ADWPJJC: Black Belt Champions Crowned in Epic Closing Act in Abu Dhabi
The 12th edition of the ADWPJJC is in the books. The adult black belt division for men and the adult brown/black belt for women put the closing numbers in four days of great Jiu-Jitsu in Abu Dhabi.
Talented competitors came from all over the world to test their skills at in the Jiu Jitsu Arena. Jiu-Jitsu fans watching all over the world were certainly thrilled with the action seen on the mats. Here’s how each weight class played out.
Male Black Belt
55kg – Francisco Jonas Andrade fought twice to secure his first ever gold medal in the black belt division of the ADWPJJC. He finished Finland’s Marko Oikarainen and met up with Johnif Rocha 6-3 in the final.
62kg – Diego Pato beat teammate Hiago George 4-3 in the final to win his first title as a black belt in the ADWPJJC. Before that, he finished France’s Mohamed Ali-Hayat.
69kg – Israel Sousa took the long route for the gold medal. He beat Yaroslav Blazhko (6-2), Juan Manuel Calderon (13-1), finished Gabriel Sousa and outscored Ali Monfaradi 6-1 in the final. Israel won his first ever gold medal as a black belt in the ADWPJJC.
77kg – Argentina’s Pablo Lavaselli fought three times to win his first ever title as a black belt in the ADWPJJC. He beat Andre Luiz Cantanhede (2-0), Adriano Araujo (5-2) and Espen Mathiesen (5-4) in the final.
85kg – The most anticipated match in the finals was Isaque Bahiense vs. Tommy Langaker. A thrilling 1-1 tie meant the title for Isaque as he scored last. Before that, Bahiense beat Kevin Cuervo (2-0), Nathan Mendelsohn (3-0), and Jaime Canuto (6-4) to secure his second ever gold medal as a black belt in the ADWPJJC.
94kg – What a ADWPJJC for Poland’s Adam Wardzinski. After winning the gold medal in the master 1 division, he came back to win also in the adult division. A 6-4 lead over Renato Cardoso in the final meant the gold medal, Adam’s first as a black belt in the ADWPJJC.
120kg – Guttemberg Pereira fought his path to the gold medal all the way from the Brazil qualifier. In the main bracket, Pereira first beat Paulo Brasil (4-0), Rodrigo Ribeiro (DQ) and Thiago Borges in the final (12-0). It was Guttemberg’s first ever title as a black belt in the ADWPJJC.
Female Brown/Black Belt
49kg – Brenda Larissa did what no else had done before. She beat Mayssa Bastos in the ADWPJJC final. In a sweep battle, Larissa built a 3-2 lead that secured her first ever gold medal as a brown/black belt division of the ADWPJJC.
55kg – Fierce rivals, Bianca Basílio and Ana Rodrigues once again battled for the gold medal. Close as always, the match ended with a 1-1 tie and a referees decision win to Bia. Before the final, Basílio beat Amal Amjahid 2-0, Alexa Yanes (1-0) and finished Lisi Vaht.
62kg – Beatriz Mesquita was literally unstoppable. She fought seven times and finished five opponents. In the final, she needed less than a minute to catch Larissa Paes in an armbar. Bia reached her sixth gold medal as a black belt in the ADWPJJC.
70kg – Julia Boscher could not contain her smile. The first gold medal as a black belt in the ADWPJJC came with a 2-0 win over Rafaela Bertolot. Before that, she beat Emma Kamaric 18-1 and finished Buyandelger Battsogt.
95kg – Another fierce rivalry, Gabi Pessanha vs. Yara Soares had another chapter this weekend in Abu Dhabi. A thrilling 3-3 tie in a battle of sweeps meant another title for Gabi as she scored last. Pessanha is now a back-to-back ADWPJJC champion as a black belt.