June 19, 2023
AJP returns for another action-packed weekend. This time, four countries hosted their respective championships under the federation’s purview, welcoming athletes and fight fans alike to witness grand displays of Jiu-Jitsu. Check the highlights of each tournament below!
Sultan Alowais and Yara Kakish show their prowess at the Dubai International
Starting on Friday, June 16th, and going all the way until Sunday, June 18th, the AJP Tour Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 brought the federation’s signature style closer to its roots. With three days of action and seven fight areas set up in the Al Nasr Club, athletes from all ages had the opportunity to shine as they fought for glory in the AJP’s mats.
Among the many impressive performances shown at the tournament, two Middle-Eastern black belts were the standouts. First, in the Men’s 62kg division, Emirati Sultan Alowais (Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club) displayed his talent in the gentle art as he outscored Iranian Mehran Sattar (Iran Jiu-Jitsu Academy) by 4-1. Then, in the Women’s 70kg category, Jordanian Yara Kakish (Entropy Jiu-Jitsu) landed a golden submission on Brazil’s Stephany Vieira (Palm Sports - Team 777) to become the champion.
Masters steal the show at the Belgium National
On Saturday, June 17th, the AJP Tour Belgium National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 took over the Sporthal ULB Erasmus, in the city of Brussels. Fighters from all over the world promptly headed to the European country in hopes of adding another victory to their names and consolidating their spots atop the federation’s rankings.
The Master black belt categories were the highlights of the day. In the Men’s Gi 85kg bracket, Argentine Fausto Godoy (PSLPB Cícero Costha) dominated French Saufyane Benseghir (Ronin Fight Team), putting the score at 12-0 before submitting for the gold. Still in the gi, the 94kg title went to Germany’s Janos Estergal (GFTeam), who snatched the win from the hands of Mohammad Ali (Kuwait Jiu-Jitsu Academy) by 2-1.
Mohammad later returned to the 94kg division, this time gunning for the No-Gi title. In the match for the gold, Mohammad faced Saufyane, who had also returned to the mats after a defeat, and landed a winning submission to take the title.
Mikael Rhaillander submits twice to take the gold in Birmingham
On that same day, England opened the doors of the WV Active Aldersley to host the AJP Tour Birmingham International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023. Starting with Youths and ending with the Adult category, the tournament brought memorable duels to its mats, for the joy of the fight fans and those that watched it on AJPTour.tv.
Despite being a long way from home, Brazilian black belt Mikael Rhaillander (Zr Team Association) took both the gold and the event’s spotlight. In the Professional 120kg bracket, Mikael stepped into a round-robin, which saw him going up against UK’s Omar Frederick (Lucio Sergio BJJ Life Style) twice. Mikael first submitted Omar, who then went on to outscore Przemyslaw Mysiala by 9-5. In the final round, Mikael once again showed his talent, as he landed yet another submission on Omar, taking the win and his place atop the podium.
**Urokov Feruzbek and Daulet Dyussekenov submit everyone to become absolute champions in Kazakhstan
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One of the 10 largest countries in the world, Kazakhstan joined AJP as they welcomed competitors for the AJP Tour Almaty Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023. With the fights held in the Sadu Arena, colored belts stepped onto the federation’s mats hungry for the experience and renown they’d need to advance to the next stage of their journey in the sport.
The Absolute divisions were the highlights of the tournament. In the Open Lightweight bracket, Uzbekistan’s Urokov Feruzbek was a force of nature, submitting every opponent that stood in his path. In the final round, he scored 8-0 against Olzhas Qassym before landing his third and final submission to take the gold.
The Open Heavyweight didn’t lose on the action, though. Kazakh Daulet Dyussekenov kept the fire going by submitting teammate Sabiyev Ruslan in the semifinal. In the last match, he faced Tair Aissarov, another colleague from Kazakhstan National Team, and closed his golden campaign with yet another submission.
