Held between the 12th and 15th of December, the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship marked the end of the big BJJ tournaments of 2019 with a great show taking place in Anaheim, Calif. Athletes from all over the world took off their gis and stepped on the mat vying for gold and glory.
The final day had some historic moments. In the men’s absolute, for example, 22-year-old Victor Hugo (Ribeiro JJ) displayed an abundance of technique and willpower to prevail. He didn’t just have to win the final — he had to win it against the man who beat him just hours earlier.
Victor, who received his black belt this year, went through some tough opponents on Saturday to secure a spot in the absolute final, and upon winning his semifinal match, learned that the veteran Roberto Cyborg (Fight Sports) stood between him and the title.
On Sunday, in the ultra-heavy division, Victor met Cyborg in the semifinals and ended up defeated by the legend, who later submitted James Puopolo, a teammate of Victor’s, via americana to claim gold.
Victor had to change strategies to do better in the absolute final. Refusing to give Cyborg much time to get his bearings, he got tangled up on the bottom, lassoed the legs and put Cyborg’s arm under his armpit, creating the proper lever for a brutal knee bar. Cyborg tried to resist but had to tap out.
The women’s section had Jéssica Flowers and Kendall Reusing sharing a double-gold campaign, as they closed out both the super-heavy and open divisions for Gracie Barra.
Adult / Male / Black / Rooster
1 – Thalison Vitorino Soares – Cicero Costha Internacional
2 – Rodnei Barbosa Gabriel Junior – Qatar BJJ
3 – Marko Tapani Oikarainen – Hilti BJJ Turku
3 – Nobuhiro Sawada – Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Adult / Male / Black / Light-Feather
1 – Hiago George Santos Silva – Cicero Costha Internacional
2 – João Ricardo Bordignon Miyao – Cicero Costha Internacional
3 – Anthony Guy De Oliveira – Werdum Combat Team France
3 – Edwin Ocasio – Unity Jiu-jitsu
Adult / Male / Black / Feather
1 – Alexssandro Pinto Sodré – Nova União
2 – João Gabriel Batista de Sousa – ZR Team Association
3 – Cole Thomas Franson – R1NG BJJ
3 – Gabriel Marangoni de Oliveira – Brasa CTA
Adult / Male / Black / Light
1 – Johnny Joachin Tama Apolinario – Alliance International
2 – Ygor dos Santos Rodrigues – CT MR
3 – Athos Ribeiro de Miranda – Alliance
3 – Fabio Murat Caloi – Alliance
Adult / Male / Black / Middle
1 – Dante Leon – GF Team
2 – Jaime Soares Canuto – GF Team
3 – Felipe Cesar Silva – Unity Jiu-jitsu
3 – Jeferson Guaresi – Unity Jiu-jitsu
Adult / Male / Black / Medium-Heavy
1 – Manuel Ribamar V. de Oliveira Filho – Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ
2 – Gabriel Salles Muniz Almeida – CheckMat
3 – Jose Mathias Macedo de Lira Luna – CheckMat
3 – Rafael Lopes Paganini – Alliance
Adult / Male / Black / Heavy
1 – Adam Wardzinski – CheckMat
2 – Jackson Sousa dos Santos – CheckMat
3 – Fellipe Ubaiz Trovo – Gracie Barra
Adult / Male / Black / Super-Heavy
1 – Vinicius Ferreira Gazola – Alliance
2 – Eliot Andrew Kelly – Yemaso Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Frederic Vosgröne – Carlson Gracie Team
3 – Marcelo Gomide Oliveira – Gracie Barra
Adult / Male / Black / Ultra-Heavy
1 – Roberto de Abreu Filho – Fight Sports
2 – James Richard Puopolo – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Fernando Camôles Ribas – Demian Maia Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Victor Hugo Costa Marques – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Adult / Male / Black / Open Class
1 – Victor Hugo Costa Marques – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
2 – Roberto de Abreu Filho – Fight Sports
3 – Marcelo Gomide Oliveira – Gracie Barra
Adult / Female / Black / Rooster
1 – Mayssa Caldas Pereira Bastos – GF Team
2 – Amber Rymarz-freitas – Gracie Barra
Adult / Female / Black / Light-Feather
1 – Amanda Monteiro Canuto – GF Team
2 – Patrícia Magalhães Machado – Brazilian Top Team
3 – Fiona M. Watson – Notorious Mixed Martial Arts
Adult / Female / Black / Feather
1 – Ana Talita de Oliveira Alencar – Alliance
2 – Heather H. Raftery – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Gabriela Meireles Fechter – CheckMat
3 – Karen Deisy Antunes Girotto Borges – CheckMat
Adult / Female / Black / Light
1 – Nathalie Wan Soares Veras Ribeiro – CheckMat
2 – Jena Rae Bishop – Alliance
3 – Hannah Sharp – Silver Fox BJJ
3 – Nicole Sullivan – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
Adult / Female / Black / Middle
1 – Raquel Dayne Kaleialoha Paaluhi – CheckMat
2 – Jaqueline de Moraes Amorim Ramos – CheckMat
3 – Gabrielle McComb Lima – Gracie Humaita
3 – Hannah Katharina Rauch – Gracie Humaita
Adult / Female / Black / Medium-Heavy
1 – Vedha Clemente Toscano – CheckMat
2 – Julia Boscher Seixas Pinto – Double Five
3 – Andressa Mezari Cintra – Gracie Barra
3 – Thamara Ferreira Silva – Cicero Costha Internacional
Adult / Female / Black / Heavy
1 – Talita Andrea Nogueira – Ns Brotherhood
2 – Elizabeth Foster – Cassio Werneck BJJ
3 – Jessica Guedry – Soul Fighters BJJ
3 – Veronica Macedo Fernandez – Mako Team Paris
Adult / Female / Black / Super-Heavy
1 – Kendall Marie Reusing – Gracie Barra
2 – Jessica da Silva Oliveira – Gracie Barra
3 – Tammy M Griego – Gracie Barra BJJ
Adult / Female / Black / Open Class
1 – Jessica da Silva Oliveira – Gracie Barra
2 – Kendall Marie Reusing – Gracie Barra
3 – Gabrielle McComb Lima – Gracie Humaita
3 – Heather H. Raftery – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
