AJP Newsletter October 2024: Your monthly recap of the highlights from all over the world

November 1, 2024

With another stellar month down for the count, the AJP has kept steady in its mission to spread the benefits of Jiu-Jitsu throughout the world while presenting athletes in every country with the chance to show their skills, whether by traveling or by attending a local tournament promoted by the organization. As we bid farewell to October and gear up to enter the penultimate month of 2024, let's take a look at all the thrills that led us into November.

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Xi'An 2024: Professionals rise as champions in China

Taking place at the Shaanxi Sports Training Center between October 18th and 20th, the ADGS Xi'An 2024 marked the tour's first event in China, following other debuts in Rome and Istanbul earlier this year. With Masters opening the competition on the first day and Youths taking over on the second, the third and final day saw Professionals and Amateurs stand side-by-side and deliver an incredible closing to the tournament.

As always, the black belts from the Professional category were a standout in the competition. Starting with the men, Haithan Hanawi represented the UAE as he got wins over Junyi Wu and Jose Filho to conquer the 56kg division, while Welison Fernandes showed his skills in the 62kg final as he unleashed his Jiu-Jitsu and scored a whopping 12-0 over Lei Gao. Rogerio Luz used a back choke to take the 69kg title from Nariman Mynbayev, Jefferson Goteu got a lightning-fast submission over Iurii Kuznetsov in the 77kg final, and Artem Kaygarodov landed a last-minute leglock on Daniel Soares for the 85kg gold. Luiz Henrique Betta showed his technical prowess and got the top spot on the podium after outscoring Pedro Jordão in the 94 kg final, and Catriel Rodrigues ruled over the 120kg division after passing Wallace Costa's guard.

On the women's side, Jiedan Xu outscored Candy Heng twice for the 49kg title, Lina Grosset added another title to her name after beating Yin Yi Wang in the 55kg final, and Rafaela Bertolot 6-1 over Yunlu Fang to become the 62kg champion. In the heavier divisions, Yuan Zhou used her spider guard to break a tie and beat Marwa Alhosani in the 70kg final, and Yara Soares made another powerful showing as she submitted Meng Xiang twice in the 95kg division.

AJP Tour Europe Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Black belts take the top spot on the podium in The Netherlands

Held on October 13th and 14th at the Topsport Center Almere, in The Netherlands, the Europe Continental was yet another great option for athletes looking to rack up valuable points in the AJP global rankings. With athletes from all over the world competing at the event, the tournament welcomed Professionals and Youths on its first day while the second was reserved for Masters and Amateurs.

Opening the competition with stellar performances, the black belts from the Professional category were once the stars of the show. On the men's side, Jonas Andrade got wins over Marko Oikarainen for the 62kg title, while Jefferson Fagundes scored last to beat Florian Bayili in the 69kg final. Jefferson Goteu submitted Hugo Le Metour twice to become the 77kg champion, Lucas Protasio won on points against Charlie Adorian to reach the top of the 85kg division, and the 94kg gold medal went to Jackson Sousa, who beat Robert Kurlowicz twice in the bracket. In the heaviest division, Paulo Silva submitted Igor de Souza and then got a narrow 1-0 win over Vladimir Blium to reach the top of the 120kg division podium, and Charlie Adorian outscored Vladimir Blium to take the Open Heavyweight title.

The women also brought a lot of action to the tournament. Starting in the 55kg division, Sonia Ariz got the win and the title after submitting Maitha Sheraim. Tamara Toros became the 62kg champion after submitting Lina Grosset, Violeta Angelova scored last to beat Marcela Blanco in the 70kg final, Yasmira Dias got the 95kg title after beating Elise Fellinger twice in a row, and Sonia Ariz went back to the mats and beat Emily Eyles for the Open Heavyweight gold medal.

AJP Tour Macapa International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Division heads take the gold in Brazil

Taking place at the Centro Didático Estadual Ginásio Avertino Ramos on October 20th, the Macapá International brought the AJP action to Brazil, filling six fight areas with talented rookies and battle-hardened veterans for an entire afternoon of competition, with the fierce black belts from the Professional category once again stealing the spotlight with their performances.

Starting with the men, Gilberto Silva got the 69kg title after outscoring Wagner Junior, while Matheus da Silva submitted the 77kg gold medal out of Alexandre Ferreira. In the 120kg division, Breno Furtado got the better of Alerrandro Nascimento via points in the final, and Lucas Bessa showed his prowess as he used the scoreboard to beat two opponents and take the no-gi 77kg title.

Moving on to the women, Beatriz Moraes outscored Aline Pessoa for the 62kg gold, Maria Cruz landed a submission on Estefanny Nobre for the top spot on the 95kg division podium, and Livia Piedade got two submissions in a row to take the no-gi 70kg title.

UPCOMING: ADWPJJC 2024, Nationals, and Internationals!

As we near the end of the year, the time has come for the greatest tournament in the AJP's roster to once again land at the Mubadala Arena. Starting next Friday, November 8th, and going all the way to the following Saturday, November 16th, the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 will bring the fiercest competitors from all categories to put their skills to the ultimate test in the UAE.

With registration closed since October 25th, the cards are already in place and only time now stands between the Jiu-Jitsu community and the next edition of the event, which will welcome Youths between November 8th and 9th, Amateurs on November 10th and 11th, Masters on November 12th and 13th, and finally, the Professional category from November 14th to 16th. It's worth noting that every single fight from the tournament will be broadcast live and exclusively on the TX7.com platform.

With the greatest tournament in the organization aside, the AJP also has its usual batch of competitions taking place around the world. For the Nationals, athletes can expect the Bulgaria National to land at the Multifunctional Arena National Sports Academy on November 23rd, followed by the Slovenia National, which takes place at the Dvorana Vižmarje Brod - Šport Ljubljana on November 30th.

Last but not least, here are the Internationals coming this month: Milan (November 3rd), Rio de Janeiro (November 15th-16th), Tulsa (November 23rd), Guayaquil (November 30th), and Manila (November 30th).