Weekend Recap: AJP kicks August off with Internationals in Jordan and Australia

August 5, 2024

On the first weekend of the month, the AJP once again provided the Jiu-Jitsu community with opportunities to take their skills to the next level in the competitive scene while visiting new and exciting places. The destinations this time around were Jordan and Australia, with Internationals hosted in Amman and Newcastle respectively, so let's check out the highlights from each championship.

AJP Tour Amman International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Professional black belts fight for the gold in Jordan

On Saturday, August 3rd, the Princess Sumaya Lounge became the stage for the Amman International, competition that welcomed colored and black belts from all over the world to chase the glory of becoming an AJP champion. From the youngest white belt to the most experienced black belt, the attending athletes were ready to go above and beyond as they sought to conquer their respective weight classes, but the most exciting displays of technique came from the Professional category, which put its experts to fight with and without the gi at the tournament.

Starting in the gi, Iraq's Ali Alabed (Sodertalje Jiu Jitsu Center) fought twice to conquer the 77kg division. In the semifinal, Ali went up against the local competitor Zaid Kawasmi (Samy Al Jamal / Fit Jiu-Jitsu) in a battle that took up the entirety of the regulated time and ended in a 7-0 score in Ali's favor. In the gold round, the Iraqi faced Mohammed Abu-Rumuh (Absoluto Jiu Jitsu) and once again shined on the mats as he landed a winning submission halfway through the match.

However, it wouldn't be long before Mohammed got some payback. Fighting without the gi in the 77kg division, Mohammed and Ali had a rematch for the title, but things played out very differently this time around, with the Jordanian taking the lead on the scoreboard and then submitting shortly after the one-minute mark. Meanwhile, the no-gi 120kg division saw the rise of the local Qais Marabeh (Samy Al Jamal / Fit Jiu-Jitsu), who first submitted Bahrain's Ahmed Al Aradi (Reza Monfaradi BJJ Team - Bahrain) in the semifinal and then landed yet another submission against the Russian Georgii Sarkisov (Team Nogueira Dubai) to become the champion of the heaviest division.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Newcastle International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Werique Oliveira keeps the open-weight gold in Australia

On Sunday, August 4th, the Newcastle International landed at the Maitland Basketball Association for an afternoon of competition, welcoming athletes of all ages and graduations to step onto one of its fight areas and show the fruits of their training. But while the tournament boasted many foreign competitors, a local warrior was the one who managed to stand out in the arena.

A first-degree black belt hailing from Australia, Master 1 competitor Werique Oliveira (Legacy) managed to overcome every single one of his opponents and conquered the challenging Open Heavyweight title. Facing two Brazilian opponents in the bracket, Werique started by going up against Rodrigo dos Santos (Ground Control BJJ Academy) in the semifinal, scoring a whopping 14-2 before ultimately submitting in the last few seconds of the regulated time. Then, in the final round, Werique faced Vinicius Soares (Southside Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - International) in a well-balanced duel that had no scored points until around the two-minute mark, when the Australian saw his chance and locked a winning submission to rise to the top of the podium.

Check out the full results here!