Abu Dhabi Grand Slam | Los Angeles | Day 1 Began With A Bang
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam | Los Angeles | Day 1 Began With A Bang
Alexander Ribeiro Beats Arnold Maidana at the Gi 94kg Male Black Belt division finals
Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi and Khalid Eskandar Al Balooshi of UAE National Team won Silver and Bronze respectively at the male juvenile Blue Belt Gi 60kg division
Humaid Yaser Al Kaabi of UAE National Team won Bronze at the male juvenile Blue Belt Gi 66kg division
Los Angeles, USA, 3 September, 2016: The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam returned to Los Angeles as Alexander Ribeiro [Brazil] beat Arnold Maidana [Brazil] by a foot-lock submission at the Gi 94kg male black belt division finals and Ricardo Evangelista picked up the Bronze medal.
The event began with national anthem of United Arab Emirates and United States of America in the presence of Council General of UAE to Los Angeles, His Excellency Abdulla Alsaboosi and UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation CEO, His Excellency Fahad Al Shamsi.
“We delivered a successful event in every sense of the word. From the production, to the exciting fights, to the fans attendance at the venue, the atmosphere was amazing. This is the vision of our leadership, especially His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces” Said H.E Fahad Al Shamsi, UAEJJF CEO
“Our National team players performed well, they are getting experience now and we won 3 medals today at the Gi competition. We are hoping to win more medals tomorrow at the No Gi competition.” Said H.E Fahad Al Shamsi, UAEJJF CEO
The 2,418 fans in attendance at L.A Convention center in Los Angeles and the viewers across Abu Dhabi Sports TV and the 12 broadcasters from around the world, witnessed seven hours of great thrills and were treated to an exciting and high paced set of fights between the brightest stars in Jiu-Jitsu’s glamour black belt and others divisions.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam delivered as advertised, as the skillful and powerful jiu-jitsu players took to the mats. The back-and-forth blockbuster fights never lacked action and culminated in a standing ovation in one of the highest attended events in the UAEJJF’s history.
Alexander Ribeiro and Arnold Maidana was arguably the most exciting fight of the day. The marquee showdown was a story of accuracy vs. activity, as Ribeiro took the fight to Maidana and attacked him. Ribeiro proved once again why he is one of the greatest bjj competitors of all times. Fighting opponents 10 years younger than him, he was able to impose his intelligent game to win the gold medal. His first major challenge was against Erberth Santos in the semifinal, beat by referee decision after a 2-2 tie on advantages. The final match put Ribeiro against Arnaldo Maidana, who had defeated Ricardo Evangelista in the semifinal, also by referee decision after a 2-2 tie on points. In the gold medal match, Ribeiro forced his game on Maidana to build a 8-0 lead with two guard passes and a sweep.
“I want to thank my opponents for some tremendous fights. I was in with some great warriors,” said Alexander Ribeiro. “Sometimes defense is the key to victory, but I used a lot of attack today to win. The fans were amazing, it was a full packed show and I say thank you to everyone who attended and to all my supporters who keep supporting me.“
The UAE National Team players had some eye-catching performances but at the same time a tough day on the mats, with only 3 medals in the bag. Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi and Khalid Eskandar Al Balooshi bagged the Silver and Bronze medals respectively at the male juvenile Blue Belt Gi 60kg division and Humaid Yaser Al Kaabi won the Bronze medal at the male juvenile Blue Belt Gi 66kg division. Jose Junior [Brazil] who trains and represents the UAEJJ Team won Silver at Black Belt Adult 110kg finals.
“It was a great experience today. I won silver but I am not satisfied because I felt I could’ve done better, I congratulate my opponent for the win, he was a great opponent. It was a very close fight against Alvarez [Michael Roy] and next time I will aim for the Gold Medal.” Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi
“We worked hard, we came here for the experience, but with only winning in our mind. For me we all are champions and that’s how I look at it. Khalid Eskandar Al Balooshi said. “I would like to thank our coaches and the Federation for their support and guidance.”
Another thrilling fight of the day was Gi 94kg male Master 1 black belt division final between Romulo Claudio Barral and Manuel Diaz. Barral, one of the most popular jiu-jitsu players, was the more active player from the outset, dismantling the impressive Diaz with a supremely effective inside game. Barral won by 2-0 points win.
“This is definitely a big win for me here at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam” Barral said. “He was trying to take me down and pass the guard, I attacked a lot, but he knew how to survive my attacks. A great and tough fight. Also I want to thank all the fans that came today, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing.”
Day two of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Los Angeles continues tomorrow, 4th September for the No Gi divisions from 10am to 5pm PT, at the L.A Convention Center. The event will be broadcasted live on Abu Dhabi Sports TV and 12 international broadcasting partners [on delayed & live].
For photos please click here: https://jumpshare.com/b/
Please find attached the full results sheet of the fights.
Male Black Belt Results
62kg: Medalists: 1st – Mikey Musumeci, 2nd João Miyao, 3rd – Tiago Barros.
69kg: Medalists: 1st – Paulo Miyao, 2nd – Isaac Doederlein, 3rd – Brian Macheha.
77kg: Medalists: 1st – Edwin Najmi, 2nd – Victor Silvério, 3rd – Vitor Oliveira.
85kg: Medalists: 1st – Gabriel Arges, 2nd – Otavio Sousa, 3rd – Lucas Barbosa.
94kg: Medalists: 1st – Alexander Ribeiro, 2nd – Arnaldo Maidana, 3rd – Ricardo Evangelista.
110kg: Medalists: 1st – Luiz Panza, 2nd – Jose Junior, 3rd – Mahamed Aly.
Female Brown/Black Belt
55kg: Medalists: 1st – Talita Alencar, 2nd – Patricia Fontes, 3rd – Rita Gribben.
62kg: Medalists: 1stMaxine Thylin, 2nd – Tammi Musumeci, 3rd – Heather Raftery.
70kg: Medalists: 1st – Luiza Monteiro, 2nd – Jessica Trindade, 3rd – Catherine Perret.
90kg: Medalists: 1st – Nathiely de jesus, 2nd – Tara White, 3rd – Theresa Grace
