June 18, 2023
Located in the northern part of the country, the state of Pará hosted the grand AJP Tour Brazil National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 last weekend, June 17th and 18th. With the stage set in the city of Belém, five fight areas were spread across the Universidade Estadual do Pará to showcase the very best Jiu-Jitsu the country has to offer.
Welcoming athletes of all ages and graduations, the tournament saved the most anticipated duels for its second and final day, with the men’s black belt and women’s brown/black belt divisions deciding the champions of the Professional category. Check out below the highlights and for the full results, click here!
MEN’S GI / BLACK / PROFESSIONAL
62kg - Yuri Hendrex vs. Renan Freitas
Two triangles shaped Yuri Hendrex’s victory in Belém. In the duel against Renan Freitas, who took the lead with a 1-0 after standing up from the double pull, Yuri landed his first triangle of the day, a move which prompted a good defense by Renan. Yuri then shifted to the Omoplata, went up with two points, passed to the north-south position, put the knee on Renan’s stomach, and once again attacked with the triangle, this time forcing Renan to tap out and taking the division gold.
69kg - Jefferson Fagundes vs. Leonardo Mario
Leonardo opened the scoreboard with a 1-0 after standing up in a double pull. With an open guard, Jefferson tricked Leonardo with a quick spin and positioned his leg over the opponent’s elbow, landing an armlock during the move. This sneaky submission put the Brazilian National title in Jefferson Fagundes’ hands.
77kg - Eric Chaves vs. Higor Lima
Starting ahead in the scoreboard, Eric used a double pull to go up with a chance to pass the guard, scoring 2-0. Higor responded by attacking with a leglock and raising the score to 2-1, but Eric managed to spin and land the footlock that put the 77kg gold medal on his shoulders.
85kg - Ronieri Silva vs. Leonardo Souza
Ronieri started the match by pulling a closed guard, while Leonardo looked for room to open up. Ronieri then broke away and threw his leg over Leonardo’s arm, spinning to lock a quick and tight armbar. With this pinpoint submission, Ronieri took the win and the division title.
94kg - Manoel Neto vs. Jo Pantoja
A high-octane fight in the under-94kg final. Manoel started by pulling and trying to sweep with his foot on the hip, a shift which Jo managed to avoid before being pulled into Manoel’s lasso guard. Jo then dove to try and go up, but Manoel hooked his leg and went up himself, scoring 2-0. Glued to Jo’s hip, Manoel positioned himself on the side control, earning three more points for passing the guard. He then slipped to Jo’s back, put the score at 9-0, and attacked the neck. Jo managed to defend but Manoel mounted, passed the guard again, and landed his knee on the opponent’s stomach, closing the duel with an astounding 18-0 to take the gold.
120kg - Fellipe Praia vs. Raimundo Brito
A standing match with an intense dispute for the dominant grips. Raimundo tried to use the legs twice for a takedown, but Fellipe defended without much risk. In one such attempt, Fellipe almost managed to stabilize on top, scoring one point for the near-takedown in the Falcon Eye’s analysis. Raimundo then tried to fight back with a single-leg, but Fellipe defended and landed a takedown without stabilizing the position, taking yet another point. With a 2-0 on the scoreboard, Fellipe Praia took the 120kg gold.
WOMEN’S GI / BROWN / BLACK / PROFESSIONAL
62kg - Julia Alves vs. Silviane Santos
In the battle for the top of the ranking, Julia Alves amassed important points with her win in the Brazilian National. Facing Silviane Tavares, the score was tied at 2-2 in a balanced match. To tip the scales, Julia landed a winning armlock and took the gold.
95kg - Thaianny Furtado vs. Juliana Pompeu
With two wins and no points scored against her, Thaianny Furtado took the top spot on the 95kg podium. After beating Vivianne Bessa by 3-0, Thaianny defeated Juliana Pompeu in the gold round with a 4-0 score to take the division title.
