June 12, 2023
While the ADGS Rio heated things up in Brazil during the weekend, three AJP events welcomed athletes from all over and kept the action going around the globe. Check out below the highlights of each tournament!
Alexandar Alexandrov keeps the National gold in Bulgaria
On Saturday, June 10th, the AJP Tour Bulgaria National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 brought the federation's signature action to the city of Burgas. At the Sports Hall Mladost, three fight areas welcomed both colored and black belts to show their prowess and fight for a chance at the gold.
A local black belt hungry to show his talent, Alexandar Alexandrov (Bruno Bastos Jiu-Jitsu Association) was the highlight after reaching the top of his division. In a round-robin, Alexandar fought fellow countryman Kristiqn Krastev (GFTeam) twice, taking the first win via decision. In the final round, a more confident Alexandar stepped up to the mats, taking the Professional 120kg division gold with a submission.
Saoud Alhammadi becomes the absolute champion at the Netherlands National
Still on Saturday, the AJP Tour Netherlands National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 took over the Topsport Center Almere for another round of high-octane fights. By the end of the day, adult athletes from all graduations had a chance to step onto the federation's mats and shine in their respective brackets.
Among all the competitors, UAE's Saoud Alhammadi (ADNOC) was a standout. In the Open Heavyweight division, Saoud fought a hard battle against fellow countryman and teammate Mohamed Alamri. After a duel that lasted the entirety of the regulated time, a 2-1 score cemented Saoud's status as the absolute champion of the tournament.
UAE athletes conquer the No-Gi Grand Prix in Amsterdam
Even though the Netherlands National had reached its conclusion, the fight kept going in the Topsport Center Almere. On the very same day, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix No-Gi 2022-2023 welcomed returning and new athletes to test their grappling skills across three fight areas.
In the professional black belt category, the UAE completely stole the spotlight. First, in the 69kg division, Sultan Alowais (Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club) outscored Brazilian Gervanir Santana (Zr Team Association) twice, taking the first win by 7-1 and the gold medal by a whooping 16-0.
Then, in the 94kg bracket, a best-of-three dispute pitted Mohamed Alamri (ADNOC) against Mohammad Ali (Kuwait Jiu-Jitsu Academy). After winning the first duel and losing the second one, Mohamed went all-out in the final round, landing a 5-2 to defeat Mohammad and become the division champion.
