AJP SOUTH AMERICA CONTINENTAL: PROFESSIONAL BLACK BELTS SHOWCASE THEIR SKILLS IN BALNEÁRIO CAMBORIÚ

Landing at the Brazilian city of Balneário Camboriú, in Santa Catarina, as a part of the BC Fight Week, the AJP Tour South America Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 took over the Expocentro and promoted three days of competition as colored and black belts fought for glory, renown, and ranking points. Starting on March 1st with the category and then welcoming Amateurs and Masters on the following day, this Sunday, March 3rd, was reserved for the outstanding battles of the Professional category, with purple, brown, and black belts taking point in the organization's mats and showing why they figure among the very best competitive Jiu-Jitsu has to offer.

But while each and every one of the athletes that rose to the battlefield is praiseworthy in their own right, the men and women from the Professional black belt category were once again a show-stealer, donning their gis and putting their techniques to the test as they showed the attending crowd, and those who were following the tournament live at TX7.ae, why they're called the "elite" of the sport. Without further ado, check out below how each of the Professional black belt finals went down, and click here for the full results!

Men's Gi / Black / Professional

56kg: Israel Pacheco vs. Frederico Guimarães

Representing TJJ School, Israel Pacheco conquered the 56kg division gold after facing the relentless Frederico Guimarães, scoring early on in the match to come out on top. Frederico spent the remainder of the regulated time trying to find the chance to turn the tables on Israel but to no avail. By the end of the match, Frederico almost made it, pulling guard and trying a sweep from the half guard, but Israel remained steady and stabilized himself on the top until the final seconds ran out.

62kg: Yuri Hendrex vs. Nathannael Fernandes

The ever-dangerous Yuri Hendrex strikes again, this time overcoming Nathannael Fernandes in the 62kg final round of the South America Continental. After the double pull, Nathannael went up from the double pull and gained a point, while Yuri aimed at the foot for two points. Both athletes attacked each other’s feet, increasing the score to 3-2. After Nathannael was punished toward the end, the scoreboard was closed at 6-2, gifting Yuri Hendrex yet another gold medal.

69kg: Artur Oliveira vs. Isaac Rossi

In the 69kg division final, Artur Oliveira and Isaac Rossi went toe-to-toe for the title. The match began with Isaac pulling and an exchange of sweeps ensued, with Artur grabbing hold of his opponent’s legs and reaching the side without stabilizing. Isaac spun to defend himself but left the way open for Artur to advance with a katagatame and then shift to an ezekiel choke to submit and take the gold in Balneário Camboriú.

77kg: Lucas Protasio vs. Pedro Silva

After becoming the champion at the ADXC 3 last Saturday, Lucas Protasio found his way back to the Expocentro, ready to fight for the gold in the South America Continental. The 77kg final started with Pedro Silva pulling and trying to go up, not landing the sweep but still getting a 1-0 headstart on the scoreboard. Lucas responded with a foot attack and took the lead at 2-1, but Pedro went up again and tied at 2-2. In the last minute of the duel, Lucas went all-out and landed a stellar takedown, closing the scoreboard at 5-2 and tasting victory yet again in his home country.

85kg: Wallisson Souza vs. Henrique Lima

The 85kg division title was decided in a duel between Wallisson Souza and Henrique Lima. The match began with Wallisson pulling while Henrique went for a pass, prompting the former to try and go up. Henrique managed to stop his opponent’s advance but Wallisson still got a point for the attempt and went on to increase his advantage by sweeping from the 50/50 guard, putting the scoreboard at 3-0. Not too long after, he almost managed to take the back and gained two more points, closing the scoreboard at 5-0 to take the gold.

94kg: Fernando Bonfante vs. Enzo Andrade

A well-balanced match between Fernando Bonfante and Enzo Andrade decided the fate of the 94kg division title. Fernando seized the initiative by sweeping and gaining two points, but Enzo didn’t let his resolve waver and, when the fight was resumed with both athletes standing up, the latter pulled, tried to take the back, dominated Fernando’s waist, and attempted a takedown, putting the score at 2-1. An onslaught of spins ensued, with neither side stabilizing their positions, and the score was raised to its final 3-2, giving Fernando Bonfante the victory.

