The 4th event in the 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour crowned its black belt champions this Friday, January 11, in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Keeping with the tradition of fast paced and always thrilling matches, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Abu Dhabi more than delivered to the crowd on the stands or watching all over the world via TV or streaming. As usual, the adult black belt division was the highlight of the program, with huge names on the mats showcasing their talent and drive to win. Here's how each champion was crowned in the adult male black belt division and the adult female brown/black belt division. ADULT MALE BLACK BELT 56kg – Back to back titles to Carlos Alberto de Oliveira. Bebeto fought twice to claim his second gold medal of the season. He first choked Frederico Guimarães from the back to reach the final. His opponent would be Massaki Todokoro. The Japanese beat Jorge Nakamura 2-1 on advantages. In the final, Bebeto imposed his game on Todokoro to build a 10-0 lead and take the title. 62kg – Hiago George is also a back to back champion. He fought three times to win the gold medal. His debut was a tough 2-1 win on advantages over Pedro Clementino. In the semifinals, a bow and arrow choke finished Gabriel Frenhan. On the other side of the bracket, João Miyao fought once to beat Russia's Isa Karasanov 2-0. In the final, after a 8-8 tie on points, Hiago took gold with a narrow 1-0 lead. 69kg - Paulo Miyao is back. He fought three times to claim the gold medal in Abu Dhabi. His debut was against Jordan's Abdullah Nabas, beat with a 11-2 lead. In the semifinal, Miyao caught Daniel Santana with a choke from the back. On the other side, Tiago Bravo had the perfect strategy to make his way to the final. In two matches, he beat Hilton Silva via referee decision and João Gabriel Sousa by one penalty. In the gold medal match, Miyao picked up the pace to reach the back and sink a bow and arrow choke. 77kg – After winning in Tokyo in the season opener, Diego Ramalho is back on top. In three matches, he first beat Italy's Alexandre Molinaro 2-0 and then outscored Marcos Paulo Costa 3-2 on advantages in the semifinal. Australia's Levi Jones-Leary was the surprise factor in the bracket. He first beat Adriano Araujo 6-2 and then took Roberto Satoshi's back to win 4-0. In the final, Ramalho was able to put the breaks on Levi to win with a 2-1 lead on advantages. 85kg – Lucas Barbosa worked hard in the most crowded division of the day. He debuted with a 2-0 win over Igor Sousa to meet Manuel Ribamar in the semifinal. A narrow 1-0 lead on advantages was enough to put Barbosa in the final. Rudson Mateus had no rest in Abu Dhabi. He debuted against no other than Gabriel Arges, making it through with a 2-1 lead on advantages. In the semifinal, Rudson found an armbar to finish Bradley Hill. The final was a very tactical match that ended with a 0-0 tie. Barbosa took the title home via split referees decision. 94kg – Finally gold for Adam Wardzinski. One of the most active competitors in the ADGS circuit, the Polish black belt seemed to always come up short of the gold medal. Not this time. In three matches, Adam first finished Matheus Godoy from the back, then beat Zayed Al Kaabi via WO in the semifinal. The last challenge would be Renato Cardoso, who made it to the final with a 20-0 win over Oriones Netto and then a 2-0 lead on Helton Junior in the semifinal. The gold medal match was close, but Adam made his game work and built a 2-1 lead on advantages to take the gold medal home. 110kg – Third gold medal for Erberth Santos in the 2018/2019 season. A fan favorite in Abu Dhabi, Erberth first beat Paulo Pinto 2-0 with a takedown. The opponent in the final would be known rival Ricardo Evangelista, who beat Rodrigo Ribeiro by referee decision. In the final, a narrow 1-0 lead on advantages put Erberth on the highest step on the podium. ADULT FEMALE BROWN/BLACK BELT 55kg – Ariadne Oliveira fought twice to claim the gold medal. She first caught Sayuri Toledo with a foot lock to make it to the final. On the other side of the bracket, Mayssa Caldas moved up from the 49kg division to beat Amal Anjahid 6-0 and make it to the final. The gold medal match was decided by one sweep and a 2-0 lead for Ariadne. 62kg – Two matches and two submissions for Bianca Basílio to keep the crown in the weight class. She first caught Hope Douglas with a foot lock. Dayane Bazzoni made it to the final with a submission on Sabryne Cruz. In the final, Bianca worked her way to Dayane's back to sink a bow and arrow choke. 