ADGP Abu Dhabi: Check out the grapplers that conquered the Professional gold in the UAE

June 6, 2025

Coming in hot from two explosive tournaments in the European Continent, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grappling made its way to the birthplace of the AJP this Saturday, June 14th, and took over the Mubadala Arena in the UAE with some of the most talented athletes in the international scene. Welcoming athletes of all ages and grappling martial arts to fight under a rule set that favor aggressiveness above all else, the competition was filled with memorable battles as the competitors fought tooth and nail for the gold, glory, and 2000 global ranking points reserved for each of the champions.

Highlighting the tournament, the 18+ Professional category delivered yet another action-packed show for spectators and athletes alike, with five brackets bringing high-octane battles to close the event with powerful displays of technique. Check out how each of the finals went down below, and to relive every moment of the tournament check out the TX7.com platform.

65kg - Khaled Alshehhi vs Hadi Babaki

Facing five opponents on his way to the gold, the Emirati Khaled Alshehhi emerged victorious from the 65kg bracket and added the ADGP title to his resumé. Beating Rony Fialho via split decision in the semifinal, Khaled entered the gold round and found himself face-to-face with his Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club teammate Hadi Babaki, who eliminated Welison Fernandes to make his last match for the title. Despite coming from the same training grounds as his opponent, Khaled left no room for doubt when it came to his skills and quickly overwhelmed Hadi before locking a guillotine choke to end the bout and become the champion.

75kg - Christian Lara vs Jefferson Goteu

With four duels and three submission wins in his campaign, Christian Lara made a name for himself in the ADGP Abu Dhabi and got the 75kg title after submitting the favorite Jefferson Goteu in the final. After getting the three taps from two opponents, Christian managed to beat Nurbek Talbudin via unanimous decision and got his chance to face Goteu, who showed his technique by defeating the dangerous Jose Espinosa and the ADXC champ Seilkhan Bolatbek on his way up the bracket. The last match was both aggressive and quick, with Christian seeing his chance early on and launching a merciless heel hook to submit Goteu with little over 30 seconds on the clock.

85kg - Pedro Marinho vs Andre Cantanhede

Representing Gracie Barra USA, Pedro Marinho went through the 85kg division like a freight train and conquered the coveted gold medal. After a decision win in his first match against Ramazan Shihshabekov, Marinho went on to submit every single opponent on his way to the final, locking a guillotine choke on Gerson Carvalho and a rear-naked choke on Ulugbek Rahmonov in the semifinal. Facing Andre Cantanhede in the gold round, Pedro once again put the pedal to the metal and ended his campaign with yet another submission.

95kg - Magomed Gazimagomedov vs Belmir Ahmespahic

Fighting out of Russia, Magomed Gazimagomedov had three tough battles before reaching the 95kg division title. After beating both Felipe Carvalho and Armin Douzali via unanimous decision, Magomed went up to the final and faced Belmir Ahmespahic, who submitted the dangerous Gabriel de Souza on his side of the bracket. With no submission from either side, the match took up all three rounds and saw the athletes fighting tooth and nail throughout, with Magomed being more effective and once again convincing all judges of his victory.

125kg - Pouya Rahmani vs Mahir Zuka

Taking over the heaviest division, the Iranian strongman Pouya Rahmani added yet another accolade to his professional career. Starting his campaign with decision wins over Wallace Costa and Haisam Rida in the bracket, Pouya kept his foot on the gas to beat Sviatoslav Ognev in the semifinal and entered the final ready to put on another show as he faced Mahir Zuka for the title. For his part, Mahir had some great moments during the match, but Pouya used his crushing pressure to keep his opponent on his toes at all times and, not long into the bout, managed to lock the winning submission to reach the top spot on the podium.