MAY 08, BARUERI, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL Another edition of the Brazilian Nationals, or the Brasileiro – as it is commonly known among the fans of the sport. The tournament is one of the most prestigious events on jiu-jitsu’s international calendar being also one of the most popular. This year we can also add “historical” to the list of adjectives that categorize Brazil’s toughest grappling championship.
Why was this a historical event? Well, back in 2007 Rafael Lovato Junior became the first non-Brazilian to win the Brazilian National Championship in the adult black belt division. The deed would be repeated by Mike Wilson in 2011, McKenzie Dern in 2014, re-done by Lovato once more in 2013, and lastly achieved by Isaac Doederlein (2019), but not once had we seen more than one non-local athlete conquer this prestigious gold medal in one single year. That time came today from the hands and feet of Mason Fowler (team USA) and Pablo Lavaselli (team Argentina). Lavaselli also became the first Argentinian athlete to conquer the Brasileiro at this level.
MASON FOWLER DOMINATES AT ULTRA-HEAVY
What a beautiful and exciting performance by Caio Terra’s pupil, Mr. Mason Fowler. The Californian had an inspired day on the mats, submitting ALL his ultra-heavyweight opponents with back chokes, including the two heavy favorites of the division, GF Team’s Gutemberg Pereira and Pedro Alex. Mason worked well from all angles, sweeping from the bottom and attacking submissions while also showing an outstanding work-rate from the top. Absolutely a pleasure to follow Fowler’s Brasileiro run as he became only the 4th American to win the highly praised gold medal.
LAVASELLI TAKES GOLD TO ARGENTINA
Pablo Lavaselli is not just the first big jiu-jitsu player to come out of Argentina in recent memory, but he is also one of the top lightweights in the world, period. He proved that once again today with tough but important wins over some of Brazil’s finest. Names such as former Brazilian Nationals champion Ygor Rodrigues, the always durable Cicero Costha representative Leandro Lima, and former Pan, Worlds, and European medalist Victor Oliveira (GFT).
For the final Pablo met Nova União’s rising talent, Luiz Santos taking the win by two advantages after a hard-fought battle.
HOKAGE STEAMROLLS WORLD-CLASS FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION
Coach Melqui Galvão’s Fabricio Andrey, AKA “Hokage”, looked as impressive as ever in a stacked 70-kilo division. This weight class counted with names like Samuel Nagai, Kennedy Maciel, Diogo Sodré, João Oliveira, and Matheus Onda, to name a few, but none looked as impressive as the talented grappler from Manaus. Andrey submitted his way to the final but was unable to finish Alliance’s Kennedy Maciel, despite dominating the match.
WHO CAN STOP MICA GALVÃO?
The answer to the question above was not found at the Brasileiros. Galvão made it look easy against seasoned veterans such as Alexandre Cavaliere, Servio Tulio, Wallison Oliveira (last year’s runner-up), and Six Blades’ rising star Pedro Maia. All taken out with relative ease by the impressive teenager.
ANOTHER DOMINANT WIN FOR PESSANHA
No big upsets to report in the female divisions as Gabrieli Pessanha remains her reputation intact as the best female grappler on the planet with another easy run at double gold. Equally dominant were the performances of other female stars such as Mayssa Bastos, Bianca Basilio, and Nathalie Ribeiro, who showed aggressive and pleasant to follow jiu-jitsu for the fans.
One of the females also worthy of note here was Claire-France Thevenon who competed in the super-heavyweight division. Despite there being solely 3 athletes registered for this weight class, the French athlete still managed to raise some eyebrows with her dominant win over the former national champion, Carina Santi. Claire-France put 16 points on the scoreboard finishing the G13 athlete with a choke from the back, ending her Brasileiro run with a silver medal.
MEREGALI WITH TRIUMPHAL RETURN TO IBJJF
One of the most celebrated and fun athletes to watch in the sport, Mr. Nicholas Meregali, returned to the gi and to an IBJJF / CBJJ tournament this weekend for the first time since the controversy at the World Championships back in December 2021, when Nicholas was suspended from the tournament for “flipping the bird” at a spectator in the crowd.
The return this weekend could not have been more positive for Meregali who submitted all his opponents, including two of the division’s favorites – Marcus “Scooby” (loop choke), and Fellipe Andrew (back choke). Below are the podium spots of the tournament.
