WEEKEND RECAP: CAPE TOWN AND SOUTH ITALY SHOW THEIR JIU-JITSU AND TAKE THE STAGE
May 8, 2023
With the ADGS 2023 raging in the homeland of the organization, AJP held two other tournaments to ensure that athletes all around the world had the chance to test their skills. In Cape Town and South Italy, Master division competitors gave their all and brought about some memorable performances. Check out below the highlights of each championship!
EMERSON LIMA TRIUMPHS IN THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL
In South Africa, the AJP Tour Cape Town International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 was a battlefield that welcomed athletes of all ages and graduations. Across three fight areas set up in the Camps Bay High School, duels were fought and techniques were put to the test on both days of the weekend.
Representing the Zr Team Association, Brazilian black belt Emerson Lima had a challenging match ahead of him. In the Master 1 120kg division, Emerson fought for the gold against the Local Jason Gregoriades, from Maximilian Jiu Jitsu. Despite being on his opponent’s turf, the Brazilian didn’t shy away from the fight, keeping the score even until he managed to land the winning submission.
LEON SCHULZ AND FRANCESCO PELONERO TAKE THE GOLD IN SOUTH ITALY
On Sunday, May 7th, European athletes had yet another event to prepare for: The AJP Tour South Italy Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023. At the Palazzetto dello Sport Arturo Volcan, or PalaVolcan for short, fight fans could watch as colored and black belts clashed across three fight areas, aiming to show their resolve and skills on their way to the top.
Among the many fighters of the event, two black belts stood as the highlights. First, in the Master 1 120kg division, German Leon Schulz (GFTeam) used his technical prowess to score 5-0 and beat American Don Castro (Honeybadger BJJ). Then, in the Master 2 85kg division, a battle of locals saw Francesco Pelonero (Team Italia) go up against Antonio Sofia (Matside Jiu Jitsu), with the former landing an 8-0 on the scoreboard to take the win.