The IBJJF No Gi Absolute GP returned after a two-year hiatus. With eight standouts of Jiu-Jitsu in the bracket and a never-before-seen $50,000 prize, the event took place last Thursday, the 26th, in Costa Mesa, California. Victor Hugo, a multiple-time gi and no-gi champion from Six Blades, was billed as one of the biggest threats in the tournament and, sure enough, he lived up to the favorite tag.
Victor’s first opponent in the Grand Prix was Marlon Tajik, a gritty athlete skilled enough to make the champion work for the win over their ten-minute match. The weight of the Xande Ribeiro black belt, combined with his pressure to pass the guard, proved decisive. Three points on the scoreboard, with a stabilization in north-south, sent the Brazilian into the semifinal against Javier Barter.
Reigning IBJJF No Gi world champion Javier Barter, who had choked out Nick Hartman in the quarterfinals, got a taste of his own medicine at the hands of Victor Hugo in the semifinal. Just 30 seconds in, the ‘Big Man’ took Javier’s back. It’s a situation that rattles even the most resilient. When he locked in the rear-naked choke, squeezing Javier’s jaw, the tap came. A submission win to punch his ticket to the final against Pedro Marinho.
The Gracie Barra athlete has been on the rise in grappling. He is the reigning BJJ Stars no-gi open class champion, having beaten Roosevelt Sousa, a double gold medalist at the No Gi Worlds, to defend his belt. Against Victor Hugo, Pedro started dangerously and scored an advantage after a scramble that nearly put his opponent’s back at risk.
However, the match took an unusual turn: a momentary lapse in focus from Pedro cost him everything. With both athletes at the edge of the mat, Pedro believed the referee had stopped the action. Victor Hugo quickly spotted the perfect opening and took his opponent down just as he was heading back to the center of the mat. From there, there was no way back. A takedown, then the mount, and the points kept piling up. The Six Blades representative, after dominating the match, posed for a photo with the $50,000 check. As runner-up, Pedro pocketed $10,000.
HELENA CREVAR IS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY AGHATA FERNANDES’ AGGRESSIVE START, BUT THE AMERICAN TURNS THINGS AROUND
The No Gi Absolute GP also featured superfights. Cole Abate edged Will Wilson, the reigning European champion, in a close gi match. The advantage that decided it for Cole was scored after he came up on top from a double pull.
One of the most exciting matches was Helena Crevar vs. Aghata Fernandes, the only no-gi bout among the superfights. Helena knows all about being dominant, but the Kingsway athlete was at risk of falling to Aghata’s passing drive, which earned the Brazilian an advantage for the attempt. Getting out in front fired up the Brazilian, who handled Helena’s game plan well up to a point, when the advantages were tied at two apiece. With an unshakable mindset to adjust her approach, Helena scored two points, responded well to her opponent’s attacks and set up the arm triangle, one of her specialties. A win for the John Danaher black belt.
A HAPPY FIGHTER IS A DANGEROUS FIGHTER: SARAH GALVÃO RETURNS TO ACTION THIS SEASON AND BEATS A HEAVIER OPPONENT
Sarah Galvão keeps shining in her still-young career among the elite. After stealing the show at the Europeans with the lightweight title and silver in the open class, in an iconic match with Gabi Pessanha, Sarah faced Maca Vicentini and made the weight difference between them look irrelevant. Maca opted to play from bottom and kept insisting on retaining guard, but saw Sarah take the lead with an advantage. On the next passing attempt, Maca turtled to stop the pass points but exposed her back. In a clean transition, Sarah Galvão extended her opponent’s arm in an armbar.
Ashlee Funegra, crowned No Gi world champion last December, went head-to-head with Yasmyn Castro, a member of Marcio André’s competition team. Having no trouble controlling the match, Ashlee swept, passed the guard and scored five points. Her first attack came from the kimura, but Ashlee had to switch her arm lock to win with an armbar.
In his first season at black belt, Mateo Cardona earned a win over Leonardo Souza, a strong name from Alliance. A European silver medalist, Mateo secured the result with two effective single-leg entries. That’s how he scored his first two points and, after being swept, he regained the lead with the same move.
On the prelims, Dominic Mano beat Luan Veras on points. Kellyson Carlos, a Checkmat prospect in the adult purple belt division, got past Evan Duncan on an advantage. Natalee Funegra, another of the sisters in action at the event, also beat Kaitlyn Schmidt on an advantage. A triangle attack, which kept Kaitlyn stuck in the same hold throughout the match, handed the win to the AOJ purple belt. In an adult blue belt matchup, Johnny Anderson beat Julio Cesar on points. Among the juveniles, Asafe Alves defeated JP Tran by decision, and Mick Wheelan opened the event with a submission against Isaac Huertas.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
