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

December 1, 2024

After eleven months of action and competitions held throughout the world, December has finally come. 2024 has been another incredibly successful year for the AJP, with the sixteenth edition of the ADWPJJC blowing everyone away in Abu Dhabi, the ADGS visiting new and exciting places, and the organization keeping steady in its commitment to the sport as it put out batch after batch of tournaments on each weekend. As we enter this final stretch of the year, let's take a moment to go over the highlights from November.

Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Black belts become Heroes in the UAE

Coming in hot on the heels of the Masters, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 landed at the Mubadala Arena between November 14th and 16th, bringing with it some of the toughest athletes in the category to fight for the chance to become champions in the AJP's birthplace.

Highlighting the tournament, the Professional black belts put the pedal to the metal on all three days of the competition, first on the country qualifiers and then as they sought to climb through the main brackets.

Starting on the men's side, the 56kg division saw Thalison Soares take the top spot on the podium after he swept at the last minute of the final to beat Zayed Alkatheeri. Jefferson Fagundes got a narrow 7-6 win over Khaled Alshehhi in the 62kg gold round, Thiago Macedo landed a tie-breaking sweep attempt at the last possible second to beat Mohamed Alsuwaidi, and Lucas Protasio swept Pedro Ramalho to become the 77kg champion. In the 85kg division, Uanderson Ferreira's showmanship helped him convince the referees and beat William Dias in the 85kg final, while Fellipe Andrew scored 9-0 to defeat Roberto Dib Frias in the 94kg division's last match, and Felipe Bezerra used his crushing pressure to dominate Anton Seleznev and take the 120kg title.

On the women's side, Grasielle Brandão got a narrow 2-1 win over Sonia Ariz, Maria Luisa Delahaye defeated Asma Alhosani with a sweep in the 55kg final, and Sarah Galvão fought a hard duel against Tamara Toros before taking the 62kg gold with a 5-0 score. Up in the 70kg division, Lilian Marchand overcame the favorite Sabatha Lais with a single point from a submission attempt, and Yara Nascimento scored 7-2 against Leticia dos Santos to reach the top spot of the 95kg division podium.

Abu Dhabi World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Black belts conquer their weight classes in the UAE

Taking place on November 12th and 13th, right after the Youth and Amateur parts of the ADWPJJC, the Abu Dhabi World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 welcomed the most experienced competitors in the international scene to the Mubadala Arena for two days of competition.

With the qualifier rounds taking place on the first day, the main brackets brought the action on the second and final day of the Master competition. Among the many athletes showing their skills, the black belts from the Master 1 category held nothing back and fought tooth and nail to taste victory in the UAE.

Starting on the men's side, the 56kg division saw João Miyao overcome two opponents and then outscore Gevorg Arutunyan for the title. Giorgi Razmadze submitted Nicolas Ponce in the 62kg final, Luan Alves managed to beat Thiago Macedo via decision for the 69kg gold, and Thiago Marques submitted all four of his opponents to become the 77kg champion. William Dias got the 85kg title after convincing the referees and beating Lucas Moutinho in the final, Roberto Dib Frias scored last to beat Renato Cardoso in the 94kg gold round, and Felipe Bezerra once again ruled over the 120kg division after submitting Basel Fanous.

Moving on to the women, Kacie Tan got the 49kg gold medal after outscoring Anastasiia Leonovich, the 55kg title went to Lina Grosset after she landed a 7-0 score over Vanderlucia Lima, and Laura Virtanen beat Violeta Angelova on points to become the 62kg champion. In the heavier divisions, Denise Krahn submitted Camila Loyola for the 70kg title, while Yasmira Dias used her skills to defeat Carina Santi and rule over the 95kg bracket.

AJP Tour Rio de Janeiro International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: black belts take the gold in Brazil

On the same weekend as the final stretch of the ADWPJJC, the AJP Tour Rio de Janeiro International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 landed at the Riocentro arena on November 15th and 16th, giving fighters of all ages and graduations an option when it came to testing their skills at the competitive level.

With the colored belts taking over the mats on the first day, the more seasoned warriors entered the battlefield on the second and last day of the tournament, showcasing their skills and putting on memorable performances as they fought for the gold. On the men's side, Cleberson Silva outscored two opponents to become the 62kg champion, and Anderson Trindade rose to the top by landing a submission in the 69kg final. Rosil Filho submitted his way to the 77kg title, and Pablo Cruz tapped three opponents before outscoring the last one to climb the 120kg podium.

On the women's side, Thaynara Silva got the 70kg title after controlling the match and landing a submission in the last minute of the final, while Natacha Silva reigned over the 95kg bracket after getting an 11-1 win in the gold round.

UPCOMING: National, Regional, and Internationals

With everything slowing down as the end of 2024 approaches, the AJP will take this chance to take a quick breath and start preparing for the competitions that will make the next year even bigger. But make no mistake, December still has many competitions for athletes of all ages and graduations to participate in.

Starting on December 1st, the Northwest Russia Regional lands at the Sport Complex on Asafeva Street, in Saint Petersburg. Meanwhile, the Serbia National is set to take place on December 14th, bringing the AJP mats to the Ranko Zeravica Sports Hall, in Belgrade.

December will also feature its usual batch of Internationals taking place worldwide. The list is as follows: Morges (December 7th), Madrid (December 8th), João Pessoa (December 14th-15th), Turin (December 15th), Bishkek (December 21st).