveted Open Weight gold. Starting with the men, the Angolan Dunilson Francisco (Z1 Academy) entered the Open Heavyweight division with his eyes set on the division title and showed his skills to reach it. Facing his compatriot and teammate Alfredo Jacques in the gold round, Dunilson brought his A-game and conquered a very fast victory, locking the submission with less than 30 seconds on the clock to become the champion.

On the women's side, the local Cara Du Plessis (Renzo Gracie Academy Cape Town) was the star in the Open Heavyweight division. Entering the bracket alongside two Angolan competitors, Cara first faced Rosangela Teixeira (Z1 Academy) and used her skill set to score four points before ultimately submitting to advance to the final. In the last match, Cara went up against Yura Ataide (Dchasers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and once again took control of the match, putting the scoreboard at 11-0 and then landing the winning submission at the last minute of the bout.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour South Russia Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Andrey Zakutniy takes the Open gold in Rostov-On-Don

On Saturday, April 26th, the South Russia Regional took over the Don Sportivnyy Kompleks for an entire afternoon of competition, bringing promising rookies and battle-hardened veterans to fight for gold and glory on the AJP mats.

Highlighting the tournament, the Russian black belt Andrey Zakutniy (LGJJ) put his skills to the test in the Open Heavyweight division and got the gold medal. Starting in the semifinal, Andrey fought Nikolai Simonov (Strela Team) in a mostly one-sided match as he scored 12-0 before submitting around the four-minute mark to advance in the bracket. In the final match, Andrey went up against Danila Poteria (Strela Team) in an incredibly balanced duel, with both sides showing their prowess and scoring multiple times throughout the regulated time. When the clock ran out, Andrey emerged victorious with a narrow 5-4 score.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Pichilemu International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Jhoannan Vielma conquers the double gold in Chile

Also taking place on Saturday, the Pichilemu International made its way to the South American country of Chile, bringing the AJP's signature action to the Gimnasio Municipal and welcoming athletes of all ages and graduations to show the results of their training in an internationally recognized stage.

Cue Jhoannan Vielma, a local 33-year-old Professional black belt representing Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu exceeded expectations in his campaign at the tournament and came out with two gold medals after fighting with and without the gi in the 85kg division. Starting in the gi, Jhoannan entered a three-man bracket with only Chilean competitors and made his first match against Martin Rebolledo (Checkmat International) in the semifinal, unleashing his Jiu-Jitsu and scoring nine points before locking a submission around the four-minute mark. In the final, Jhoannan found himself locked in a much more balanced duel against Pierpaolo Cotroneo (Cohab Chile), taking the win and the title with a narrow 1-0 score after a fierce and strategic battle.

In the No-Gi 85kg division, Jhoannan made an even stronger impression as he advanced through the bracket. With only local competitors in the bracket once again, Jhoannan kicked off his second hunt for the gold with a dominating performance against Alex Thiele (Cohab Chile), scoring 12-0 before finding the submission with less than 30 seconds until the end of the duel. In his final match, Jhoannan faced Juan Pablo Perez (Elemental Dojo Ares Jiu Jitsu Chile) in a brief but intense bout, with the former firing on all cylinders from the start and submitting his opponent before the clock hit one minute. With the victory, Jhoannan cemented his rule over the division and took the top of the podium for the second time that day.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Charleston International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Dylan Royce becomes a double champion in the USA

On that same Saturday, the Charleston International gave American athletes the chance to fight for glory in their homeland. Landing at the Northwoods Middle School in South Carolina, the event opened its doors for colored and black belts of all ages, offering not only the gold and glory of becoming an AJP champion but also 600 points for those who are racing to reach the top of the global rankings in the final stretch of the season.

Representing the Jiujitsu Methods Team, the local Master 1 black belt Dylan Royce went above and beyond in his campaign and added a double gold to his resumé in the tournament. Starting in the 94kg division, Dylan went up against his compatriot Andrew Wooten (Gracie Barra Summerville) in an explosive final, with Dylan mostly controlling the match with his technical prowess and coming out on top with a 6-2 score. Later on, he entered the Open Heavyweight division and ran into the Brazilian Doriandson Talmaturgo (Helton Silva BJJ) in the gold round. This time around, Dylan had a more difficult time as Doriandson locked the match in a stalemate throughout the regulated time, with the former finding his footing and landing the winning point during the Golden Score to make his second trip to the top of the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Craiova International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Pawel Kozlowski submits his way to a double gold in Romania

Still on Saturday, the Craiova International made its way to the Polyvalent Hall and lit the fires of competition in the hearts of athletes of all ages and graduations, offering the tantalizing AJP gold medal as motivations for each and every one of them to do their absolute best on the way to the podium.

Coming as a highlight of the tournament, the Polish black belt Pawel Kozlowski (Gremlin Jiu Jitsu) became a double champion after fighting with and without the gi in the 77kg division. Starting in the gi, Pawel faced the local Mustatea Alex (Icon Romania) in two matches, with the first one ending in under one minute after a lightning-fast submission by the former. In the second and final match, Pawel put the pedal to the metal and locked another merciless finish to take the gold. In the No-Gi bracket, Pawel ran into Alex once again as they both aimed for the gold, but Pawel reasserted his dominance and got the three taps with a little over 40 seconds to seize his second title.

Check out the full results here!