70kg – Three strikes for Thamara. The brown belt debuted in the division with a armbar finish on Poland's Magdalena Loska. Samantha Cook also made to the final, but with a 7-0 win over Venezuela's Veronica Macedo. The final was a thrilling match. Behind 2-0 on the scoreboard, Thamara went for a last second back take to turn the score to a 4-2 lead and take the gold medal home. 90kg – With three athletes, both Gabrielli Pessanha and Nathiely de Jesus finished Marcelle Cantanhede to reach the final. The gold medal match was very close and Gabrieli won her fourth title in the season with a 1-0 lead on advantages after a 4-4 tie on points. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Abu Dhabi returns this Saturday, January 12, for the final day of matches. The highlight of day 3 is going to be the middleweight bracket in the Abu Dhabi King of Mats series. Ten of the best competitors in the world will clash for the title. You will be able to watch all the action live online on FloGrappling. For more info, click here. Follow the complete coverage on Instagram @ADWJJT.

The heavyweights set the mat on fire in Los Angeles this past September, when Erberth Santos secured his spot as King of Mats belt contender. Now it is time for the ten of the best middleweight competitors in the world to clash in Abu Dhabi for their chance to challenge the belt holder Charles Negromonte. The Abu Dhabi King Of Mats Middleweight bracket will kick off on Saturday, January 12, at the Mubadala Arena, as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour. Who are the 10 warriors who will battle in Abu Dhabi? Here are quick bios of each one of the competitors. You will be able to watch all the action live online at FloGrappling. For more info, click here. Follow the complete coverage on our Instagram page. Gabriel Arges (Gracie Barra) From Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Arges is one of the most accomplished competitors coming out of Romulo Barral's talent factory. At 25 years old, he just opened his own academy in Thousand Oaks, California, but he keeps very active in the competition scene. A two-time ADWPJJC champion (2015/2016), Arges is known for his guard game, specially the X and single-leg X and is a bog contender for the chance to fight for the belt. Roberto Satoshi (Bonsai Japan) Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Satoshi, now 29, comes from a rich lineage within Jiu-Jitsu. Son of the late Master Adilson de Souza, he and his brothers Mauricio Souza and Marcos Yoshio moved to Japan to teach the art in the country of their origins. Known for his power up routine before every match and his deadly guard game, Satoshi is very active in the competition circuit with great results. A two-time ADWPJJC champion (2012/2014), Satoshi will be a problem to each one of his opponents in Abu Dhabi . Isaque Bahiense (Alliance) From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Isaque Bahiense started his Jiu-Jitsu journey under Professor Fabio Andrade, as part of the Nova União squad. As a brown belt, he changed teams and joined Alliance under Professor Fabio Gurgel, where he eventually earned his black belt. At 23 years of age, Isaque has become one of the most accomplished competitors of his generation. A 2018 ADWPJJC champion, he will try to impose his guard passing game on every opponents. Espen Mathiesen (Kimura/Nova União) From Egersund, Norway, Mathiesen, now 23, came into the black belt scene with a boom. After great results in the lower belts, he had his great breakout at the 2018 ADWPJJC, with a powerful performance to win the 77kg division. A skillful guard player, Mathiesen will be a threat to all opponents. Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) From Andre Galvão's den of champions in San Diego, Lucas Barbosa exploded in the competition circuit with very powerful performances and also a highly technical game. At 26 years of age, the Brazilian born in Boa Vista, Roraima, first made his presence felt in the lower belts, with a series of titles in important events. He is a 2015 ADWPJJC champion as a brown belt. After receiving his black belt, the level of performance remained steady and Lucas will make use of his well-rounded game to steamroll his opponents in Abu Dhabi. Diego Ramalho (ZR Team) From Recife, Brazil, Diego Ramalho is another upcoming talent out of Zé Radiola's black belt forge. Now living in California, he divides his time between competition training and teaching Jiu-Jitsu. At 25 years of age, Ramalho is a force to be reckon with at the middleweight division. With a strong game and dangerous attacks to the leg and feet of his opponents, he's