ADGS Rome: Professionals take the action to the next level on the final day of the competition

February 23, 2025

The first Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour event of 2025 has been concluded. Held at the Centro Olimpico Matteo Pellicone this weekend, the ADGS Rome brought the organization back to the land of gladiators and offered fight fans worldwide with memorable duels across all three days of the competition. After the Amateurs, Youths, and Masters, the Professional category rose to the mats and displayed the full depths of their skills as they sought the coveted ADGS gold this Sunday, February 23rd.

With purple and brown belts fighting tooth and nail for the lead in their weight classes, the black belts stole the spotlight with some of the toughest competitors among the elite of Jiu-Jitsu going up against one another for the title. Check out below how each of the finals went down, and click here for the full results.

MALE

56kg - Andrew Santos vs Omar Alsuwaidi

In a very intense match, Andrew Santos got the better of Omar Al Suwaidi for the 56kg title. After opening the scoreboard by going up from the double pull, Andrew ended up losing the lead as Omar first tied the score with a sweep attempt and then actually managed to go up adding another two points. With a lot of pressure, Omar tried to pass and added another point to his name, while Andrew managed to reverse lower the difference to 4-3. After another sweep exchange, Andrew was behind in a 6-5 score so he gave it all he got to reach the win, avoiding Omar's attempts to throw off his balance and almost taking the back in the last few seconds of the duel to become the champion by scoring last in a 6-6 tie.

62kg - Khaled Alshehhi vs Matheus Onda

The Emirati rising star Khaled Alshehhi added another gold medal to his ever-growing collection. Facing Matheus Onda for the title, Khaled took the lead early on in the match, pulling guard and then quickly attacking with a sneaky but dangerous loop choke. With one point counted for his attack, Khaled showcased his strategy and technical depth as he first used his guard to stop the opponent's advances and then later, when the match was restarted from the middle, worked from the top with a lot of pressure to control the duel until the clock ran out. With 1-0 on the scoreboard, Khaled once again rose to the top of the podium.

69kg - Nurzan Batyrbekov vs Mohammed Alsuwaidi

Representing the Kazakhstan Team, Nurzan Batyrbekov showed his resilience as he defeated the favorite Mohammed Alsuwaidi and became the 69kg division champion. With the score tied at 1-1 after no one went up from the double pull, Nurzan seized the lead by rising from another double pull and proceeded to use his pressure to control the match and avoid Mohammed's attacks, with the latter using his guard to try and dominate the legs while looking for the chance to sweep. In the latter half of the duel, Mohammed dominated the lapel and showcased his strength as he rose while lifting Nurzan with a double leg, with the Kazakh avoiding the reversal, then defending Mohammed's barrage of attacks, and finally attempted a submission as the clock ran out. After all the action was done, the scoreboard sat at a narrow 3-2 and gave Nurzan the gold.

77kg - Lucas Protasio vs Luiz Santos

In a true lesson of strategy and control, Lucas Protasio defeated Luiz Santos in the final match to become the 77kg champ. Pulling guard from the get-go, Protasio quickly positioned himself and swept to open the scoreboard at 2-0, with Luiz using his lasso guard while looking for a reversal. Protasio, however, gave his opponent almost no room to breathe throughout the match, applying a great amount of pressure to limit Luiz's movements and avoiding even the more dangerous attacks his Brazilian compatriot attempted during the duel. When the dust settled, Protasio took the title for Checkmat with that same 2-0 score.

85kg - Rui Neto vs Uanderson Ferreira

The 85kg division title was decided between Rui Alves Neto and Uanderson Ferreira in the gold round. With the score tied at 1-1 after both sides were penalized for not going up from the double pull, Uanderson pulled guard and started working from the bottom to sweep, but Rui was more than aware of the danger and used his pressure to limit his opponent's movement while seeking to pass the guard. After an incredibly balanced battle on both the regulated time and the golden score, the judges decided that Rui was more effective throughout the match, giving him the win and the title.

