Braga Neto attacks with an Omoplata. Photo: Carlos Ozório.
Manaus breathed fights during an exciting weekend. After the first day of competition in the World Profissional JJ Championship Selective (WPJJ), hundreds of people went to Eldorado square to watch the UFC 139 fights. Thrilled with the victory of Wanderlei Silva and cheered during the exciting fight between Mauricio Shogun and Dan Henderson. And fighting continued into Sunday, during the selective, with the semifinals and final that distributed 13 tickets and accommodation for the main event, which will happen in April, in Abu Dhabi.
In the main category, which brings together athletes from brown belt and black, close fights and surprises at decision time. Manaus is famous for creating great Jiu-Jitsu fighters and they showed the reason why the fame is true. It’s also worth mentioning the excellent structure of the Arena Amadeu Teixeira for the event organized by Fabio Holanda, with support from the City Secretary of Sports.
65kg
In the semifinals, two local fighters were classified. Gabriel Moraes sweeped Victor Otoniel. Luiz Fernando applied a choke over Raymison Michile. In the finals, Luiz Fernando beat Gabriel Moraes by 7 to 2, with a speed, passing the guard and a fault.
74kg
It wasn’t easy for Antonio Carlos, who classified in the semifinals defeating André Fabiano with the referee’s decision, after a 0 to 0 draw. In the other fight, Paulo Ledesma passed the guard Ang grabbed Deive Rerison’s back. In the finals, Antonio won another golden prize for Manaus. He passed the guard of his opponent from Atos for 4 times to ensure his participation in WPJJ, in Abu Dhabi.
83kg
Diego Borges showed an aggressive Jiu-Jitsu and was one of the surprises defeating Claudio Calasans. During the semi, against Vitor Hugo, won by 3 to 2 after a 2 to 2 draw. Claudio Calasans counted on 2 faults – the opponent has left the area with a choke – to move forward. In the final, Borges came with everything at the beginning, grabbed his opponent’s back with a choke. Calasans, weight and absolute champion in Abu Dhabi in 2010, escaped, but could not recover on the scoreboard. Another passport stamped for Manaus.
Bia defeated Michelle and will be back in Abu Dhabi in 2012.
92kg
Antonio Braga Neto finalized Rigoney Castro with an Omoplata at 2min50s. Even faster was Alexandro Ceconi, who strangled Valdir Antonio at 40 seconds. In the finals, Braga was another local athlete to fight well. Set the pace and opened up 11 points with two sweeps, one guard pass and a full-mount, partying with his fans.
+92kg
Bernardo Faria went to the finals after finalizing Thiago Souza with an Omoplata. Another finalist, Igor Silva closed the guard over Arimar Neves and, with two sweeps, followed by full-mounts, scored 12 to 0 classifying for the finals. Against Bernardo, Igor started taking the opponent down, but the Alliance fighter turned the score: sweeped from half-guard, passed and grabbed the back (7 to 2).
Female
63kg
Michelle Nicolini grabbed her opponent’s back and applied an arm lock in Davina Maciel. Beatriz Mesquita also used the arm lock to get to the finals. Two of the biggest female Jiu-Jitsu representatives, Bia and Michelle ought a hard fight, which ended in a draw on the advantages. Nicolini tried to sweep, while couldn’t transpose the opposing guard. For the referee’s decision, Bia Mesquita was better. The two had faced each other in the final of the World No-Gi Absolute, with Nicolini’s victory.
+63kg
In the semifinals, the purple belt Jéssica Oliveira surprised when left behind the black belt Fabiana Santos. During the finals, fought against the experienced Fernanda Mazelli. At the end of the fight, Mazelli committed a fault and the victory was Jéssica’s, another representative of Manaus in the top of the podium.