been a familiar face on podiums throughout the current season. Alan “Finfou” Nascimento (Checkmat) At 36, Finfou is the most experienced of all competitors in the middleweight roster. He has competed against everyone and everywhere. Born in Niteroi, Brazil, Finfou got into Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Fernando Tererê. Now living and teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Sweden, Finfou often travels to compete all over the world. He'll certainly bring his dangerous guard game to the mats in Abu Dhabi and it should be no surprise to anyone if he catches one or more opponents in his dreaded triangle chokes. DJ Jackson (Team Lloyd Irvin) The American of the group is a powerful wrestler with a intense game that relies on his impressive physical strength. From District Heights, Maryland, DJ Jackson, now 30, trained his whole career under Professor Lloyd Irvin. In Abu Dhabi, he'll take someone down, pass their guard and probably go for a kimura lock from side control. Just watch. Manuel Ribamar (NS Brotherhood) From Manaus, Brazil, Ribamar is one of the top talents of his generation with awesome results in tournaments all over the world. He developed under Professors Rodrigo Pinheiro and Cicero Costha, Ribamar established himself as one of the top contender in his weight class. With 25 years of age, he arrives in Abu Dhabi to make a serious dent in the competition with hopes of getting to the top. Rudson Mateus (Caio Terra Association) No arm is safe when Rudson Mateus is on the mat. Born in Manacapuru, Brazil, he shot through the competition scene like a rocket, achieving important results in the lower belts. As a black belt under the highly technical Caio Terra, Mateus only developed his game further. He's been very successful in the present season. In Abu Dhabi, he'll be a serious contender for the top spot in the middleweight bracket.

As the 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour moves to the United Arab Emirates on January 10-12, 2019, a lot of the champions from the latest edition in Rio are already registered to compete in Abu Dhabi. In the female division, Rio gold medalists Mayssa Bastos (49kg), Bianca Basílio (62kg), Thamara Silva (70kg) and Gabrieli Pessanha (90kg) are already confirmed to compete in the Mubadala Arena. Mayssa will be going for her fourth title in four stages of the present season. Gabi is also after maintaining a perfect record in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. Thamara Silva wants her third gold medal in four stops of the tour while Bia is going for her second gold medal. In the male division, Hiago George (62kg) is the Rio champion already registered to compete. The bracket will most probably feature another tough duel with Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Los Angeles champion João Gabriel Batista. Organized by the UAEJJF, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Abu Dhabi Tour is scheduled January 10-12, 209, at the Mubadala Arena, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The registration deadline is January 6. Click here for more info. You can watch it live on FloGrappling. Follow the compete coverage on Instagram.

The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Rio is already a historic event even before the first athlete steps on the mats of the Arena Carioca 1. With over 2,300 athletes, the event has broken all the records of previous editions, with competitors of all ages and skill levels testing their skills for three days. The black belt division alone will feature some of the best competitors in the game today. Stars are flying from all over the world to compete in Rio and write their name in history while fighting for their share of over $120,000 in prizes. The list of names includes former and current ADWPJJC champions such as Mayssa Bastos (49kg), Amal Anjahid (55kg), Talita Alencar (55kg), Bianca Basilio (62kg), Isaque Bahiense (85kg), Erberth Santos (110kg). The list also includes ADGS champions that are once again on the run for the gold medal in their divisions, such as Amanda Nogueira (55kg), Samantha Cook (70kg), Gabrieli Pessanha (90kg), Jorge Nakamura (56kg), Hiago George (62kg), João Gabriel de Sousa (62kg), Jaime Canuto (77kg), Diego Ramalho (85kg), Rudson Mateus (94kg), Ricardo Evangelista (110kg). The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Rio kicks off this Friday, November 16 and wraps up on Sunday, November 18. Click here for more info. Follow the complete coverage on the Instagram @ADWJJT. You can watch all over the world on Flo Grappling. Click here for more info on the live stream.

