AJP Dubai International: Professionals raise the stakes and fight for the title
September 1, 2024
Bringing some of the best athletes from the international competitive scene to the beautiful landscape of the United Arab Emirates, the AJP Tour Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 took place this weekend, from August 30th to September 1st, and gave AJP competitors yet another chance to become a champion in one of the most important organizations in the sport. The first day of the competition brought an exciting outlook on the future of the sport with the Youth category, followed by an interesting duality on the second day as Amateurs and Masters shared the mats, but it was on the third and final day that the tournament brought the most awaited group: The Professional category.
With purple and brown belts fighting tooth and nail for their chance to take the gold in the UAE, the black belts who make up the fearsome "Elite of Jiu-Jitsu" also joined the fray this Sunday, September 1st, and gave the crowds yet another reminder of exactly why they stand atop of the competitive food chain. Each of the divisions had a lot of action so, without further ado, check out below the black belt warriors that rose as champions in Dubai this weekend, and click here for the full results.
Starting with the men, the 62kg division was conquered by Bruno Borges (Abu Dhabi Police Academy), who beat Abdullah Al Farsi (Oman Sur Academy) by 12-1 in the semifinal and then scored last in a 1-1 tie against Bernardo Moraes (M.O.D UAE). With three fights in the 69kg bracket, Ricardo Conceição (Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy) outscored Jonathan França (M.O.D UAE) in the quarters, submitted Thiago Buscacio (M.O.D UAE) in the semifinal, and took the gold after landing another submission against his teammate Antonio Neto.
In the 77kg division, Ali Monfaradi (Elements JJ Bahrain) showed his skills as he scored 4-0 against Thabet Al Taher (Entropy Jiu Jitsu) in the quarterfinals, submitted Gabriel Machado (M.O.D UAE) in the semis, and landed a 7-4 score against Fernando Favari (M.O.D UAE) to take the gold. Jonatham Silva (Abu Dhabi Police Academy) outscored three opponents on his way to the 85kg title, landing an 11-0 against Breno Lima (M.O.D UAE), a 4-2 against Lucas Giraud (Commando Group), and a 2-0 over Marcos Paulo Costa (M.O.D UAE) in the final round.
Over at the 94kg division, Catriel Rodrigues (Team Zone 10 Jiu Jitsu) had his skills on full display as he scored 5-2 against Axel Silva (M.O.D UAE) in the quarters and 9-3 over Renato Cardoso (Commando Group) in the semifinal before submitting Denis Souza (Commando Group) on the gold round. In the heaviest division, Wallace Costa (M.O.D UAE) first submitted his teammate Flavio Serafin and then landed a 5-3 score against Sviatoslav Ognev (M.O.D UAE) to take the 120kg title.
On the women's side, Juliane Moraes (M.O.D UAE) overcame two opponents to take the 55kg gold, while Rafaela Bertolot (Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy) became the 62kg champion after submitting Izabel Seki (Team Nogueira Dubai) in the semifinal and then beating Eduarda Lima (M.O.D UAE) via decision. Last but not least, Marcelle Catanhede (M.O.D UAE) made her way back to the battlefield after conquering the gold in the Master 1 category on the previous day, this time outscoring both Victoria Oliveira (Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club) and Yara Kakish (Entropy Jiu Jitsu) to get her second title.
All the fights from the AJP Tour Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 were recorded and stored at the modern TX7.com, a platform that brings all the fights from the main AJP and ADXC tournaments around the world, so make your registration and relive every second of the action from this weekend. Make sure to also follow @ajptour on social media to be the first to know about the next big tournaments coming all across the globe.