Abu Dhabi brought the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tour season to a close on Saturday evening, with the season champions crowned at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City.
The final round drew athletes from 75 countries and ended a campaign that again put the UAE capital at the centre of the professional jiu-jitsu calendar.
Abdulmunem Al Hashemi, President of the UAE and Asian Federations and First Vice President of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, attended the ceremony alongside senior officials from the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Association.
Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Hamid Al Ketbi, Board Member of the federation, Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations, and Tariq Al Bahri, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Association, were also present.
In the men’s professional black belt divisions, Bruno Borges won the under-56kg title, Felipe Fernandes took the under-62kg crown, and Cristian Lara claimed the under-69kg division.
Jefferson Goteo won the under-77kg category, while Pablo Custodio finished first at under-85kg. Klemer Canario won the under-94kg title, and Felipe Bezerra took first place in the under-120kg division.
In the women’s brown/black belt divisions, Diana Teixeira won the under-49kg title and Gabriela Pereira secured the under-55kg division.
Polina Titarenko won at under-62kg, Giovanna Xavier Carneiro claimed the under-70kg title, and Yara Nascimento finished first in the under-95kg category.
Al Hashemi congratulated the winners and said their results showcased a full year of discipline and training across the championship rounds.
He said the event had continued to grow since its launch in 2015 and had helped develop the professional side of the sport.
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Championship has achieved its goals year after year since its launch in 2015, becoming one of the world’s strongest professional championships,” Al Hashemi said.
“It has contributed to spreading the sport, discovering talents and developing the professional system according to the highest international standards.”
Al Hashemi also praised the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Association teams for their work across the season.
He said the strong turnout in Abu Dhabi, including a large number of UAE-based competitors, showed the depth of the sport in the country.
He also confirmed plans to increase the number of international Abu Dhabi Grand Slam rounds to seven next season. A further announcement on prize money is expected at a press conference soon.
Al Bahri said the season showed the growing reach of the association’s events, with athletes and academies travelling from around the world.
“We are proud of the success achieved by the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu season, whether in terms of competition quality or international participation,” he said.
“We will continue delivering professional championships that help discover and develop new generations of champions.”
The Abu Dhabi finale followed the opening day of the Grand Slam at Mubadala Arena, where local and international fighters began the final push for season honours.