The Abu Dhabi Legends series returns to Brazil during the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Rio, on November 16-18, at Arena Carioca 1, for another sure to be thrilling match of two big names of the sport. Black belt 5th degree Rafael Carino will defend his title against also black belt 5th degree Alexandre Barauna. Carino was one of the standouts of the ADGS Rio in 2017 when he beat Carlão Barreto with a takedown to build a 2-0 lead and take the Legends gold medal home. This time, the Nova União professor will face another great challenge in Alexandre Barauna, from GF Team. "I just have to say thanks to the UAEJJF for the opportunity. Now it is my job to train hard and have an excellent fight," said Barauna. Carino also commented on the upcoming battle: "It'll be a pleasure to fight again on the Legends, and this time against another very tough guy like Barauna." The match promises to be as entertaining as last year's clash between Carino and Barreto. The final deadline to register for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Rio is November 9. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to compete alongside some of the best competitors in the world and get a chance to win a share of the $120K in prizes. The list of black belts already signed in is impressive, featuring: Mayssa Caldas, Gabrieli Pessanha, Amanda Nogueira, Jorge Nakamura, Hiago George, Isaque Bahiense, Erberth Santos, Helton Junior, Rudson Matheus, Kaynan Duarte, Ricardo Evangelista, among others. Click here to register now and become part of Jiu-Jitsu history in Brazil.

Erberth Santos was the name of the event at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Los Angeles, on September 22-23. The Brazilian black belt had a flawless performance to win both the 110kg division at the ADGS and the Abu Dhabi King of Mats Heavyweight GP. Erberth had to face some of the most dangerous opponents in the game today. He talked about how he managed to keep such a high level of performance: “I think the right word for it is focus. I try to be as focused as possible in my goals. That weekend I did what I am used to, which is to fight without holding anything back. I can honestly say that the high performance is the result of the drive to fulfill the goal of being the champion.” Erberth is now focusing on the next challenge, which will be the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro, scheduled November 16-18, at the Arena Carioca 1. He is already registered to compete in the 110kg division and hopes to achieve the same results as he did in LA. Fighting in his home country, Erberth knows he'll have to deal with people rooting for him and people rooting against him. He tells us how he deals with that: “I am very happy to receive appraisal from the fans and from all the people that enjoy my work. For those who don't like me, all I can say it that it's part of life. I will never pretend to be what I am not.” The 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour lands in Brazil on November 16-18. The registration deadline is November 9 and the event is open to all ages and nationalities. The ADGS Rio will offer a total cash prize of $120,000. Register now at https://events.uaejjf.org/en/event/113.

