AJP Newsletter June 2025: Your Monthly Recap of the Highlights from all over the world

July 1 , 2025

We are officially in the latter half of the year and, as always, things have been busy here at AJP. In addition to the usual batch of tournaments that take place every weekend around the world, June also brought three bigger events as the organization promoted a Continental in Europe, another chapter of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grappling, and a Grand Slam in Istanbul. This was also the first month of the 2025-2026 season, meaning athletes from all corners of the planet were even more excited to take part in the competitions to rack up some valuable points and start claiming the top spots in the AJP global rankings. With all that being said, let's take a moment to go over the highlights from June.

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Istanbul 2025: Black belts steal the spotlight with their performances in Turkey

Held between June 27th and 29th at the Ayhan Şahenk Spor Salonu in Turkey, the ADGS Istanbul was the tour's first stop in the 2025-2026 season. With 2000 global ranking points on the line for each of the champions, the event welcomed the Master category on its first day, followed by Amateurs and Youths on the second, and ended the tournament with a great show as the Professional category took the mats in the third and final day of competition.

Highlighting the event alongside the purple and brown belts, the aces of the Professional Black Belt category were once again a sight to behold, with each of the athletes unleashing their Jiu-Jitsu to reach the top of the podium and conquer the coveted ADGS gold medal. Starting with the men, Omar Alsuwaidi defeated Bruno Borges on points and got the 56kg title, while Khaled Alshehhi went all-out with his guard passes and back takes to land an 11-2 over Matheus Onda in the 62kg final. In the 69kg division, João Mendes "Bisnaga" went through a stacked bracket before landing a 2-0 win over Leonardo Souza for the gold, and Jefferon Goteu defeated his rival Lucas Protasio via decision to become the 77kg champion. Up on the 85kg division, Pablo Custodia landed a narrow 2-1 against Jonatham Silva in the last match, Belmir Ahmespahic went through the 94kg bracket before beating Clemer Canario in the gold round, and the 120kg title went to Felipe Bezerra, who got the better of Wallace Costa with a 7-6 score.

On the women's side, Grasielle Brandão scored last in a 2-2 tie to beat Diana Teixeira for the 49kg title, Gabriela Pereira outscored Laurie Rocha and became the 55kg champion by 2-0, Tamara Toros turned the tables and landed a rear-naked choke on Maria Luisa Delahaye in the final moments of the 62kg final, and Laura Sieradzan reigned over the 70kg division after beating Aleksandra Plemiashova with a narrow 1-0 score.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grappling Abu Dhabi 2025: Professionals rise as champions in the UAE

Taking place at the famous Mubadala Arena on June 14th, the ADGP Abu Dhabi was the latest chapter of the action-packed no-gi competition. Welcoming athletes of all ages, graduations, and grappling martial arts to show their skills in a rule set that favors aggressiveness above all else, the tournament offered 2000 global ranking points to its champions and brought memorable battles as the competitors sought to reach the top of the podium in the AJP's birthplace.

With many warriors testing themselves in the event, the 18+ Professional category had fight fans on the edge of their seats as talented competitors clashed against each other for the chance to become champions in their respective weight classes. In the 65kg division, the Emirati rising star Khaled Alshehhi showed his grappling chops and locked a quick guillotine choke to beat Hadi Babaki and take the title. Meanwhile, the 75kg division brought an incredible campaign by Christian Lara, who submitted two out of his three opponents on the way to the final before landing a lightning-fast heel hook to submit the seasoned Jefferson Goteu with a little more than 30 seconds on the clock.

Up in the 85kg division, the Gracie Barra representative Pedro Marinho went through the bracket like a freight train, opening his campaign with a decision win before submitting every other opponent who crossed his path, including Andre Catanhede in the gold round. In the 95kg division, the Russian Magomed Gazimagomedov faced three tough battles to reach the top of the podium, making a very balanced final against Belmir Ahmespahic before taking the title via unanimous decision. Last but not least, the strongman Pouya Rahmani overcame a true trial by fire in the 120kg division and showed his technique and mettle as he rose to the challenge, beating the likes of Wallace Costa, Haisam Rida, and Sviatoslav Ognev on his way to the final, and then closing his run with a beautiful submission win over Mahir Zuka to conquer the heaviest division.

AJP Tour Europe Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Top-tiered athletes fight tooth and nail for the gold in Spain

Coming to the Polideportivo Jose Caballero in the Spanish capital of Madrid on June 7th and 8th, the Europe Continental was the first big tournament of the month and one of the best opportunities for competitors to visit the European country and see its many touristic spots through the eyes of Jiu-Jitsu. With two days of competition and 1000 global ranking points up for grabs, the event had athletes from all over the world ready to show their skills and fight for the AJP gold.

Taking the stage on the last day of the competition, the Professional Black Belt category once again delivered exciting matches across all weight classes, as some of the most talented athletes on the planet stepped up to the battlefield and showed their best moves to reach the top of the podium. On the men's side, Bruno Borges came out on top of a round-robin to take the 62kg title, while Giuliano Spera conquered the 69kg gold medal with a 6-1 score over Luis Carlos Pinheiro.

Lucas Protasio became the 77kg champion with a submission against Hugo Le Metour, Ahmed Laaribi submitted the 85kg title right out of Nikolay Vetrov's hands, and Alexander Sak reigned over the 120kg division with an 8-2 score over David Hugonin. Moving on to the no-gi brackets, Lucas Feitosa submitted Jose Beteta twice for the 62kg gold, Pawel Kozlowski landed a 4-0 win against Nadav Bar-Gil in the 77kg division final, and Nikolay Vetrov made a golden comeback by scoring 4-1 against Francisco Santana to become the 85kg champion.

On the women's side, Diana Teixeira beat Laurie Rocha via decision in the 55kg final match, Tamara Toros got two wins in a best-of-three bracket against Lina Grosset for the 62kg title, Laura Sieradzan outscored Nadine Tavares to become the 70kg champion, and Denise Krahn conquered the No-Gi 70kg gold medal with a submission against Daniella Fabelo.

UPCOMING: ADGS Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship, Nationals and much more!

One of the most challenging and rewarding events in the AJP's roster, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Rio de Janeiro makes its return this month. Taking place at the Arena Carioca 1 in the Brazilian State between July 19th and 20th, the tournament will welcome athletes of all ages and graduations to put their skills to the test against some of the most talented competitors out there while also fighting for a whopping 3000 global ranking points, with the Youth and Amateur categories taking the stage in the first day while the Masters and Professionals step up to the battlefield in the second and last day of the championship. Looking to participate? The registration window for the event closes on July 14th, so don't dawdle and save your spot to compete in Brazil.

Another high-profile event starting this month is the Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship. Following the same rules as previous ADGP events, the Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship will take place at the ADNEC Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates, between July 31st and August 3rd, with athletes from all grappling martial arts invited to take the stage and show they have what it takes to be the best in the planet. The competition also comes as a chance to leap ahead in the AJP rankings, offering 2000 valuable points to each of the champions. While the registration window is set to close only on July 27th, there's no telling how quickly the event will reach full capacity, so be sure to save your spot sooner rather than later.

In addition to the aforementioned events, the AJP will also be bringing its usual batch of weekly competitions, with Nationals held in Armenia on July 5th, New Zealand on July 19th, Kyrgyzstan on July 20th, and Argentina between July 26th and 27th. As for the Regionals, the organization will be visiting Northeast Brazil on July 6th and North China on July 13th. Last but not least, here's the list of Internationals for this month: Piura (July 12th), Cancun (July 12th), Split (July 19th).