ADWPJJC: The first batch of black belts shine after five days of action in Abu Dhabi

November 6, 2023

Over six thousand athletes and countless fight fans are scheduled to head on to the Mubadala Arena, throughout the 10 days of non-stop action at the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023, organized by AJP.

In its anniversary edition, celebrating 15 years of dedication to Jiu-Jitsu, the tournament began on November 1st and will continue until the 10th. On the first day of the competition, youths from all over the world took to the Mubadala Arena mats, with Sarah Galvão and Helena Crevar as promising highlights.

Fighting as a purple belt in the Youth category, after winning the ADWJJC 2022 as a blue belt, Sarah Galvão once again reached the top of the podium. Coming from a stellar performance at the ADXC, Sarah returned to the Mubadala Arena ready to go all out once again, and she did not disappoint. After taking the gold with a quick armbar, the ever-hungry Sarah has another goal in her sights: the Professional Purple Belt title, which will be fought over later this week.

A prominent American in the world of Jiu-Jitsu, even though she's still in the Youth category, Helena Crevar faced a group of 13 opponents in the blue belt 70kg division. Ruthless, Helena won her three fights via submission without giving her opponents the chance to score a single point. John Danaher's young athlete spoke about the exciting experience of fighting in Abu Dhabi.

"This was my first time competing in Abu Dhabi and the level of professionalism is outstanding. The production, all matches running 100% on time. Plus money prizes for every Youth, Adult, and Master, with beautiful medals and giving a spotlight to the athletes not only on social media but also on the TV channel broadcasting. I love being a part of these events because I am able to help spread the popularity of this sport that I love. So far, this is one of my favorite tournaments and I recommend everyone to do it."

After the thrills of the Kids and Youths categories, in addition to the courage and mettle of the ParaJiu-Jitsu athletes, the fighters registered for the Abu Dhabi World Amateur Jiu-Jitsu Championship took the stage on November 5th. Blue and white belts, dreaming of one day standing among the sport's elite, took their first steps towards glory in the gentle art. After that, at the halfway point of the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, it was time for the masters to step up to the mats.

On November 6th, the Master black belts arrived at the venue looking for a place in the main bracket. In other words, this Monday the masters in action already went through the trial by fire in their respective Qualifiers. Well-known names in the sport and new faces in Jiu-Jitsu faced each other as they sought a spot to fight for gold and glory this Tuesday, November 7th.

Among the highlights, we have Jackson Sousa, who managed to overcome the star-studded bracket of the 94kg division, winning four fights and reaching the coveted spot in the main bracket. Previously, in the 77kg division, Diego Freire beat Lucas Barros and submitted Caio Gregório, before beating the favorite Adriano Araujo by 4-3 to guarantee his place in the main draw.

It is worth noting that the events so far are only half of the tournament, as the ADWPJJC will go on until November 10th and will also feature the Master 1 black belt finals, the Professional black belt Qualifiers on the 8th and the main brackets on November 9th. Finally, on November 10th, the grand finals of the Professional black belt category will take place, followed by the unveiling of the ADWPJJC Heroes at the end of the tournament.

Don't miss out on a second of the action at the 11 fight areas set up in the Mubadala Arena! Go to TX7.ae, register, and stay tuned to experience all the action and watch as the next Heroes of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.