Napão shines again. Photo: Dan Rod.
There’s life after the UFC. Released from Dana White’s organization after some under-par performances, Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga returned to gi-clad competition in good shape – bringing the crowd to its feet like in the old days.
With his chokes up to speed, Napão (Team Link) took gold in the ultraheavyweight master division and was the big name in the absolute master category, after finishing Guillermo Salas (Gracie Academy) in the final. He had his work cut out for him in the semifinal too, facing Nakapan Phungephorn (Lloyd Irvin).
The top three overall team winners were all GMA member academies
1- Alliance – 161 pts
2- Lloyd Irvin M. A. – 146 pts
3- Renzo Gracie – 124 pts