Cole Abate Narrowly Beats Granzotto, And Dalpra Subs Yan Lucas, Meregali Dominates IBJJF GP
On September 2, 2023, the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Grand Prix was scheduled in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It was the largest jiu jitsu celebration that broke all world records in BJJ history. The event is part of the IBJJF Convention, a show that serves as a marketplace for grappling entrepreneurs and includes three major gi BJJ competitions. The World Masters Championship, the Jiu Jitsu Con tournament, and the previously mentioned Grand Prix are among these. With over 10,000 participants, this is an extraordinary achievement in IBJJF.
The Grand Prix
The IBJJF Grand Prix, recorded as the largest IBJJF GP, featured several intriguing super-fights. However, the main attraction was the tournament itself, especially with the participation of the sport’s current biggest stars, Victor Hugo from Six Blades and Nicholas Meregalli. Many spectators anticipated a showdown between the two athletes at the World Championship in June this year.
However, unfortunately, Meregalli did not participate, paving the way for Hugo to claim the open weight title. The inclusion of Nicholas’ name in the GP roster indicated that fans might finally witness the much-awaited clash of 2023. The two jiu jitsu legends met the expectations, delivering impressive and commanding victories on their journey to the GP final, where they faced off. The match was evenly contested, with competitors showcasing great BJJ move exchanges. Ultimately, a stunning and signature sweep from the lasso guard by Meregalli clinched the victory for the student of John Danaher. The score was 2×0.
Quarter-Finals
- Victor Hugo (84-20-0) defeated Horlando Monteiro (121-26-0) using an Arm in Ezekiel choke
- Gutemberg Pereira (70-20-0) beat Paulo Merlin (9-4-0) with a score of 5×0 points
- Fellipe Andrew (238-33-1) got victory over Steffen Banta (9-2-0) with a point tally of 2×0.
- Nicholas Meregalli (77-15-1) triumphed over Francisco Lo (42-15-0) through Smother Tap*
Semi-Finals
- Victor Hugo got victory Fellipe Andrew using a Triangle choke
- Nicholas Meregalli beat Gutemberg Pereira using a Choke from the back
Final
- Nicholas Meregalli defeated Victor Hugo, scoring 2×0 points
Superfights
The spotlight was on Tainan Dalpra and Yan Lucas. Even though Tainan & Yan had an entertaining match – controlled mainly by the AOJ middleweight – the Match Of The Night accolade undoubtedly went to Jackson Nagai vs. Natan Chueng. This was an exceptional clash that featured a bit of everything: takedowns, sweeps, attempts at guard passing, submission attempts, and continuous scrambles. We certainly look forward to seeing these two compete again. The match was won by Nagai, who pulled ahead towards the end after an evenly matched contest up to that point.
Janaina Lebre’s performance was worth watching as she controlled the fight against the skilled Emily Fernandez from start to finish. In another eagerly awaited match between two highly regarded black belts, Cole Abate (AOJ) and Eduardo Granzotto (Checkmat), the obvious favorite, failed to assert his superiority. Dudu, who usually competes in two weight classes below Abate, is less recognized among the broader sports audience. However, he effectively faced Abate’s offense, compelling the American to secure a win by advantages. Even though the final score was close, Cole was in control throughout the match, but he could not penetrate Dudu’s defense.
- Janaina Lebre (20-9-0) defeated Emily Fernandez (16-9-0) using an Ezekiel choke from mount.
- Cole Abate (3-0-0) beat Dudu Granzotto (0-0-0) through advantages (0x0 pts).
- Tainan Dalpra (70-2-0) overcame Yan “Pica Pau” Lucas (115-49-0) using an Armbar from the triangle.
- Jackson Nagai (27-9-0) emerged victorious over Natan Chueng (84-34-0) by 8×2 points.
- Ronaldo Junior (95-19-0) defeated Sebastian Rodriguez (54-17-0) through advantages (0x0 pts).
