Weekend Recap: Costa Rica and Kazakhstan join AJP to bring powerful tournaments

June 6, 2025

Spreading the reach and benefits of Jiu-Jitsu beyond borders, the AJP continues steady in its mission as it promotes competitions in countries all over the world and gives practitioners the chance to truly hone their martial arts to their fullest while facing their peers to become international champions. In addition to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grappling taking the action to the next level in the UAE, the organization has also held two tournaments on Sunday, June 15th, bringing a National to Costa Rica and a Regional to the Kazakh city of Shymkent. Without further ado, let's check out the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Costa Rica National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Adrian Almeida takes the double gold in San José

Taking over the Arena BN in San José, the Costa Rica National welcomed local and foreign athletes to put their skills to the test while fighting for gold, glory, and the 1000 global ranking points reserved for each of the podium leads.

Among the many competitors who left their mark on the mats that day, the Ecuadorian Professional black belt Adrian Almeida (Team Predador International) managed to stand out with top-notch performances that granted him the title of double champion in the event. Starting his campaign in the 120kg division, Adrian faced the Brazilian Fabio Marques (Nova União International) in the final and gave the attending crowd a chance to witness a high-end athlete in action, quickly measuring up his opponent before attacking with precision and taking the win via submission around the one-minute mark.

With one medal hanging from his shoulders already, Adrian decided he hadn't had quite enough yet and made his way back to the battlefield, entering the No-Gi 120kg division and once again running into Fabio Marques in the gold round. More familiar with Fabio's game, Adrian did not waste a second and kicked off the match launching a full-on offensive against the Brazilian, quickly overwhelming his foe and getting the three taps in less than thirty seconds to conquer his second title.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Shymkent International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025: Samat Kunayev and Alinur Kuatuly conquer the title in Kazakhstan

Also taking place on Sunday, the Shymkent Arena opened its doors for AJP athletes of all ages and graduations, with competitors holding nothing back as they fought for a chance to climb the podium and become champions in the organization's Shymkent International.

Highlighting the event, the local Master 1 black belt Samat Kunayev (Kazakhstan Team) had his experience and technical knowledge on full display as he faced his compatriot and teammate Nariman Mynbayev for the 69kg division title. With five minutes of regulated time, the athletes went at each other with their best skills but were still unable to break the stalemate by the end of the bout, with the referees stepping in and deciding that Samat had shown the most effectiveness throughout the duel, giving him the win and the title.

Another highlight was the clash between the Kazakhstan Team duo Alinur Kuatuly and Batyr Tenizbay, with the athletes going all-out for the title in the Brown Belt 69kg division. With powerful attacks and impenetrable defenses, both sides were determined to emerge victorious but neither managed to land a submission or indeed a single point against the other, leaving it once again up to the judges who deemed Alinur the winner and, consequently, the champion of the weight class.

Check out the full results here!