94kg - Clemer Canario vs Marcos Carrozzino

The ADGS Rome's 94kg division has a champion and his name is Clemer Canario. Facing the favorite Marcos Carrozzino for the title, Clemer worked from the top while trying to pass his opponent's guard, with Carrozzino eventually using the lapel to sweep and score the first two points of the match. Clemer, however, kept his focus and made the most out of a bad situation, promptly attacking with a triangle choke and then quickly switching to a triangle armbar to submit his foe and take the gold medal.

120kg - Matheus Xavier vs Ricardo Evangelista

The 120kg title was decided in a true battle of heavy hitters between Matheus "Ta Danado" Xavier and the experienced Ricardo Evangelista. With a double-leg takedown in the first moments of the bout, Matheus seized the lead and put Ricardo on his back, with the latter showing his dangerous guard game before sweeping and tying the score at 2-2. Matheus quickly reversed and put the scoreboard at 4-2, with Ricardo getting up in the final moments of the duel and making an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to jump straight to a mount. The 4-2 score remained, and Matheus Xavier rose to the top of the division's podium.

FEMALE

49kg - Grasielle Brandão vs Giulia Gregorut

Representing Commando Group in the tournament, Grasielle Brandão triumphed over Giulia Gregorut in an incredibly balanced 49kg final. With Giulia pulling guard from the first moments of the match, Grasielle showcased her balance as she chose to stand upright to open the guard and then avoid her sweep attempts. However, Giulia still had some tricks left in her arsenal and managed the lead in the scoreboard with 2-0, taking one point from an armbar attempt and another for almost sweeping. In the final moments of the battle, Grasielle put the pedal to the metal and went full offensive, quickly advancing to the north-south position and then passing the guard to turn the tables on her opponent at the last possible second. At the end of it all, a 3-2 score gave Grasielle the win and the title.

55kg - Gabriela Pereira vs Maria Luisa Delahaye

In the 55kg final, Gabriela Pereira led the Brothers Club team to victory as she defeated Maria Luisa Delahaye in an unexpected turn of events. After going up from the double pull, Maria took the lead with a 1-0 score and proceeded to unleash her pressure on Gabriela's guard, with the latter using her grips to weather the storm while looking for the right moment to counter-attack. Not long after, Maria tried a guard pass and Gabriela saw her opportunity, positioning herself and landing a sneaky leglock to become the champion.

62kg - Nikolett Kis vs Natalia Zumba

The Hungarian purple belt Nikolett Kis took another important step in her Jiu-Jitsu career as she conquered the 62kg division of the ADGS Rome. Up against Natalia Zumba in the final, Nikolett pulled and used her spider guard to try a foot attack before using Natalia's legs to go up, settling the score at 3-0. With the competitors in the 50-50 guard, Natalia managed to sweep back and lowered the difference to 3-2, using a leg drag to attempt a pass and giving Nikolett the chance to reverse once again. Natalia launched a dangerous attack on the foot, but Nikolett defended and took the top spot on the podium with a 4-3 score.

70kg - Nia Blackman vs Gabriela Barroso

In a cerebral match for the 70kg gold medal, Nia Blackman got the better of Gabriela Barroso in the final round. With Nia working from the bottom and using her spider guard to look for a sweep while Gabriela used her pressure to remain steady and attempt a guard pass, the competitors found themselves evenly matched throughout the regulated time and golden score. At the end of it all, the judges decided that Nia's Jiu-Jitsu was the most effective of the two, and gave her the title via decision.

95kg - Yara Nascimento vs Isabely Lemos

The Brazilian powerhouse Yara Soares Nascimento continues to reign over the 95kg division. Facing Isabely Lemos in the final match of the bracket, Yara pulled guard and withstood her opponent's pressure as Isabely looked for the chance to pass the guard. After defending Isabely's attempt to take side control, Yara used her opponent's movement to lift her hips and quickly lock an armbar, getting the three taps and another high-profile victory to her resumé.