120kg: Felipe Bezerra vs. Helder Jose

The heaviest division has a champion and his name is Felipe Bezerra. In the final match, Helder Jose started by pulling and deftly using the lapel to spin, but Felipe saw his chance and attacked with a key lock on the foot, putting the score at 1-0. Helder avoided the submission and went up to gain two points, but Felipe attempted another foot attack and tied the duel at 2-2, scoring last to take the win and the title.

Open Lightweight: Pedro Silva vs. Lucas Protasio

After beating two opponents on his way to the final, Pedro Silva found himself locked into a rematch against Lucas Protasio, who had snatched the 77kg division title from his grasp at the very last minute of the match. With his mind made to do things differently this time around, Pedro offered his opponent no quarter and quickly got his advantage on the scoreboard, landing a 2-0 and stopping his opponent’s advances until the clock ran out.

Open Heavyweight: Felipe Bezerra vs. Leandro Maia

Going for his second gold of the day, 120kg division champion Felipe Bezerra was unstoppable in the Open Heavyweight bracket. After winning in a rematch against Helder Jose in the quarters and outscoring the 94kg gold medalist Fernando Bonfante in the semis, Felipe went on to the final round to face Leandro Maia. His last fight proved to be the toughest one, as the Commando Group representative found himself locked in a very well-balanced match with neither side managing to score against the other. After the clock finally ran out, Felipe Bezerra was decided the victor and rose as the double champion in the tournament.



Women's Gi / Brown / Black / Professional

49kg: Flavia Bastos vs. Hanna Ribeiro

In the 49kg division gold round, Flavia Bastos showed her talent and mettle to conquer the title. Fighting Hanna Ribeiro, Flavia actually started in a rough spot, with her opponent attempting a takedown and then dangerously taking the back to attack on the neck. The combo gave Hanna a 4-1 headstart, but Flavia kept her cool and followed her training, fending Hanna off and then unleashing her own game by going up, putting pressure, and then passing to tie the score at 4-4. Being the last one to score before the match ended, Flavia became the 49kg champion at the South America Continental.

55kg: Grasielle Brandão vs. Edcleia Magalhães

A quick win for Grasielle Brandão in the 55kg division. Facing Edcleia Magalhães for the gold, Grasielle started off by landing a beautiful takedown, hitting the side, passing the guard, and then spinning to the other side to lock a lightning-quick armbar, submitting her opponent and taking the title.

62kg: Julia Alves vs. Maria Delahaye

Another ADXC 3 champion coming back for more, Julia Alves decided to postpone her rest and made her way to the mats to fight for the 62 kg gold. In her duel against Maria Delahaye, Julia pulled and quickly spun to attack the foot, but Maria was just as fast to defend. That defense, however, proved to be Maria’s undoing as she left her arm undefended, giving Julia all she needed to land a merciless armbar that gave her the win and the top spot on the podium.

70kg: Ingridd Sousa vs. Giovanna Carneiro

Anyone looking for high-octane action should look no further than the 70kg division final between Ingridd Sousa and Giovanna Carneiro. Starting on the offensive, Ingridd went full throttle at her opponent, entering Giovanna’s guard, sliding to the back, and ending the bout with a collar choke to take the gold.

95kg: Yara Nascimento vs. Thaynara Dias

The 95kg division title was fought over by Yara Nascimento and Thaynara Dias. Thaynara kicked off the duel by pulling while Yara attempted to pass the guard twice. Yara then went for a katagatame, passed the guard, spun to the north-south position, and then attacked with a kimura, shifting to her winning armbar in the last minute of the duel to climb the podium.

Open Lightweight: Maria Delahaye vs. Julia Alves

In a rematch of the 62kg division final, Maria Delahaye had her chance to get some well-deserved payback on Julia Alves. After submitting the 55kg champion Grasielle Brandão in the semifinal, Maria went all-out from the beginning in the gold round, not giving Julia enough time to process what was happening as she locked a submission and became the Open Lightweight champion.

Open Heavyweight: Yara Nascimento vs. Isabely Lemos

After taking the 95kg title for herself, Yara Nascimento still had some fight left in her, so she made her way to the Open Heavyweight bracket, in which she fought Isabely Lemos for the gold. The match was balanced from start to finish, with both sides scoring and defending well against one another. It wasn’t until the last minute of the match that the balance would be broken, with Yara putting Isabely’s ambitions to rest with a winning submission to conquer her second title.