Fabio Gurgel is the new adult champion of a CBJJ / IBJJF, something that hasn’t happened since 2001, but he confessed that Alliance’s team title, edging out CheckMat, brought him greater joy.
Atos Jiu-Jitsu has already put together an impressive group of dynamos.
Rodrigo Cavaca, despite his making it his second in a row at weight, was out of luck in Lisbon. Last year he ended up tapping to a Finnish underdog and this year had his elbow hyperextended in the absolute.
Already a champion, Guto Campos wasn’t even going to venture into the absolute, but pressure from Rafa and Gui Mendes and Co. saw him leave with gold dangling from his neck.
Absent on Saturday, Ricardo Demente reappeared and took the super heavyweight division. And also revealed he operated his knee and may be switching teams.
Among the girls, kudos to Beatriz Mesquita. The Letícia Ribeiro brown belt went past all her opponent’s to take weight and gold at brown / black.
The Mendes Brothers seem increasingly strong, with a strange and efficient game that gets on the other fighters’ nerves, frightening and surprising opponents. Rafael and Guilherme were crowned champions of yet another major tournament, the first at featherweight and second at light featherweight.
Megaton is still a big hit and heart warmer.
Lucas Lepri and Michael Langhi crossed the lightweight division to make it to the final together. According to Langhi, the title went to the uglier of the two: Lepri, who protested.
Tarsis Humphreys left the judge’s decision that kept him out of the absolute final behind him to reign supreme at heavyweight.
If in the colored belts Brazil doesn’t have the traditional inter-nations tournament cornered, at brown/black it has total dominance. At lightweight it scored 3 to 0 over Poland, 3 to 1 over Finland. Marko Helen was once again responsible for the lone point for Finland.
The European Championship ended the weekend consolidated as a success as a draw of both crowd and athletes.
With 1,500 athletes, the event kicking off the Jiu-Jitsu calendar is increasingly becoming more attractive for fighters and spectators.
To close, an exclusive photo gallery with the greatest moments from Sunday’s battles in the Casal Vistoso complex in Lisbon, Portugal.
There’ll be more in 2011. And do not miss the March issue of GRACIEMAG, which will bring complete coverage of the European Championship 2010.
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Complete results can be found here