Another stellar weekend for the books here in the AJP. With three competitions taking place between Saturday and Sunday, competitors from all over the world flocked over to South and North America, ready to put their skills to the test as they sought the honor of calling themselves champions within one of the greatest organizations in the international Jiu-Jitsu scene. Without further ado, let’s check out the highlights from each championship.
AJP Tour Argentina National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Edgar Romero conquers his weight division and the Open Weight class in Buenos Aires
Taking place on both days of the weekend, the Argentina National was filled with action from beginning to end as colored and black belts gathered at the Parque Olímpico de la Juventud to fight for important ranking points. A standout among his many peers, the Venezuelan Edgar Romero (GFTeam) had an amazing performance in the tournament, conquering the coveted double gold in the South American country.
Edgar’s journey began at the 94kg division, in which he faced the Chilean Javier Núñez (Cohab Chile). With the title on the line, both athletes spared no effort as they went at each other, but it wasn’t long before Edgar showed the fruits of his training sessions, scoring multiple times while offering no quarter to Javier. When the clock ran out, Edgar earned his first gold medal with a 9-0 score.
Still hungry for more, Edgar returned to the mats a couple of hours later, this time gunning for the Open Heavyweight division. Facing an even greater challenge than before, Edgar kept his cool and got his first victory in the semifinal, beating Brazil’s Felipe Rosa (PSLPB Cícero Costha) with a 5-0 score to advance to the final. The gold round put Edgar on a collision course against Ramiro Galvan (GFTeam) for the title but Edgar once again confirmed his prowess as he scored and gave his opponent no room to counter, making his second trip to the top of the podium with a 3-0 victory.
Check out the full results here!
AJP Tour US National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Leilani Bernales conquers the triple gold in Atlanta
On Saturday, June 15th, the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta opened its doors for athletes of all ages and graduations as they joined the fray to seek out gold and glory in the AJP tournament. While many champions rose to the top of their respective podiums in the competition, the American brown belt Leilani Bernales (Outer Heaven)went above and beyond expectations, defeating all her opponents and taking the triple gold.
Everything started at the 70kg division, with Leilani facing two opponents on her way to the gold. In the semifinal, Leilani dominated Brazil’s Larissa Sousa (Orlando Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and scored 9-0 before submitting with a little over three minutes on the clock. The final round put Leilani up against the Canadian Fatima Eltassi (GFTeam) and the duel lasted the entirety of the regulated time, with the former quickly seizing and then maintaining the advantage in the scoreboard to get her first title with a 5-0 victory.
Moving on to the Open Heavyweight division, Leilani started to walk the path to her second title in the US National by facing the Brazilian Karoline Caramori (Gracie Barra Curitiba) in a balanced match, which ended with a narrow 5-3 win for the American. In the gold round, Leilani once again ran into Fatima Eltassi and got another victory, ending the rematch with a sound 9-0 on the scoreboard. With two titles down for the count, Leilani took off her gi and returned to the 70kg division, submitting Costa Rica’s Marcela Blanco to get her third and final trip to the top of the podium that day.
Check out the full results here!
AJP No-Gi Mexico City International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024: Hector Silva and Alejandro Guerrero take the gold in Mexico
Still on Saturday, No-Gi competitors from all over the world made their way to Mexico City to show their skills and prowess while fighting for the gold medal. With most of the athletes being colored belts, two black belts gave their peers a glimpse of the technical level you need to reach the highest level of competitive Jiu-Jitsu.
In the 69kg division, the Mexican Alejandro Guerrero (Renzo Gracie Mexico) had two tough battles before becoming the champion. In the semifinal, Alejandro went toe-to-toe against fellow countryman Allen Huerta (Casa Chimeyo Association), taking his first win by a 3-0 score. In the final, Alejandro had an even tougher encounter, this time with Ecuador’s Lenin Paredes (Brazilianwarriors) in another battle that lasted all five minutes of the regulated time. When it was all said and done, the scoreboard sat at 1-0 and gave Alejandro the gold medal.
Meanwhile, in the 85kg division, Venezuelan Hector Silva (Bujutsu) had a very well-balanced battle against the local Carlos Jimenez (Renzo Gracie Mexico). The duel took up the entirety of the regulated time and had both athletes scoring multiple times as they found themselves evenly matched. When the clock ran out, a narrow 5-4 score gave Hector the win and the title.
Check out the full results here!