Weekend Recap: AJP opens February with three explosive tournaments

February 3, 2025

Kicking off the second month of 2025, the AJP is back for another weekend filled with action and competition as it hosts three tournaments around the world. With Nationals taking place in Brazil, Slovakia, and Russia, athletes had their pick of events to test their skills and fight for a chance to lead their respective rankings. Without further ado, let's check out the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Brazil National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Wesley Felix, Beatriz Mendonça, and Katiane Rodrigues keep the double gold in Fortaleza

Held between February 1st and 2nd in Fortaleza, the Brazil National gathered athletes of all ages and graduations to put their skills to the test across eight fight areas at the Ginásio Paulo Sarasate. With the tournament at full capacity, warriors stepped up to the mats and fought for the chance of becoming an AJP champion early in the year.

While many competitors rose to the top of the podium on both days, three local black belts from the Professional division went above and beyond in their campaigns, conquering both their weight classes and the always challenging Open Weight divisions. Such was the case of Wesley Felix (Carlos Brothers), who first entered the 94kg division and submitted three opponents on his way to the title, beating Raimundo Neto (Blec) and Mateus Alves (Commando Group) before his final win against Darlison Martins (Ser Jiu Jitsu). Still hungry for more, Wesley returned to the mats and faced another trio of contenders in the Open Heavyweight bracket, landing submissions on Guilherme Gomes (Commando Group) and Macksuel Maciel (Checkmat International) and then getting the three taps from Wilker Lima to crown a flawless participation at the tournament.

On the women's side, Beatriz Mendonça (Bravos FT) started off in the 62kg division with a 9-0 win over Eduarda Macena (Campeões do Amanhã) in the quarterfinals, followed by a submission against Ana Beatriz (Checkmat International) in the semis, and then scoring 13-0 to beat Leienny Andrade (Corpo e Mente) in the bracket. Later, Beatriz returned to the battlefield and joined the Open Lightweight division, submitting both Janayra Cavalcante (Alliance) and Raissa Morais (Ctubt) to take her second title.

Last but not least, Katiane Rodrigues (Global Fight BJJ) took her first gold in the 70kg division, beating Jorgiane Ribeiro (Gameness Fight Club) by 5-1 and then defeating Cristiely Sousa (Gracie Barra) by 3-1. Coming back to the mats with her sights set on the Open Heavyweight gold, Katiane submitted both Cristina Araujo (BD Team Hunters) and Larissa Evelyn (South Zone Team - SZT) to make her second trip to the top of the podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Slovakia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Black Belts take the gold in Bratislava

Taking place on Saturday, February 1st, the Slovakia National brought the AJP mats to the Športová Hala for an afternoon of competition, welcoming local and foreign athletes to enter the gauntlet and show they have what it takes to conquer the coveted AJP gold medal.

Highlighting the competition with good techniques and memorable battles, the black belts from the Professional category once again showed the Jiu-Jitsu community what it takes to compete at the highest level. In the 62kg division, the Brazilian Roger Rodrigues (Gullo Jiu-Jitsu) scored 4-1 over his compatriot Leandro Silva (Fernando Terere Jiu-Jitsu) before ending the match with a submission in the last minute, while the Spaniard Hugo Le Metour (Humbling Jiu Jitsu Club) took the 77kg title after outscoring Serbia's Dusan Miloradovic (Gracie Barra Belgrade) by 6-0.

On the women's side, the Hungarian Nora Pal (Gracie Jiu Jitsu Bolzano) dominated her Brazilian opponent Rebeca Cavalcante (MOD UAE), landing a 10-1 score before ultimately submitting to become the 95kg division champion. Lastly, the No-Gi 77kg bracket saw the rise of the Polish Pawel Kozlowski (Gremlin Jiu Jitsu), who landed a lightning-fast submission to defeat the Serbian Dusan Miloradovic (Gracie Barra Belgrade) with under a minute on the clock.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Russia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Alan Kankulov and Ivan Popov submit their way to the title in Moscow

On Sunday, February 2nd, the Russia National brought the organization's signature action to the Sambo-70 for an entire day of competition, with athletes from the Youth, Amateur, Master, and Professional categories fighting tooth and nail to emerge victorious in their respective weight classes.

Among the many champions who stood atop the podium that day, two local Professional black belts managed to stand out from their peers by reaching the coveted gold medal with submission wins in the final rounds. First, Ivan Popov (Commando Group) took over the 77kg division, submitting Maksim Vorontsov (Gojira Jiu-Jitsu) in the quarters and then outscoring his teammate Nikita Devyatov by a narrow 4-3 score before closing the bracket by getting the three taps from Vladislav Losev (Supernova BJJ Academy).

Then, in the 85kg division, Alan Kankulov (Checkmat International) showcased his technical know-how as he advanced through the bracket, starting with a whopping 13-4 win over Ilia Prilipko (Ludus Academy/Alliance BJJ) in the semifinal and then ending with a tight submission against Amirhan Gitinomagomedov (Fighting Sport Arts) around the two-minute mark to become the champion.

Check out the full results here!