WEEKEND RECAP: AJP CLOSES FEBRUARY IN A HIGH NOTE WITH FOUR OUTSTANDING TOURNAMENTS

On the last weekend of the month, athletes once again had their pick when it came to tournaments to test their skills, as AJP hosted no less than four events across the world. With three Nationals and a Regional, the organization has visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Australia, and South Russia, so let's check out the highlights from each championship!

AJP Tour Bosnia and Herzegovina National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Nikola Perovic and Almir Kapic bring the heat to Sarajevo with a rivalry

On Saturday, February 24th, the Hotel Hills Sarajevo welcomed athletes from all over the world to fight for gold and glory in the AJP mats. While colored and black belts fought hard to show they were worthy of being called champions, two Professional black belts dialed the heat all the way up to eleven, showing their talents in two different divisions and possibly giving birth to a new rivalry.

The story began at the 120kg bracket, where the Montenegrin Nikola Perovic (Mata Leão A-Force BJJ Montenegro) faced the local Almir Kapic (Frota Academy) for the division title. While both fighters are among the sport's elite, Nikola offered his opponent almost no quarter and controlled the flow of the match from beginning to end, scoring multiple points throughout the five minutes of regulated time. When the clock ran out, Nikola Perovic comfortably rose as the 120kg champion with an 11-2 score.

But that wasn't the end. Both athletes later returned to the mats, this time gunning for the No-Gi 120kg gold medal. While Nikola had shown dominance in the gi earlier, the same was not true this time around and an incredibly balanced fight ensued. The battle once again took the entirety of the regulated time and started as the previous one, with Nikola ahead on the scoreboard, but that's where the similarities ended. Showing that his grappling skills are more than enough to stop the foreigner in his tracks, Almir let his game bloom and managed to tie the score at 2-2 and strategically used his know-how to keep Nikola from scoring again, reaching the top of the podium in his home country.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Colombia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Marcela Blanco takes the double gold in Bogota

Taking place on both Saturday and Sunday, the Colombia National took over the Palacio de Los Deportes and welcomed athletes of all ages and graduations to fight for the points they'll need to climb their respective rankings. Among the many talented competitors that stood on the battlefield this weekend, Costa Rican brown belt Marcela Blanco (Fernando Moya Jiu Jitsu) stood out by proficiently conquering not one but two gold medals in the tournament.

On the first day, Marcela made her way to the 70kg bracket, where the local black belt Madeline Choconta (Team FCJJ Colombia) awaited to fight for the title. If Marcela felt intimidated while facing a more graduated opponent she sure didn't show it, controlling the duel from beginning to end and giving Madeline no chance to land a single point. When the clock ran out, a whopping 12-0 score gave Marcela her first win at the tournament.

On the following day, she returned without her gi to fight for the 70kg title yet again. This time around, the Ecuadorian brown belt and 62kg silver medalist Samanta Saenz (Satori Alliance Academy) stood in her path to victory and the battle was a tough one, with both sides scoring multiple times while seeking a chance to land a winning submission. Five minutes later, neither side had managed to submit the other, but Marcela had once again outscored her opponent, taking her spot atop the division podium with a 6-3 score.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour South Russia Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Vakha Ansarov conquers the Open Weight gold medal in Rostov-On-Don

Also taking place during both days of the weekend, the South Russia Regional had two intense days of fighting at the Sports and Training Game Center for both colored and black belts. At 28 years of age, the Russian brown belt Vakha Ansarov (Brasa Russia) gave a lesson in tenacity to the attending crowd.

After being defeated in the final round of the 85kg division, Vakha didn't slow down and returned to the mat for the Open Heavyweight division, which blended Russian brown and black belts in a true trial by fire. Vakha started his journey through the bracket by scoring 13-2 against Viktor Zhigulskii (GFTeam) in the quarters, followed by a submission against black belt Ilez Khashagulgov (Brasa Felipe Costa) in the semifinal. The gold round saw Vakha go up against Arsen Gadjiev (Eagles BJJ) in a balanced match that took up the entirety of the regulated time, ending in a 3-0 victory for Vakha and giving him his rightful spot atop the Open Weight podium.

Check out the full results here!

AJP Tour Australia National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Werique Oliveira conquers the Open Weight division in Sydney

On Sunday, February 25th, the Whitlam Leisure Centre was the stage upon which athletes from all over the world were welcomed to test the sharpness of their Jiu-Jitsu, fighting with and without the gi in an afternoon of competition. Rising above his peers with an outstanding performance, local black belt Werique Oliveira (Legacy) had fight fans on the edge of their seats as he used his technical know-how to conquer the Open Heavyweight division.

With three fights before he could reach his goals, Werique faced only Brazilian opponents in his campaign for the gold. First, in the quarterfinals, Werique fought a well-balanced duel against Murilo Amaral (Alliance) and came out on top with a 2-1 score. Then, in the semis, Werique showed his talent by submitting Rurik Rodrigues (The Academy of Grounding) to advance to the finals. His last battle was against Ramon Rosa (Alliance) and another close match ensued, with both sides dishing out attacks while deftly defending any submission attempts, but Werique once again showed that he was a cut above the rest, landing a 4-3 score and seizing the title of Open Heavyweight champion for himself.

Check out the full results here!