The New York Times broke the news: Panama is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the Americas, combining good infrastructure and picturesque landscapes for visitors to behold. The wins of change are blowing for Jiu-Jitsu in this Central American nation.
On June 18 and 19 the first big Jiu-Jitsu championship in Pana will be held. There will be cash prizes, professional and amateur competitors, superfights, and a seperate No-Gi division. The good news is that another event is already scheduled for November (further information at www.apanjj.com).
Black belt Sam Hoger will compete in Panama this June. Photo: publicity.
Event promoter and Gracie Barra black belt Hector Vasquez sent in the news about the superfights. Cristiano “Furacão” Machado and Alaskan fighter Sam Hoger will feather. Hoger fought five times in the UFC and even faced Lyoto Machida (a loss at UFC 67).
Cristiano decided to prepare for the fight in Panama, where he arrived on the 1st of this month, and has been training with his purple belt Jaime Ortiz in the city of Santiago.
Other competitors confirmed for the tournament are black belts Roger Coelho, Martin Peyrou, Sidney Machado, and local brown belt Marcos Perez, who took his brother and sister to compete at last weekend’s world championship in Long Beach and has now returned home raring to go for the tournament on the coming 18th and 19th.