Grand Slam LA: Miyao vs. Miyao, Erberth's first gold and more on day 2 devoted to no-gi divisions
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Los Angeles completed its program this Sunday, September 4, with high-level no-gi competition at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Athletes of all belt rankings, from juvenile to master 2, put on a great show for the crowd. Once again, the adult black belt division for men and the adult brown/black belt division for women were the highlights. Here are the results for each weight class.
Male Black Belt
67kg: Brothers João Miyao and Paulo Miyao confirmed their favorite status and made it to the final. They had a hard-fought battle for the gold medal and João was able to catch Paulo in an armbar to win near the end of the match. Medalists: 1st – João Miyao, 2nd Paulo Miyao, 3rd – Tiago Arthur Molina.
75kg: With only one fight, the division was short-lived, but equally thrilling. Bret Russell was able to catch Mario Silva with a triangle/armbar early in the match after the opponent managed a takedown. On a side and touching note, Silva is a special needs athlete as he lacks the lower part of his left leg after a motorcicle accident a few years ago. He’s also an example of devotion to Jiu-Jitsu. Medalists: 1st – Bret Russell, 2nd – Mario Silva.
83kg: In another match that ended quickly, John Combs caught Sergio da Silva in a guillotine to win the gold medal. Medalists: 1st – John Combs, 2nd – Sergio da Silva, 3rd – Stephen Hargett.
92kg: Erberth Santos came back from a day 1 of setbacks to win his first gold medal at the Grand Slam LA. Veteran Murilo Santana was able to finish William Nyman with an armbar in the semifinal to meet Erberth in the final. The gold medal match ran its course with Erberth building a 6-0 lead with a sweep and a back take. Medalists: 1st – Erberth Santos, 2nd – Murilo Santana, 3rd – William Nyman.
108kg: Powerhouses Igor Silva and Ricardo Evangelista reached the final for the enjoyment of the crowd. One advantage to Igor for reaching Evangelista’s half guard was enough to set the destiny of the gold medal. Medalists: 1st – Igor Silva, 2nd – Ricardo Evangelista, 3rd – Mahamed Aly.
Female Brown/Black Belt
60kg: In two matches, Heather Raftery reached the top of the podium. First she finished Gegi De Walker and then met Lila Smadja in the final. A 28-0 blow out was the perfect translation of Raftery’s control of her opponent to win the gold medal. Medalists: 1st – Heather Raftery, 2nd – Lila Smadja, 3rd – Gegi De Walker.
68kg: . With two seeps, Jessica Trindade outscored Amanda Loewen 4-0 for the gold medal in the division’s only match. Medalists: 1st Jessica Trindade, 2nd – Amanda Loewen.
88kg: Tara White won silver with the gi, and did even better in the no-gi division. In one match, she caught Tereza Souza with a hand triangle to secure the gold medal. Medalists: 1st – Tara White, 2nd – Tereza Souza.
Lots of thrills as well in the Master 1 black belt division. Aluizio Moizinho (picture) won the 75kg division with a 5-0 lead over Chai Sirisute, Piter Silva was the 83kg champion after catching Paul Schon in an armbar, Paulo Jose Pinto won the 92kg division with a 1-0 lead on advantages over Victor Bonfim and Luke Harris was the 108kg champion.
After two days of fierce matches, the final team results for the Gi and No-Gi divisions are:
GI – Medal Count
1st – Checkmat International: 9 Gold, 12 Silver, 4 Bronze, 25 Total
2nd – Alliance Los Angeles: 7 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze, 12 Total
3rd – RG – CT: 5 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze, 9 Total
No-Gi
1st – Atos Jiu-Jitsu – Andre Galvão – 6 Gold, 3 Silver, 9 Total
2nd – Checkmat International – 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 6 Bronze, 16 Total
3rd – GF Team – 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Total
Click here for the full results.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour returns on October 23. The next stop will be in Tokyo, Japan. Click here to know more about it.
Coverage brought to you by Fuji.