Marking the tournament’s first foray into Italian lands, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour is deep into its preparations to break new ground and make its debut in the famous city of Rome. The event will take place at the Centro Olimpico Matteo Pellicone, from April 12th to 14th and will welcome Youths, Amateurs, Masters, and Professionals to one of the most influential territories in the history of sports.
With such a powerful setting, it stands to reason that the Roman Grand Slam will have an equally stunning line-up to make this debut an unforgettable one. While the event is still a few weeks away, dangerous rookies and battle-hardened veterans have already registered for the competition, with the Professional black belt category bringing some of the very best athletes in the organization to fight for the gold in Rome. Check out the male and female highlights registered for the tournament!
Men’s GI / Black
Starting on the men’s side, the 56kg division brings Kalel Santos and Welison Fernandes as the favorites for the podium, followed by Finland’s Marko Oikarainen and the Italian Andrea Verdemare.
In the 62kg division, Cicero Costha’s team comes strong to fight for the gold, with Leonardo Mario, Yuri Hendrex, and Jefferson Fagundes joining the fray. Flying a little under the radar, Wagner Chrispim is another strong athlete who’ll be vying for the title.
Meanwhile, the 69kg division is highlighted by Thiago Macedo and Matheus Onda, closely followed by the Bahraini athlete Ali Monfaradi and his strong Jiu-Jitsu. Another solid contender for the gold is the local Luca Caracciolo, who’ll be heading to Rome to represent his country.
Among the competitors featured in the 77kg division, the highlight is the ADWPJJC champion and AJP Global Ranking champion Lucas Protasio. Igor Feliz also comes to compete for the title and threatens Lucas’ momentum in the season.
One of the most populated categories in the tournament, the 88kg division features the likes of Uanderson Ferreira, Pedro Neto, and Luan Carvalho among the highlights. The experienced Luca Anacoreta, from Italy, and Pedro “Bolo” Silva, from DreamArt, could also make it big in Rome.
The highly decorated Jackson Sousa is one of the highlights registered in the 94kg division, with other well-known AJP names in the bracket, such as Marcos Carrozzino, Luiz Betta, and Roberto Dib Frias.
Among the heaviest warriors of the 120kg division, three athletes have great chances of conquering the gold medal: The current ADWPJJC Professional and Master champion Felipe Bezerra; Frates’ powerhouse Yatan Bueno with his takedowns and high levels of pressure from above; and Matheus “Tá Danado” Xavier, with his unpredictable game and dangerous submissions.
Women’s GI / Brown / Black
Moving on to the Women’s category, Italian athlete Serena Gabrielli highlights the 49kg division as she strives to show the strength of European Jiu-Jitsu in the lightest bracket of the tournament. Ready to thwart her efforts, Diana Teixeira and Brenda Larissa will also be fighting for the 49 kg division gold.
In the 55kg division, Anna Rodrigues and Alexa Yanes come as the favorites, with Larissa Paes and Beatriz Campos also eyeing the top of the podium.
Filled with challenging competitors, the 62kg division has the unstoppable Julia Alves as the favorite for the title, closely followed not only by the Italian Gabriella Ripepi but also by representatives of various nationalities competing at a high level, such as Spain, Poland, Greece, Norway, Ireland, Finland, France, and Switzerland.
Among the competitors of the 70kg division, DreamArt’s Ingridd Sousa and Izadora Silva have a great chance of reaching the podium, with Magdalena Loska, Nia Blackman, and Yara Kakish adding some spice to the bracket.
Finally, in the 94kg division, Yara Nascimento comes as a big name for the gold medal, followed by the likes of Maria Carolina Vicentini and Marcele Catanhede in the heaviest women’s bracket.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Rome is scheduled to take place over the course of three days, with Amateurs fighting on April 12th, followed by Youths and Masters on the next day, and finally with Professionals showing their skills on April 14th. The registration window closes on April 8th, so don’t waste any more time and join AJP as the Grand Slam carves its name in the history of Rome!
