July 8, 2023
This Saturday, July 8th, the modern Mubadala Arena opened its doors for the AJP Tour UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023. After the younger athletes warmed up the mats on the tournament’s first day, warriors of the Master category put on their gis and climbed the mats to show their experience and resolve to reach the top.
Check out in the lines below the highlights from the finals, and to see the partial results, click here!
MEN’S GI / BLACK / MASTER 1
62kg - Haitham Hanawi vs. Rafael Gonçalves
Emirati Haitam Hanawi had a spectacular victory over Rafael Gonçalves with a bold move in the last seconds of the fight. Starting ahead on the scoreboard by going up from the double pull, Haitham ended up being swept by Rafael in a good spin by the Brazilian. Haitham attacked with his foot lock and moved up to take the lead again, but Rafael quickly did the same, putting the score at 4-3. In the very last seconds of the match, Haitham saw his last chance and went all out with an attack on the foot, tying the score at 4-4 and taking the win for being the last one to score. Gold medal for Haitham Hanawi.
69kg - Thiago Marques vs. Breno Lima
A balanced fight between Thiago and Breno. In the first few minutes, double pulls were attempted but without success, leaving the score at 3-3. In the next double pull, Thiago went up to make it 4-3 and worked on top to pass. Breno avoided Thiago’s attacks until the end of the fight, when Thiago used a strong grip on the collar to stick to his adversary, using the knee to pass and gain side control. With a final score of 8-3, Thiago added another gold to his medal collection.
77kg - Talison Costa vs. Francisco Souza
Talison Costa landed a fast submission in the 77kg final. After a double pull, Francisco landed on top and earned a point. Talison adjusted himself on the bottom, placed his foot on Francisco’s hip, and swept over his head, locking a tight foot lock to submit his foe. The lightning strike earned Talison Costa yet another AJP tournament gold.
85kg - Flavio Vianna vs. Yves Sacramento
A decisive move at the end of the final put Flavio Vianna atop the 85kg division. After the score was 1-1 due to the lack of combativeness from both athletes, Flavio, who was on the bottom, managed to spin to go up and earned two points. After landing another two points with a takedown, marking 5-1 on the scoreboard, Flavio watched as Yves got increasingly aggressive in the latter half of the bout. After scoring with an armdrag, pulling guard, and then quickly sweeping, Yves left the score at 5-4. At the last second, Yves attacked with a dangerous foot lock. Thus, Yves would receive an advantage to tie the score and keep the title, but the referees used Falcon Eye, an instant replay of the fight, and managed to verify that Yves’ foot attack was executed outside the fight area. With 5-4 on the scoreboard, Flavio Vianna took the title.
94kg - Renato Cardoso vs. Jose Pereira
Two quick submissions put Renato Cardoso on top of the podium in the 94kg division. After beating Daniel Bahia in the semifinals with a leglock, Renato faced Joseph Pereira in the final. Joseph took the lead on the scoreboard, rising from the double pull, but when trying to pass, he fell into Renato Cardoso’s triangle. With lightning reflexes and the right amount of pressure, the submission spelled another win for the AJP veteran.
120kg - Rodrigo Ribeiro vs. Surakat Ibragimkhalilov
With three fights in the bracket ended by submission, the Brazilian Rodrigo Ribeiro continues his winning streak in the AJP. In the final round against the Russian Surakat Ibragimkhalilov, Rodrigo pulled guard and quickly trapped his opponent in the triangle. Surakat defended by putting weight on the triangle, avoiding the initial squeeze, but Rodrigo escaped to the side and created the necessary angle to adjust the submission and come out victorious in the first minute of the match.