BRAZILIAN NATIONALS ADULT BLACK BELT CHAMPIONS
(57KG) Rodrigo Otavio (Dream Art)
(64KG) Diogo Reis (Melqui Galvão)
(70KG) Fabricio Andrey (Melqui Galvão)
(76KG) Pablo Lavaselli (Nova União)
(82KG) Micael Galvâo (Melqui Galvão)
(88KG) Matheus Spirandeli (Alliance)
(94KG) Rider Zuchi (Ns Brotherhood)
(100KG) Nicholas Meregali (Dream Art)
(+100KG) Mason Fowler (CTA)
(OPEN) Gutemberg Pereira (GFT)
(49KG) Mayssa Bastos (Unity)
(52KG) Brenda Larissa (Melqui Galvão)
(58KG) Bianca Basilio (Almeida JJ)
(64KG) Nathalie Ribeiro (Checkmat)
(69KG) Andressa Cintra (Gracie Barra)
(71KG) Sabatha Laís (Ryan Gracie)
(79KG) Fernanda Mazzelli (Striker)
(+79KG) Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
(OPEN) Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / ROOSTER
#1 Rodrigo Otavio (Dream Art)
#2 Welerson Gonçalves ((Nova União))
#3 Italo Frota (F3J Team)
#3 Wesley Martins (OLL Fight)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / LIGHT-FEATHER
#1 Diogo Reis (Fight Sports/Melqui Galvão)
#2 Cleber Fernandes (Atos)
#3 Fernando Fávari (GF Team)
#3 Matheus Rossi (Cicero Costha)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / FEATHER
#1 Fabricio Andrey (Fight Sports/Melqui Galvão)
#2 Kennedy Maciel (Alliance)
#3 Diego Sodré (Nova União)
#3 Wilhiam Mateus (ZR Team)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / LIGHT
#1 Pablo Lavaselli (Nova União)
#2 Luiz Santos (Nova União)
#3 Luiz Paulo (Fight Sports/Melqui Galvão)
#3 Vitor Henrique Oliveira (GF Team)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE
#1 Micael Galvâo (Fight Sports)
#2 Servio Tulio (Gracie Barra)
#3 Everton Freitas (Núcleo JJ)
#3 Pedro Maia (Six Blades)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / MEDIUM-HEAVY
#1 Matheus Spirandeli (Alliance)
#2 Rafael Paganini (Dream Art)
#3 Murilo Santana (Unity)
#3 Wellington Luís Sebastião (Ns Brotherhood)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY
#1 Rider Zuchi (Ns Brotherhood)
#2 Leon Brito (BTT)
#3 Gabriel Volante (R1NG)
#3 Leandro Santos (Ns Brotherhood)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / SUPER-HEAVY
#1 Nicholas Meregali (Dream Art)
#2 Fellipe Andrew (Alliance)
#3 Anderson Munis (Dream Art)
#3 Marcus “Scooby” Ribeiro (Alliance)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / ULTRA-HEAVY
#1 Mason Fowler (CTA)
#2 Pedro “Bombom” Alex (GF Team)
#3 Herico Hesley (Nova União)
#3 Renan Marcel (Bravus)
MALE / ADULT / BLACK / OPEN CLASS
#1 Gutemberg Pereira (GF Team)
#2 Marcus “Scooby” Ribeiro (Alliance)
#3 Diogo Nascimento (Ns Brotherhood)
#3 Harryson Pereira (Ataque Duplo)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / ROOSTER
#1 Mayssa Bastos (Unity)
#2 Mariana Rolszt (Gracie Humaita)
#3 Maria “Duda” Tozoni (Kronos)
#3 Thaís Loureiro (Atos)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / LIGHT-FEATHER
#1 Brenda Larissa (Fight Sports/Melqui Galvão)
#2 Jessica Caroline (CTA)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / FEATHER
#1 Bianca Basilio (Atos)
#2 Renata Paschoal (GF Team)
#3 Eduarda Lima (Castro Team)
#3 Swanny Batista (Vita)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / LIGHT
#1 Nathalie Ribeiro (CheckMat)
#2 Vitoria Vieira (GF Team)
#3 Gessica Fong (CheckMat)
#3 Luiara Gedeon (Gracie Barra)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / MIDDLE
#1 Andressa Cintra (Gracie Barra)
#2 Chloé McNally (Unity)
#3 Éricka Almeida (Gracie Barra)
#3 Natália Zumba (Alliance)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / MEDIUM-HEAVY
#1 Sábatha Laís (R1NG)
#2 Elisabeth Clay (Ares)
#3 Márcia Karina (GF Team)
#3 Raiane Santos (Gracie Barra)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY
#1 Fernanda Mazzelli (Striker)
#2 Graciele Del Fava (Guigo)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / SUPER-HEAVY
#1 Gabrieli Pessanha (Infight)
#2 Claire-France Thevenon (Panda Supa Crew)
#3 Carina Santi (G13)
FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / OPEN CLASS
#1 Gabrieli Pessanha (Infight)
#2 Fernanda Mazzelli (Striker)
#3 Carina Santi (G13)
#3 Graciele Del Fava (Guigo)
Michael Wilson is from Australia. Mason is the 4th American (Lovato, Dern and Isaac) and the 3rd American Male.
Yes, we know this. This is why we wrote he is the 4th American and not the 5th. I didn’t understand the comment as it is basically what is stated above.