Tanquinho jubilant
While Rafael Mendes refused to accept his loss in the under-65-kg final, the champion, Augusto Mendes, received his win with open arms.
The Rio de Janeiro native was overjoyed with the conquest and even left a message on Facebook.
First came the burst of joy: “Thank God! Winner of the Abu Dhabi World Pro!!! Today is one of the happiest days in my life, not just because of the title, but because of the recognition and people who rooted for me and sent me messages.”
Then came his thanks to his family and friends: “A heartfelt thanks to all those of you who believed in me and supported me in my work! To my friends who competed here in Abu Dhabi all I can say is, without you I wouldn’t have been able to make it. Thanks, brothers, you guys are awesome! Girlfriend [Mackenzie Dern], without you supporting me here none of this would have happened, you know that! I love you! Family and friends in Brazil, the energy you sent me was key, thank you!”
And he even went on to thank his opponents, who made the win all the more delightful: “Thanks, opponents, for the honor of being able to fight you, despite the criticism, it was a pleasure to face such qualified adversaries!”
In closing, he sent a message to his homeland: “Gang in Brazil, I’m heading home so we can celebrate! Wait for me!”