September 23, 2023
The AJP Tour Africa Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023, held in Hall 1 Cairo International Stadium, in Egypt, gave another round of thrilling matches for fans around the globe, watching live at AJPTour.tv, this time having in the mats the athletes from the professional black belt divisions.
On this second day of fights, the elite of Jiu-Jitsu took to the stage and set the tone for the rest of the competition with memorable duels. Check out below how each division played out and, for the full results, click here!
MEN'S GI / BLACK / PROFESSIONAL
62kg: Sultan Alowais vs. Haitham Hanawi
Two victories with extreme technique for Sultan Alowais in the 62kg division. Getting up from the double pull to take Haitham Hanawi's back, in the two consecutive fights, Sultan finished the first on the armlock, starting from the inverted triangle, and soon after finishing up with the bow and arrow choke, guaranteeing the division's gold.
69kg: Leonardo Mario vs. Hugo Shiomi
Two fights and two wins for Brazilian Leonardo Mario in the under-69kg division. In the first duel of the group, he needed just over two minutes to catch Mohamed Saleh. Hugo Shiomi beat Mohamed in the next fight and faced his compatriot Leonardo in the fight for the gold medal, but Leonardo played intelligently and secured the victory on points, 2-1 in the final score.
77kg: Jefferson Fagundes vs. Thiago Macedo
Thiago Macedo won another AJP title in his career, this time in Africa. To guarantee the gold, Thiago faced Jefferson Fagundes in the final battle. Thiago took the lead when he came up from the double pull and then worked to get to the side without passing the guard, scoring another point and leading the score at 2-0. Jefferson almost reacted at the end, rising with Thiago's leg dominated, but he only got one point due to the danger of a sweep and the duel ended with Thiago as the champion, 2-1 in the final scoreboard.
94kg: Igor Sousa vs. Flavio Vianna
With a submission in the first fight and an open path in the following two duels, it was Igor Sousa's turn to become champion of the 94kg division of the Africa Continental. In the duel against Flavio Vianna, he worked quickly to get the kimura, a fight that left Igor at the top of the podium.
120kg: Rodrigo Ribeiro vs. Sean Goolsby
Close fight between Rodrigo and Sean. Working on top, Rodrigo tried to decipher Sean's guard throughout the fight. At the last minute, he got on the side with the knee on belly and went straight north-south. Sean defended well and didn't let Rodrigo stabilize, but Rodrigo gained two points, one for each movement, making it 2-0 on the winning score.
WOMEN'S GI / BROWN/BLACK / PROFESSIONAL
49kg: Natasha Valentine vs. Shouq Aldhanhani
Even with only two athletes in the group, the competition in the 49kg division was lively. Ahead in the first fight, Natasha pulled guard and went up with two points. Without giving up, the Emirati Shouq attacked with an armbar and climbed onto Natasha's back, winning in the last minute by 5-2. However, it was Natasha who came out on top in the next two fights, finishing both in the triangle and taking the gold medal for the United Kingdom.
55kg: Alexa Yanes vs. Isadora Maggioni
Two victories put American Alexa Yanes at the top of the podium in the 55kg division. In the first fight, she beat Lara Castro with a 3-2 score. In the final, she faced Brazilian Isadora Maggione, and with 6-4 secured the gold medal in Egypt.
62kg: Julia Alves vs. Gabriela Pereira
Three athletes in the round-robin for gold under 62kg. Gabriela Pereira was the first to win in the division, finishing Dayane Bazzoni. Gabriela fought again, this time against Julia Alves, who swept to win by 2-0. In the last duel of the group, Julia took a double-leg takedown and was swept by Dayane with a spider guard spinning sweep, but Julia attacked with an armbar and secured another AJP title on her resume.
95kg: Ingridd Alves vs. Priscilla Assunção
Debuting in Egypt, black belt Ingridd Sousa achieved another gold for DreamArt this season. In their round-robin fight, Ingridd submitted twice on her way to the title, catching Priscilla Assunção and Amanda Ribeiro, respectively.
