Weekend Recap: AJP opens the latter half of 2023 with five international championships
June 26, 2023
Capping off the month of June, there were no dull moments last weekend. With five countries hosting their own International tournaments, AJP made sure to keep its foot on the gas as we get ready to transition to the latter half of 2023. Check out below the highlights of each championship!
Ibrahim and Naser take the spotlight in Dubai
Opening the weekend, the AJP No-Gi Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 brought the federation’s signature action closer to its roots. With four fight areas and athletes from all backgrounds hungry for glory, the tournament kicked off its two-day campaign on Saturday, June 24th, giving the crowds at the Al Nasr Club and the fans watching at AJPTour.tv a chance to witness some first-class grappling.
Two Middle Eastern athletes managed to rise through the ranks and steal the spotlight. First, in the 62kg division, the Emirati Ibrahim Almaazmi (A.F.N.T) fought a hard battle against fellow countrymen and teammate Saeed Almesmari. The duel ended with Ibrahim landing the submission and taking the title.
Then, in the 69kg bracket, Kuwait’s Naser Abdulkareem (Gracie Barra Al-Ahmadi) saw himself in the middle of a round-robin with two Brazilians. After submitting Raphael Veiga (Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu), Naser went through a tough match against Guthiery Melo (A.F.N.T), taking the win and the gold with a 4-3 score.
Brazilian athletes win double gold at the Jacksonville International
Closing our Saturday analysis, the AJP Tour Jacksonville International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 reached the Floridian shores, inviting competitors from all corners of the planet to try their luck in the USA. With the action tightly packed into three fight areas, colored and black belts brought their A-game to the tournament, gunning for the gold and the top of the federation’s ranking.
While the tournament happened in North America, two South American athletes stole the show by taking the coveted double gold. João Costa (GFTeam) joined the competition in the 69kg bracket, where he beat fellow countrymen Marcus Vinicius de Oliveira (Future School of Jiu Jitsu USA) by 9-6 to reach the finals and defeat the local Sebastian Serpa (Outer Heaven), with a 4-3 score. He then returned to compete for the no-gi title, putting the scoreboard at 6-4 to overcome the Brazilian Giovanni Carvalho (American Top Team) to take his second gold.
The second highlight was Lucas Lima de Brito (Gracie Barra BH), who started his campaign at the 77kg division, outscoring Igor Feliz (Future School of Jiu Jitsu USA) by 6-3 to take the first title. Later, Lucas took off his gi and went all out against the American Colin Taylor (Luiz Palhares Jiu Jitsu), putting the scoreboard at 8-0, before ultimately landing a submission to climb the podium once again.
Check out the full results here!
Brown belts rise to prominence at the Kastav International
On that same Saturday, the Sports Hall of Kastav, in Croatia, opened its doors for colored belts from all over the world. From Kids and Amateurs to Professionals and Masters, the AJP Tour Kastav International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 welcomed all to show their prowess and test their skills in one of the most traditional federations of the sport.
The highlights of the day were the Professional matches of the Brown Belt category. In the Men’s Gi 77kg division, UAE’s Yousof Alhosani (ADNOC) showed why he’s third in his country’s ranking, scoring a whooping 15-0 against Brazilian Bruno Ferreira (Checkmat International). Later, in the Men’s No-Gi 85kg bracket, Emirati Mohamed Alamri (ADNOC) scored 13-1 against Alen Kontrec (MS Jiu-Jitsu) to reach the final, where he landed a winning submission against Yousof to take the division gold.
Lenzburg becomes a battlefield for the Masters
Still in Europe, this time in Switzerland, the AJP Tour Lenzburg International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 took place last Saturday, June 24th. With five fight areas spread across the Lenzburg Centrum, warriors of all ages and graduations took to the mats, facing each other tirelessly as they aimed for the top spot on their respective podiums.
The Master category was the standout in Lenzburg. First, in the Master 1 85kg division, the local Ilke Kubilay Bulut (Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team - International) put the scoreboard at 9-0 before ultimately submitting Brazil’s Claudio Batista (Nova União International) for the gold. Then, the Master 1 Swiss athlete Benjamin Brander (Mill Hill BJJ) showcased his no-gi skills as he outscored Brazilian Everton Borges (Frota Academy) by 7-1 to reach the finals, where he landed a 6-1 to take the 77kg gold from UK’s Gareth Redman (Para Bellum Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy).
Finally, in the Master 2 77kg bracket, Kevin Batruel (Carlson Gracie Team Ari Galo) put on his gi and submitted the returning Everton Borges to become the division champion.
Anderson Duarte and Marcus Ruiz take the double gold in Goiânia
On Sunday, June 25th, it was Brazil’s turn to bring the heat to its winter-laden territories. The AJP Tour Goiânia International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 took over the SESI Canaã with its five fight areas, daring athletes from all levels to rise to its mats and put their training to the test in the South American country.
Among the many intrepid warriors and memorable duels that permeated the tournament, Anderson Duarte and Marcus Ruiz, both representing Atrium BJJ, managed to stand out by snagging the titles on both the weight and absolute. First, Anderson conquered the 69kg division by scoring 11-6 against teammate Adolfo Neto. Later, in the Open Lightweight, Anderson submitted Marco Aurélio (Saikoo) in the semifinal and then landed another submission against Lucas Silva (PSLPB Cícero Costha) in the last round to take his second gold.
Meanwhile, Marcus Ruiz debuted his campaign in the 94kg division, where he outscored Uriel Ramos (GFTeam) by 7-1 before hitting the finals, where a 2-0 score put him ahead of Hiago Lima (GFTeam). In the Open Heavyweight bracket, Marcus beat two more opponents before scoring 4-0 against Andre Luiz Catanhede (Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club) to stand atop the podium for the second time.