At the top of the podium / Photo: Carlos Ozório
Sign-ups for the World Pro Trials in Diego, to go down this March 5 and 6, are going full swing. A number of black belts have secured their spots; beasts like Guilherme Mendes, Clark Gracie, Rodrigo Caporal, Joel Tudor and lightweight and absolute World Pro champion Claudio Calasans are all in. Joining these fighters are Marcus Bochecha and Gilbert Durinho, which GRACIEMAG.com had previously announced.
Durinho is the current champion of the event’s under-74 kg weight group. Now Bochecha, one of the big revelations of the black belt division in 2010, is looking to win a third-straight tryout. The fighter came up with the gold in both New Jersey and in Las Vegas. Thus, besides amassing a good chunk of change from prize money, Bochecha moves up in the World Pro ranking, which will better place him in his bracket in Abu Dhabi, as well as garnering him even more cash should he win the ranking.
“I want to take the opportunity to call on the purple, blue and white belt folks. It’s worth reminding them that they can win an all-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi,” says Fernando Paradeda.
Sign-ups end February 28. Find out more here.