A brand new venue to open a brand new year. The 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour was up to a good start this Sunday, July 29, in Tokyo, Japan. The crowd that packed the stands at the Ota Center General Gymnasium was treated to unparalleled thrills in the largest Abu Dhabi Grand Slam event in Japan so far. More than 700 athletes of all belts and age groups gave their best to achieve their goals and walk out with the much desired gold medals and also a good share of over US$ 120,000 in prizes. The black belt division, both for adult athletes and masters, was the main center of attention for all of those who came to watch in loco as well as those who watched live on TV or over the internet. After a full day of matches, here are the final results of each weight class in the adult black belt division. Male Black Belt 56kg – In a single match between two countrymen, Japan's Nobuhiro Sawada beat Massaki Todokoro 1-0 on advantages after a very close and tough match. 62kg – Tomoyuki Hashimoto caught Brazil's João Gabriel Batista early in a triangle in the final, but the Brazilian was able to escape after a long struggle. Nevertheless, the advantage for the triangle was the edge Hashimoto needed to win the gold medal. Before the final, Hashimoto finished Yuto Hirao in his first match of the day. 69kg – In a single match, Australia's Lee Ting beat Brazil's Marcio Medeiros with a 8-0 lead that secured him the gold medal. 77kg – Diego Ramalho had a long way to the title. In four matches, he first beat South Korea's Inseong Jang 2-0, then repeated the score against Canadian Jacob Mackenzie to meet and finish Japan's Yuji Okamoto in the semifinal. The gold medal match was a close affair, with Ramalho and Kleber Koike fighting to the very end. A narrow 1-0 lead on advantages allowed Ramalho to take the title home. 85kg – The USA also had one champion crowned in DJ Jackson. The black belt fought three times this Sunday, first finishing Japan's Takagi Shota with and armbar and then also getting the tap against Alan Fidelis. In the final, Jackson worked his top game to outscore Great Britain's Bradley Hill with a takedown and a guard pass to build a 5-0 lead. 94kg – Rudson Mateus was another champion to enter the mat three times. He debuted against Germany's Nicolas Penzer, beat by a 9-2 final score. Then he finished Anton Minenko with a armbar from the 50/50 guard and met up with Arya Esfandmaz in the final. The Brazilian black belt imposed his game on Arya to build a 9-0 lead and take the gold medal home. 110kg – In two matches, Guttemberg Pereira was able to dominate the mat and finish Wanderson Amakawa twice to claim the title. The armlock was the weapon of choice both times for Pereira. Female Brown/Black Belt 49kg – Mayssa Caldas came, fought, finished both her opponents and took the gold medal home. The Brazilian caught Japan's Iori Echigo and Aya Matsumoto with her trademark bow and arrow choke. 55kg – Another reigning ADWPJJC champion, now a black belt, Amal Anjahid kept no prisoners in Tokyo. In two matches, she first finished South Korea's Eummi Lee with a lapel choke from side control and then caught Livia Gluchowska with a foot lock to continue to reign supreme in the division. 62kg – In one match, Larissa Paes beat Natalia Zumba 5-2 to take the gold medal home. 70kg – Samantha Cook and Claudia were the favorites to be in the final and both made it there. Do Val beat Meagan Evans 2-0 and Priscilla Cerqueira by decision to reach the gold medal match. Cook caught Caroline Marciano with a choke from the back. In the final, after a very close match, the referees decided in favor of Cook following a 0-0 tie on points. 90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha is another upcoming talent that deserves attention. In two matches, she paved her way to the gold medal with imposing performances. She first beat Jessica Andrade 17-2 and then outscored Shantelle Thompson 14-0. Legends Shaolin secures a narrow win against a very game Daisuke Shiraki The match was way closer than most of the crowd expected. Two times Legends champion Vitor Shaolin had to work really hard to beat a very tough opponent in Japan's Daisuke Shiraki. The Japanese black belt started out in full speed to quickly reach Shaolin's half guard and score an advantage. With all the experience acquired in decades of training and competing, Shaolin put the breaks on Shiraki's enthusiasm and found the strength to attack a cross choke from the closed guard to score an advantage and secure the win by one penalty. The crowd was pleased with the show put by both fighters. Teams After all was said and done, the teams received the trophies for the collective results of its athletes. The podium was formed as follows: 1st – Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Japan) – 6390pts 2nd – Infight Japan (Japan) – 2920pts 3rd – Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club (UAE) – 1820pts The complete results for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo are here. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour will be back in less than two months. The second leg of the 2018/2019 season is already schedule September 22, in Los Angeles, USA. The registration is already open for athletes of all nationalities. Secure your spot now. Click here to register.

