In a tournament filled with world-renowned names, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour London rewarded its fans around the world with breathtaking fights. This Sunday, March 12th, the biggest stars in Jiu-Jitsu went into action in pursuit of the coveted gold medal.
Athletes known to the public such as Micael Galvão, Gabrieli Pessanha, Ana Rodrigues, Meyran Alves, and Zayed Alkatheeri won the title in elite presentations. Other surprising victories went to Maria Silva and Izadora Silva, in bids that raised the crowd at the Copper Box Arena and also those who watched live on AJPTour.tv.
Check out the highlights from the last day of ADGS London below and don't miss our next stop in the UAE capital at the Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi.
Male Black Belt
49kg: Zayed Alkatheeri vs. Yuri Hendrex
Yet another expressive title for the resume of Zayed Alkatheeri. After starting behind on the scoreboard, with a point awarded to Yuri Hendrex, Zayed shoot for the triangle. The danger of submission extended until the end of the fight, and Zayed earned the tying point. Being the last to score, Zayed was declared champion.
62kg: Leonardo Mario vs. Hiago George
Leonardo Mario got once again in the top spot of the podium. After winning two fights on his way to the final, he was scheduled to fight against teammate Hiago George, but Hiago didn't show up. Leonardo Mario got the gold medal and his points on the black belt ranking.
69kg: Meyran Alves vs. Thiago Macedo
Meyran Maquine secured another AJP title. In a duel against Thiago Macedo, Meyran avoided Thiago's constant takedown attempts. After fending off the onslaughts, Meyran pulled guard, swept straight to a back take, and strangled with a bow and arrow choke.
77kg: Micael Galvão vs. Max Lindblad
Impeccable performance for the phenomenon of Manaus in London. After submitting two fights, against Larman Leon by armbar and Andre Cantanhede by choke, Mica faced Max Lindblad for the gold. Just 34s were enough for Mica Galvão to catch Max in the single-leg, take him down and get the back, going straight for the collar and finishing with a choke.
85kg: Jansen Ramos vs. Abdurahmanhaji Murtazaliev
Jansen Gomes took the win after working with pressure on Abdurahman's guard. After getting a point by almost passing guard, Jansen stabilized in the north-south position, going to 4-0 on the scoreboard. With dominance on top, Jansen attacked with the kimura and finished with an adapted shoulder lock, called Tarikoplata. As fate would have it, Jansen had earlier beaten the position's creator, Tarik Hopstock, in the quarterfinals, by points.
94kg: Catriel Rodrigues vs. Bruno Lima
Brazilian based in Dubai, Catriel Oliveira came out with the decisive victory in the golden score. After a balanced fight in regulation time, Catriel avoided Bruno Lima's good takedown entry and counterattacked getting him with a firm grip on the waist, and taking Bruno down. Victory and the gold medal for Catriel.
120kg: Yatan Bueno vs. Helton Junior
Powerful presentation by Yatan Bueno in the 120kg final. After disputing takedowns, Helton pulled guard. Yatan then put his game into action. In a sequence of points, in attempts to take the back, pass the guard and apply a knee on belly, Yatan ended the fight in an adjustment to submit with an armbar, but Helton defended well. End of the fight with a score of 9-0 for Yatan.
Female Brown/Black Belt
49kg: Diana Teixeira vs. Thaynara Victoria
In a duel between a black belt and a purple belt, Diana Thais faced Thaynara Victoria, a purple belt who moved up in division for winning the World Pro 2022. In the very final, Diana and Thaynara disputed attacks on the foot throughout the fight. With one more attack on the foot, Diana won by 4-3 on the scoreboard.
55kg: Ana Rodrigues vs. Alexa Yanes
Another title for Ana Rodrigues in the AJP ranking. After submitting two fights on the way to the final, Ana faced Alexa Yanes. Ana opened the scoring by getting up from the double pull. With pressure, Ana managed to pass guard and keep the score at 4-0 until the end of the fight.
62kg: Maria Silva vs. Julia Alves
Maria Claudia Silva was the big name of the day in the 62kg division. After winning two fights, Maria faced Julia Alves. Julia worked on her sharp guard, but when she tried to sweep using the omoplata lock, Julia left one of her legs hanging. Maria did not waste the opportunity and attacked with a leglock, guaranteeing the victory by submission.
70kg: Izadora Silva vs. Ingridd Sousa
Izadora Silva won her title in London in the last bid of the final. In combat against Ingridd Sousa, Izadora opened the scoreboard but was swept by Ingridd, who put the score at 2-1. Near the end of the fight, Izadora got in the top position and saw the timer reset. After the end, in Falcon Eye's evaluation, the referees indicated that Izadora scored on the sweep attempt, taking the gold medal by 2-2 in points.
95kg: Gabrieli Pessanha vs. Mayara Moreira
Gabrieli and Mayara reached the final after submitting their first fights. In the final, Gabrieli pulled guard and swept stright to the back take. Even defending her neck, Mayara couldn't resist Gabi's attack, who finished with a cross-face.
