Images: Ane Nunes/AJP
[Press release.]
The time to rest is over. After a glorious closing to the 2018/2019 season with the 11th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, on April 20-26, it’s time to go back to the mats. The 2019/2020 season of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour is around the corner and the first big stop will be in Moscow, Russia, for the debut of an expanded Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour.
Now with six legs, the 2019/2020 ADGS Tour lands on the Arena Triumph on June 15-16. The registration period is open and the final deadline is June 11. As usual, some of the greatest names in the sport are already signing up to compete for their share of the hefty cash prizes as well as the valuable points in the annual AJP rankings. Click here to register now. After Moscow, the ADGS will be in Tokyo (July 27-28), Los Angeles (September 14-15), Rio de Janeiro (November 1-3), Abu Dhabi (January 16-18, 2020), London (March 2020).
About the AJP
Welcome to the Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro™ (AJP). This new groundbreaking Professional Jiu-Jitsu Sport Organization is born to revolutionize the world of Jiu-Jitsu competitions. With 78 events in all six continents on each season, the AJP aims to elevate our sport to levels of excellence and professionalism never achieved before.
The AJP is the natural evolution of a movement that kicked off in 2009, with the inception of the first Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The brand new event was born with two main goals: to move Jiu-Jitsu towards professionalism and to make Abu Dhabi the world capital for the sport. Eleven years later, it is clear that both goals were brilliantly achieved. The ADWPJJC has changed the landscape of Jiu-Jitsu competitions, making all of those involved understand that the days of amateurism are long gone. At the same time, Abu Dhabi has become a beacon of development for the sport and an example to be followed.
The second major step taken was the creation of the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), in 2012. Under the guidance and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the UAEJJF quickly became a reference for Jiu-Jitsu both in the UAE and all over the world. Since its creation, the UAEJJF has supported the development of a strong generation of athletes in the UAE. It has also played a leading role in the expansion of an international circuit of tournaments that create the opportunity for the sport to flourish around the planet.
The third major step came in the 2015/2016 season, with the creation of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, a series of anchor events in five of the most important cities in the world. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour will enter its 5th season in 2019/2020 as a complete success.
It has been embraced by the global Jiu-Jitsu community. Each one of the events have become the moment athletes get ready for year-round. Host cities Tokyo, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and London have turned into continental hubs for the sport. The newly added sixth host city, Moscow, will surely follow the same path of success.
As the expansion continues to take place, there was the need to take a step further in the direction of making the operation of all the system run more smoothly. The AJP comes to fulfill that need as it gives a highly qualified team with eleven years of experience in running the professional Jiu-Jitsu movement the focus and the time to dedicate fully to the task of putting out the best product possible for the complete satisfaction of all of those involved, from athletes to fans, but also local organizers, the media and commercial partners.
The AJP is under the direction of the International Vision Sports Management (IVSM), which gathers the talents of a selected group of top professionals in the diverse areas of knowledge, including sports management, event production, television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/ development, international licensing, marketing, sponsorship, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
In its first season, from May 2019 to April 2020, the AJP will organize 78 events all over the world, from regional events to continental and global events that will feature the elite athletes in Jiu-Jitsu today. AJP events will be broadcast and streamed live to over 10 million people worldwide in over 60 countries. Our media partners include top level sports broadcasters like Abu Dhabi Sports in the UAE, Canal Combate in Brazil, Fox Sports in Europe and FloSports online worldwide. On top of that, the AJP will also have a strong presence in all of today’s major social media channels, offering high level content with elevated potential to become viral.
Based on over a decade of expertise in organizing Jiu-Jitsu tournaments all around the world, the AJP team embraces the mission of having Jiu-Jitsu recognized as a legitimate sport and Abu Dhabi home to the world’s premier entertainment events that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
To fulfill that mission, the AJP is working with governmental bodies, private entities, international sports organizations, academies and players in order to achieve the greater goal of uniting the entire Professional Jiu-Jitsu world under one jurisdiction.
The first season of the AJP (2019/2020) will consist of a variety of events in all six continent in different levels of competition. They are:
- 30 International Championships
- 30 National Pro Championships
- 6 Continental Championships
- 6 Abu Dhabi Grand Slams
- 4 Abu Dhabi King of Mats
- 1 Abu Dhabi Teams Cup
- 1 Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship
The AJP main goals are to make Jiu-Jitsu a profitable enterprise for all of those involved in it and also make it as entertaining as possible for those watching and competing in it. It aims to create a strong and stable system that’s profitable for pro players and provides entertainment for fans in the long-term. The AJP is working daily to create that environment and it would like to invite all of those who love Jiu-Jitsu to be a part of this incredible journey that begins now! More info at AJPtour.com.
