Ricardo and Bruno Bastos came out on top at the tryouts in Texas. (Photo by Mike Calimbas)
Last weekend was the city of San Antonio, Texas’s turn to host tryouts for the Abu Dhabi WPJJC. Over a hundred competitors turned up for the tournament in hopes of winning all-expenses-paid trips to the April main event in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
As the action unfolded at Bill Greehey Arena Gymnasium, the brown/black belt contest turned out to be a hard-fought one indeed, with the standouts being Nova União’s brothers Bruno and Ricardo Bastos, who closed out the open-weight and over-92 kg divisions. Ricardo took the all-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi.
In the under-92 kg division, Nova União brown belt Kauê Damasceno took gold after beating hard-nosed black belt Rodrigo Pinheiro in the final.
In the female contest, Gracie Barra’s Tammy Grieco won the over-63 kg division and Mackenzie Dern of Gracie Humaitá won the under-63 kg division.
Check out who all won each of the different categories:
Brown/black belt
Over-74 kg absolute – Bruno Bastos (Nova União) closed out with Ricardo Bastos (Nova União)
Under-74 kg absolute – Vitor Henrique (GFTeam) defeated Marcos Tinoco (DDR)
Under-65kg – Gabriel Martins (Gracie Barra) defeated Cleber Luciano (Cooper MMA)
Under-74kg – Vitor Henrique (GFTeam) defeated Francisco Iturralde (Alliance)
Under-83kg – Lucas Freitas (Gracie Barra) defeated Marcus Antelante (Soul Fighters)
Under-92kg – Kaue Damasceno (Nova União) defeated Rodrigo Pinheiro (Rodrigo Pinheiro)
Over-92KG – Ricardo Bastos (Nova União) closed out with Bruno Bastos (Nova União)
Purple belt
Over-74 kg absolute – Jared Dopp (Lovato JJ) defeated Ryne Sandhagen (Alvarez BJJ)
Under-74 kg absolute – Emmanuel Martinez (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) closed out with Michael Liera (Atos Jiu-Jitsu)
Under-65kg – Antonio Casarez (Paragon Jiu-Jitsu) defeated James Chancey (Harlingen Jiu-Jitsu)
Under-74kg – Michael Liera (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) defeated Frank Marshall (Renzo Gracie)
Under-83kg – Rehan Muttalib (Alliance) defeated Evan Gideon (GFTeam)
Under-92kg – Daniel Goss (GFTeam) defeated Nick Schrock (Gracie Humaita)
Over-92kg – Jared Dopp ( Lovato JJ) defeated Raynald Ray (Rodrigo Pinheiro)
Blue belt
Under-74 kg absolute – Angelo Barden (Atos JJ) defeated Eunsoo Kim (BJJ Revolution)
Over-74kg absolute – Jimmy Lugo (Paragon) defeated Christopher Roberson (Paul Thomas JJ)
Under-65kg – Jose Aguilar (Elite MMA) defeated Tyler Shinn ( Demian Maia JJ)
Under-74kg – Angelo Barden (Atos JJ) defeated Michael Esquivel (Paragon JJ)
Under-83kg – Dennis Sisson (Solis Martial Arts) defeated Brandon Ruiz (Leonardo Xavier BJJ)
Under-92kg – Chad Hollan (Gracie Barra) defeated Eddie Perez (Nova União)
+92Kg – Christopher Roberson (Paul Thomas JJ) defeated Jamil Fakhoury (Gracie Barra)
Female
White/blue belt
Under-63kg – Gabriela Muller (Alliance) defeated Laura Heiman (Paragon JJ)
Over-63kg – Audrey Drew (Guy Mezger’s Combat) defeated Petya Petkova (Bruno Bastos BJJ)
Absolute – Audrey Drew (Guy Mezger’s Combat) defeated Mandi Johson (Sparta Pit)
Purple/brown/black belt
Under-63kg – Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita) defeated Fabiana Borges (Gracie Barra)
Over-63kg – Tammy Griego (Gracie Barra) defeated Pilar Roper (Peak Performance BJJ)
