AJP Asia Continental: Professionals unleash their Jiu-Jitsu to become champions on the final day

September 15, 2024

After three days of high-octane competition, the AJP Tour Asia Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 is completed. Held from September 13th to 15th at the modern Mubadala Arena, in Abu Dhabi, the competition started with the Youth category on Friday, welcomed Amateurs and Masters on Saturday, and now, dialed the heat up to eleven with the powerhouses of the Professional category this Sunday, September 15th.

With purple and brown belts fighting tooth and nail for a chance to become AJP champions, the black belts from the Professional category once again stole the spotlight as they showcased the skills necessary to stand at the top of the competitive food chain. Check out how each of the Professional Black Belt finals went down, and for the full results, click here.

MEN'S GI / BLACK

56kg - Altamir Junior vs Rafayel Kostanyan

In a round-robin for the title between three athletes, Altamir Junior, from Commando Group, came out on top by defeating Rafayel Kostanyan and Haitham Hanawi, both on points, to take the gold. After beating Haitham in a previous match, Rafayek took the silver medal.

62kg - Khaled Alshehhi vs Welison Fernandes

An intense duel took place between Khaled and Welison for the 62kg division title. After Welison took the lead at 1-0, Khaled swept and turned the tables with a 2-1 score, controlling from the top throughout the fight. A double penalty for lack of combativeness put the scoreboard at 3-2, but Khaled stayed on top and in control, avoiding sweep attempts to take the victory.

69kg - Jefferson Fagundes vs Rerisson Gabriel

A veteran of AJP tournaments, Jefferson used his experience to beat the fast and dangerous Rerisson in the division final. Rerisson took the lead at the beginning of the duel with two points from his passing techniques, putting the scoreboard at 2-1. However, in a razor-sharp move, Jefferson went up without sweeping but bringing enough danger to earn an additional point, tying the match at 2-2. Having scored last in the tie, Jefferson conquered yet another gold at the Mubadala Arena.

77kg - Lucas Protasio vs Jefferson Goteu

Another great rivalry has been developing on the AJP mats. Lucas and Jefferson faced each other in the ADGS Moscow final and Jefferson came out on top. Now it was Lucas' turn to take the victory after a very even fight during regulation time. In the Golden Score, Lucas entered well on the legs and Jefferson tried to counter with an attack on the arm. With no submissions, Lucas managed to take Jefferson down and scored the winning point to emerge victorious.

85kg - Jonatham Silva vs Agnelo Sales

A lightning-fast duel for Jonatham Silva to secure his gold medal at the Asia Continental. In the final match against Agnelo, Jonatham went full throttle and quickly lunged for his opponent's foot, spinning and lying face down to apply the right amount of pressure and take the win in the first few seconds.

94kg - Luiz Henrique Betta vs Denis Souza

After beating Uanderson Ferreira, Luiz Betta arrived even more confident for the final duel. However, Denis Souza did not plan on giving the AJP veteran an easy time on the Mubadala Arena mats. After a stalemate with three penalties for each side, and no points gained during the Golden Score, Betta took the title by the referees' decision.

120kg - Felipe Bezerra vs Matheus Xavier

Another title for Felipe Bezerra, this time by Walkover. After beating Paulo Brasil in the semifinals by 7-0, Felipe did not have his final fight because Matheus did not show up on the mat. Victory and title for Felipe, adding another medal to his tally.

WOMEN'S GI / BROWN / BLACK

49kg - Diana Teixeira vs Joana Rosa

Another great performance by Diana Teixeira on the AJP mats. After facing Joana Rosa and scoring 13-0 by passing the guard and creating different situations, Diana put an end to the duel by slipping to the back and going straight for the ezekiel choke to climb the podium.

55kg - Eduarda Lima vs Asma Alhosani

A very balanced duel between Eduarda and Asma throughout regulation time. In the Golden Score, Eduarda went all-out with a seoi-nage and, despite not landing a clean takedown, received the winning point to become the 55kg division champion.

62kg - Rafaela Bertolot vs Dayane Bazzoni

In a beautiful performance, Rafaela Bertolot secured the gold against Dayane, who came out ahead on the scoreboard with 1-0. Rafaela then worked from the top, attacked with a guillotine, and forced a guard pass, earning points until she reached 8-1 and spending the last few seconds of the match attempting an arm submission.

70kg - Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths vs Amanda Costa

Hungry to submit her opponent, the Australian Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths went all-out right at the beginning of the fight. First she tried an arm attack and a triangle, both to no avail. Soon after, Nikki tapped into her specialty: Foot attacks. With a quick spin, she locked a straight footlock, submitting Amanda and adding another AJP medal to her resumé.

85kg - Andressa Oliveira vs Marília Freire

In a battle of teammates, MOD UAE's Andressa and Marília went up against one another in a highly strategic duel in the 85kg division final. Marília made the first move and pulled closed guard, but Andressa used her pressure from the top and almost managed to pass twice, scoring 2-0 to take the title.

The AJP Tour Asia Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 is over, but all of the fights from the three days of competition were broadcasted and archived on TX7.com, a modern streaming platform that houses the greatest AJP and ADXC tournaments from all over the world. Click here to make your registration and relive the action, and be sure to follow @ajptour on social media to stay up-to-date on all things AJP.