Based on rules of the Olympic Charter, the Qualification System aims to ensure that the principles of universality, performance, country, representation and gender equity, remain the focus for the UAEJJF participation. In addition, a number of other technical principles and rules have been established to provide a basis for the development of the UAEJJF Qualification System. The ranking is the most fair way of awarding the effort and the talent of each athlete that signs up to one of the UAEJJF tournaments throughout the year. It is also a great incentive for more and more athletes to take part in as many events as they can. The next pages will explain how the ranking works and the new changes. Have a good read, put on your gi and go out there to add points right away. How does the ranking work and what are the main changes? The ranking period will be in general for 24 months. The Seven (7) best results during next season (12 months’ period) will count + one extra (8th) result from the Continental Pro + the result of Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship, starting from 1st May 2018. The points for each individual tournament will expire as follows: From May 1st, 2018 to April 30th, 2019 the points will count 100%. After May 1st, 2019 the points will be reduced to 50%. After May 1st, 2020 the points will be reduced to 0 and not count anymore. The dividing line is the first week of May 2019. Example: If tournament is held in first week of May 2018, the points are reduced to half on the first week on May 2019 and expired in the first week of May 2020. How to add points in the ranking? You add points in the ranking by at least participating in one of the events of the UAEJJF calendar (the current calendar started on May 1, 2018 and ends on April 30, 2019). There are six kinds of events in terms of how many points you'll get: ADWPJJC – 6 stars, Abu Dhabi Grand Slam – 5 stars, Continental Pro – 4 stars, National Pro – 3 stars, International Pro – 2 stars, Regional tournament – 1 star. How many rankings are there? The UAEJJF has divided the ranking in several categories. You can say that the two most important are male adult black belt and female adult brown/black belt. Each belt has its own ranking starting with white belts. You also have a ranking in the male master division, an academy ranking, continental and country rankings. There are also No-Gi rankings. For what else is the ranking used for by the UAEJJF? The Federation will use the ranking to decide your position on the bracket of the ADWPJJC. It will also use the ranking to invite athletes to compete in the ADWPJJC. In addition the ranking will be used to select fighters for the new Abu Dhabi King of Mats through Continental Ranking and Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Placements. What are the prizes for ranking leaders? After all the effort, it is natural that ranking leaders at the end of the season receive proper rewards. The tables bellow show the main prizes for both the Gi and No-Gi rankings. The male adult Gi black belt division alone will award US$40,000, while the female Gi brown/black belt division will award US$18,000. That's the same amount reserved for the male adult brown belt ranking leaders and the master 1 male black belt division. What else do you need to know about the ranking? Yes. There are a few details you need to know about the ranking. If you are alone in a division, you won't earn points in the ranking. If you change belts during the season, you lose the points from the previous belt. The same happens if you change age divisions during the calendar. Due to the academies ranking, the UAEJJF will not change an athlete's team during the same season. Another features to be implemented are that athletes will get points for not only placements, but also for each matches won. For example, athletes can get a certain point for a gold medal, but will also earn extra points for each win. So if athletes win a really large bracket that could lead award more points than smaller brackets. On top on that athletes will be awarded even extra points for different type of wins, for example winning by advantage or by submissions. Are there any more novelties in the ranking for the 2018-2019 season? In case of equality of total RANK points, the higher ranking will be decided by: 1. The highest sum of the current points from World Pro. 2. The highest sum of the current points from all Abu Dhabi Grand Slams. 3. The highest sum of the current points from all Continental Pro, followed by National Pro, International Pro and Regional Championships. 4. The highest current points from one single event, then, if needed, the second highest, and so on. 5. If the competitors are still equal the decision will be taken by the number of matches done by the fighter through the season, followed by the fastest submission(s) or who made more points during the matches in case of World Pro Qualification. Click here for more info 2018-2019 World Ranking (updated)

It's the final week of registration for the first event in the 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour. The final deadline to sign up to compete in Tokyo, Japan, is July 24. The event is open to athletes of all nationalities. For more info and to register, go to https://events.uaejjf.org/en/event/109. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo will showcase the talents of some of the biggest names in Jiu-Jitsu today. The event is the perfect opportunity for the stars to add points in the UAEJJF ranking and also compete for their share of over US$120,000 in prizes. Here are some of the names already confirmed to compete in Tokyo: Mayssa Caldas, Amal Amjahid, Bianca Basílio, Claudia Do Val, Larissa Paes, Samantha Cook, Nathiely Melo, Paulo Miyao, Tiago Bravo, Ali Munfaredi, DJ Jackson, Jacob Mackenzie, Kaynan Duarte, Rudson Matheus, Guttemberg Pereira, João Gabriel Rocha, Gerard Labinski. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo will also feature the return of the Legends series. Two-time Legends champion Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro will face off with Japanese black belt Daisuke Sugie. The match is highly awaited and should treat the crowd to thrilling action from beginning to end. All the action will be webcasted live from Tokyo by Flograppling. Watch it live on flograppling.com. The 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour already has five stops scheduled: Tokyo (July 29); Los Angeles (September 22-23); Rio de Janeiro (November 16-18); Abu Dhabi (February 7-9); London (March 9-10). For more info, go to https://events.uaejjf.org/en/federation/1/events.

