ADWPJJC 2023: Who are the most prolific champions of the greatest tournament in the UAE

October 13, 2023

The clock is ticking for the Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu 2023, which takes place between November 1st and 10th at the Mubadala Arena. With the stage set, the best of the best make their way to AJP mats yet again, fighting for the dream of becoming a legend at the highest level of competition.

Reaching its 15th edition this year, the ADWPJJC has some of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu athletes in its history, each taking part in incredible duels that would change the power balance of the competitive scene. While the most prolific champions of the tournament have their names etched in the minds of fight fans worldwide, let's take a moment to look back on the best warriors of the ADWPJJC.

With by far the greatest collection of gold medals in the history of the World Pro, Gabrielle Garcia was the most dominant female athlete ever to step on the tournament's mats. With a grand total of nine titles to her name, including victories in the weight division and the now-extinct Openweight category, Gabi won her first gold at the debut edition of the women's rankings, back in 2010, and then went on to be victorious almost every time she took part in the ADWPJJC, losing only in 2015, at the hands of Mackenzie Dern and on account of a penalty.

On the men's side, Rodolfo Vieira reigns as the greatest champion. With seven gold medals in Abu Dhabi, including weight and absolute in 2011 and 2012, and titles in his division in 2009, 2013, and 2014, Rodolfo quickly earned the moniker "Black Belt Hunter" still as a brown belt and was more than able to face the sport's top brass at the time. His battles with Marcus Buchecha in the Abu Dhabi mats went down in Jiu-Jitsu history.

Still talking about legends, Marcus Buchecha and Beatriz Mesquita have each conquered six gold medals in ADWPJJC, cementing their status of being the best in their respective weight divisions. Currently, we have the likes of Gabi Pessanha who, with her 4 titles at the ADWPJJC, fights to reach the same heights as her predecessors. Each with three titles to their names, Isaque Bahiense, Mayssa Bastos, and Brenda Larissa are still active in the Professional category and have saved their spot in the 2023 edition in the hopes of adding yet another gold to their collection and becoming the great ADWPJJC champions of the current generation.

Want to find out who the next ADWPJJC Heroes will be? How about witnessing the birth of new legends of the gentle art? Keep your eyes peeled for the Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship, in November, live at AJPTour.tv.