Cyborg on top of Bruno Bastos in the ultraheavyweight final / Photos: Mike Calimbas/TXMMA.com.
Promoted by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the Dallas Open featured some of the sport’s top competitors last weekend at TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena in Texas. The top-placed black belt was Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, who won the absolute division and proved his game is up to speed for the World Championship coming up late May in California.
Cyborg returned home to Florida with two gold medals, one at ultraheavyweight and another at open weight. In winning his weight class he had to make it past Bruno Bastos in the final, with Ricardo Evangelista taking bronze. In the absolute, Roberto defeated Traves Edward Serna of Lovato team in the final, according to the IBJJF.
Check out the official tournament results here.
Another standout was the beast from Oklahoma State Justin Rader, who overcame Pablo Silva in the featherweight final. Watch the showdown in the following video taken by our contributor Mike Calimbas:
Another black belt to raise the roof was Renato Tavares. The teacher and competitor in the senior division braved facing the big, younger guys in the master division and took gold in the absolute. In the semifinal he applied an eyeful sweep on Gracie Barra’s Professor Ulpiano Malachias. In the final he outpointed Alexandre “Dande” Ferreira via judges’ decision.
The big teams showed up en mass, and Nova União, with Bruno Bastos at the helm, took the overall team contest; with Lovato Jiu-Jitsu, led by Rafael Lovato and Justin Rader, in second; and Renato Tavares Association, under Renato Tavares and Piet Wilhelm, taking third.
Gracie Barra took its pint-sized competitors and took third in the overall kids results.
Team Standings
1. Nova União – 298
2. Lovato Jiu-Jitsu – 168
3. Renato Tavares Association – 148
Kids
1. Nova União – 37
2. Renato Tavares Association – 22
3. Gracie Barra – 12
Check out the 29 finest photos from the tourney, by Mike Calimbas:
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