The first event in the 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour is a little over a month away. Those wishing to compete in Tokyo, Japan, on July 29, have an important date this Wednesday. The early registration deadline is June 27, so you have to hurry to sign up if you want to pay less for your registration. The final registration deadline is July 24. Organized by the UAEJJF, the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo is scheduled July 29, at the Ota Gymnasium. For more info and to register now, go to https://events.uaejjf.org/en/event/109. As with every installment of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, big names are already lining up to compete in Japan. 2018 ADWPJJC champions Amal Amjahid, Mayssa Caldas and Bianca Basílio are in. Other relevant presences include João Gabriel Rocha, Guttemberg Pereira, Kaynan Duarte, Tiago Bravo, Gerard Labinski, Livia Gluchowska, Larissa Paes, Samantha Cook, Nathiely de Jesus. The 2018/2019 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour already has five stops scheduled: Tokyo (July 29); Los Angeles (September 22-23); Rio de Janeiro (November 16-18); Abu Dhabi (February 7-9); London (March 9-10). For more info, go to https://events.uaejjf.org/en/federation/1/events.

Registration is now open The Championship to pay tribute to “Year of Zayed” initiative marking Sheikh Zayed’s 100th birthday New sports, cultural and recreation events on the sidelines of the Championship The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation launches its new strategy for the next phase The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation announced the specific dates of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship 2018, unveiling some details about the accompanying events. It was announced that the 10th edition of the Championship will be held on April 16 to 28, 2018 at Zayed Sports City’s Mubadala Arena in the capital Abu Dhabi and that the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Award will be held on April 29 recognizing and honoring Jiu-Jitsu’s best talents and organizations. This international event will be accompanied by special initiatives marking the Championship’s 10th anniversary, including Abu Dhabi World Jiu Jitsu Festival, Jiu-Jitsu U-18 World Championship and Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship featuring renowned world champions in different categories, in addition to the world class events to be held on the sidelines of the Championship to provide an experience to remember to the community in general and the families in particular. The organizing committee stated that the Championship will celebrate the Year of Zayed initiative with tribute to the 100th birthday of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates. In this respect, various community initiatives are to be organized in cooperation with stakeholders from the public and private sectors, along with several sports, health, educational and awareness activities and workshops. The participation applications will be received starting today December 19 via the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s official website uaejjf.com. As far as promotion is concerned, the organizing committee mentioned that the Championship will be preceded by activations across the UAE to raise awareness about this sport and the associated values and ethics, such as discipline, courage, patience, endurance, team spirit, timely and appropriate decision-making and loyalty in the aim to contribute to Building a Strong Generation, which has always been the Federation’s strategic objective. It was also revealed that the Federation’s new 5-year strategy will be announced during the Championship, together with the objectives to be achieved, as the previous strategy has seen significant success reaching remarkable milestones in terms of promoting and raising awareness about this sport, making outstanding continental and international achievements and paving the way for renowned champions.