Langhi against Gilbert Durinho / Photo: Alicia Anthony
This Saturday at the Miécimo da Silva Sport Center in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro leg of the World Pro tryouts took place. Big name black belts showed up to contend for all-expenses-paid trips to the main event. Reporting the results is Alliance’s world champion Gabrielle Garcia.
In the under 65kg division, GFTeam’s Theodoro Canal got the better of Alliance’s Bruno Malfacine via decision after a 0 to 0 draw.
Now in the under 74 kg division, Michael Langhi plowed through his opponents. In the grand finale, Langhi faced Gilbert Durinho (Atos), and in a rehash of the 2009 Worlds, Langhi was victorious, this time with a 2 to 0 end score for a takedown.
Barbosa duo Murilo Santana and Adriano Silva reached the under-83 kg divisional final together, with Murilo taking the win after a 0 to 0 draw.
Rodolfo qualifies for Abu Dhabi once again.
Rodolfo Vieira carries along with his winning streak and is qualified for the World Pro for the third year in a row since winning the tournament in 2009. In his wake he left beasts like Alexandre de Souza and Eduardo Santoro. In the final, the GFTeam black belt put away Diogo “Moreno” Sampaio (Soul Fighters) with a choke.
Gilmar Oliveira (Gracie Barra) flew in to Rio from Brasília to compete and didn’t regret it. The fighter qualified in the over 92kg division.
In the under-63kg female division, Beatriz Mesquita took the cake. She beat Gracie Humaitá brown belt Helen Bastos in the final.
In the over-63kg division, Gracie Barra’s Luzia Fernandes defeated Fernanda Mazelli after a 0 to 0 score.
Follow Gabi on Twitter @gabijiu and, of course, GRACIEMAG.com at @graciemag_br and @graciemag.