Another edition of BJJ Stars, the Jiu-Jitsu event created by Fepa Lopes, wrapped up with a standard of excellence in São Paulo. The event, which reached its nineteenth edition at Vibra, in the heart of the city, had the Masters Open Class GP as its main attraction last Friday, the 31st. In total, 16 athletes took part, all selected for their relevance and strong results on the competition scene. It is worth noting that competitors in this age group, all over 30, are enjoying a spotlight moment thanks to the professionalism with which they manage their careers. Many of them run their routines with the same seriousness and commitment as adult athletes competing at the elite level.
Gregor Gracie was the big GP champion with a near-perfect performance. In the final, Gregor, who is directly related to members of the Gracie family, faced Horlando Monteiro in a matchup that made the result even bigger: a come-from-behind win. It all happened with less than a minute left in the fight. Horlando was ahead, technically leading for being more dangerous on the feet. All it took was one reversal for Gregor to come up, take the back and finish. The celebration was full of emotion and the bank account got heavier: Gregor Gracie claimed the 200,000-real prize. Before that, he submitted Wellington Alemão in the semifinal, beat Filipe Carmona on points in the quarterfinals and got past Luis Marques in the opening round with the first choke of his run.
The second biggest fight of the night ended with a win for Renato Moicano. The popular Brazilian UFC fighter has 21 professional MMA wins. With previous grappling appearances at ACB JJ and the UFC Fight Pass Invitational, Moicano got the better of Patricky Pitbull at BJJ Stars 19. Patient after taking his opponent down and pressuring from top, Renato never gave up the position while looking for the perfect kata gatame adjustment that produced the three taps.
Livia Barasine’s performance was one of the most anticipated at BJJ Stars 19. New to black belt, Livia showed remarkable consistency during her colored-belt career, winning multiple titles at the circuit’s biggest events. Against Giovanna Carneiro, Livia handled each of her opponent’s attacks well and took control of the fight. The Dream Art athlete passed the guard, attacked from the back and stayed solid on the feet, where she swept with a foot on the hip. In an opening that could have ended in mount, Livia went straight for the finish and closed the fight with a kata gatame.
American James Ortiz spoiled the plans of Brazil’s Nicolas Vieira, beaten at home by the talented juvenile. From the referee’s start to Nicolas tapping, the superfight lasted just 1 minute and 34 seconds. Ortiz’s first dangerous move was a guillotine attempt that opened the way to a back take, the perfect moment to lock in the rear-naked choke.
SEE THE BJJ STARS 19: WORLD CUP RESULTS BELOW
MASTERS GP (Final)
Gregor Gracie submitted Horlando Monteiro with a collar choke at 5:20
SUPERFIGHTS
Renato Moicano submitted Patricky Pitbull with a kata gatame at 3:53
Roberto Godoi beat Diogo Almeida 2-1 on rounds
Suyan Queiroz beat Andrei Andrezzo 3-0 on rounds
Livia Barasine submitted Giovanna Carneiro with a kata gatame at 2:45
James Ortiz submitted Nicolas Vieira with a rear-naked choke at 1:34
Willian Arimura beat Marcos Vinicius 2-1 on rounds
MASTERS GP (Semifinals)
Gregor Gracie submitted Wellington Alemão with a kata gatame at 3:52
Horlando Monteiro submitted Leandro Maia with an ezekiel choke at 5:25
MASTERS GP (Quarterfinals)
Wellington Alemão beat Rodrigo Ribeiro 2-1 on rounds
Horlando Monteiro beat Anderson Cyborg 3-0 on rounds
Gregor Gracie beat Filipe Carmona 3-0 on rounds
Leandro Maia beat Rafael Lovato 2-1 on rounds
MASTERS GP (Round 1)
Wellington Alemão beat Sérgio Rios 3-0 on rounds
Anderson Cyborg beat Wilson Bueno 2-1 on rounds
Rodrigo Ribeiro beat Lucas Laet 2-1 on rounds
Horlando Monteiro beat Lucas Barros 3-0 on rounds
Gregor Gracie submitted Luis Marques with a cross collar choke at 4:43
Leandro Maia beat Jaime Canuto 2-1 on rounds
Filipe Carmona beat Rafael Formiga 2-1 on rounds
Rafael Lovato beat Rodrigo Caporal 2-1 on rounds
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
