JANUARY 27, 2024, PARIS, FRANCE. The start of the season seems to point to this being The Year Of Pro Teams in gi jiu-jitsu, as the IBJJF European Championship ends with a team podium filled with professional squads (#1 Fratres, #2 AOJ, #3 Qatar/Vision). A podium contrast to previous seasons when teams with homegrown talent such as Checkmat, Alliance, Gracie Barra, etc, would lead the rankings.
Overall, as a spectator-friendly event, the European Championship failed to deliver. It was a highly competitive championship, no doubt, with tight matches, but – maybe we will sound like a broken record here – referees failed to do their job at penalizing stalling tactics. Types of maneuvers were seen over, and over again, throughout the event. Luckily for the spectators, there were athletes like Mica Galvao, Pedro Machado, Horlando Monteiro, Gutemberg Pereira, Thalyta Silva, and others to follow, who broke free from these cautious tactics and lifted fans from their seats. Below is a short report on the most important moments of the action and the match results for the most important clashes in the tournament.
2024 IBJJF EUROPEAN OPEN QUICK STATS
Adult black belt division
– Male Matches: 138
– Female Matches: 59
– Total Matches: 197
– Male Submissions: 52 (38%)
– Female Submissions: 16 (27%)
– Total Submissions: 68 (34.5%)
– Athlete With Most Submissions: Mica Galvao 4 (100%)
The recently started, Team Fratres of Sao Paulo, a super squad built on hired talent developed in Brazil’s Sao Paulo region, looked unstoppable at the Euros, taking home the adult male trophy as well as the adult female one, the most coveted squad prizes.
The podiums were filled with athletes of Fratres and AOJ at the black belt level. From the many gold medals there, one of the most relevant was also the biggest upset of the tournament. That of Jessica Caroline (FJJ) over Mayssa Bastos which ended AOJ’s grappling ace’s 26-match unbeaten streak. Although very note-worthy, Caroline’s win was not without controversy as she scored 2:30 minutes into the match (via sweep) and spent the remaining 7:30 defending her lead with extremely cautious tactics that (in our opinion) were worthy of receiving a few stalling penalties from the referees. Bastos put on an onslaught of attacks, with Caroline always working on the edges of the mats and the referees (once again) unwilling to move the athletes to the center as per the ruleset. Despite the refereeing mishaps, after all, was said and done, this was a historic win for Jessica Caroline, who is one of the most active and fun to watch grapplers in the scene.
It is impossible to talk about the female division without discussing Gabrieli Pessanha, an athlete who keeps cutting through the IBJJF circuit like a hot knife through butter. Another impressive double gold performance by the Rio de Janeiro native who beat her two toughest rivals to date, Yara Soares and Tayane Porfirio in Paris, maintaining her status as the queen of jiu-jitsu.
On the male side of the tournament, the main attraction was Mica Galvao. Like the equivalent of the Matrix’s Neo, Mica was ahead of the curve in every match he had which appeared to be blurring the line between a friendly roll at the gym and a competition, given his dominance and calm/composed expression he displayed. Sublime performance and 100% finish rate by the Manaus prodigy.
Another historic performance was that of Gutemberg Pereira. The famous jiu-jitsu player represented his new team, Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ), for the first time at a major IBJJF event and was able to produce double gold. “Berg” benefited from two forfeits in the open-weight class, first by Tacio Carneiro in the second round of the tournament, who wanted to reserve his strength to his weight class, and later by Pereira’s close friend and former roommate, Mauricio Oliveira (currently with Fratres) who opted not to compete with Gutemberg. Nevertheless, a very strong showing in a marriage that has all the elements to produce great results this year.
One of the side stories of the Europan Championship this year was the black belt debut of Rayron Gracie. Rayron had a tremendous career as a colored belt and many expect great things from this very talented player, with extra interest considering also the relevance his family has had in building this sport. The son of Ryan Gracie had a fair performance, going 2-2 while competing in the open weight class and the super heavy, with both his wins coming via submission. Rayron also had a close match with Erich Munis – one of the sport’s foremost champions – which is a sign of a prosperous career ahead.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 CHAMPIONS
Male
57KG: Thalison Soares (AOJ)
64KG: Meyram Maquine (Fratres)
70KG: Kennedy Maciel (Alliance)
76KG: Elijah Dorsey (Lloyd Irvin)
82KG: Micael Galvao (Escola Melqui Galvao)
88KG: Mauricio Oliveira (Fratres)
94KG: Adam Wardzinski (Checkmat)
100KG: Erich Munis (Fratres)
+100KG: Gutemberg Pereira (AOJ)
ABS: Gutemberg Pereira (AOJ)
Female
48G: Shelby Murphey (AOJ)
53KG: Jessica Caroline (Fratres)
58G: Margot Ciccarelli (AOJ)
64KG: Julia Alves (GFT)
69KG: Thalyta Silva (Fratres)
74KG: Aurelie Le Vern (Six Blades)
79KG: Melissa Cueto (Alliance)
+79KG: Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
ABS: Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
MALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Thalison Soares def. Andrew Soares via 0x0, 2×0 adv
– Tadiyah Danforth def. Shay Montague via 8×6
– Oziel Santos def. Zayed Alkeeteri via DQ (overweight)
– Jonas Andrade def. Italo Bonfim via Choke
Semi-Finals:
– Thalison Soares def. Tadiyah Danforth via 19×2
– Jonas Andrade def. Oziel Santos via Triangle
Final:
– Thalison Soares def. Jonas Andrade via 5×0
MALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Seokhyeon Seo def. Enrique Guerrero via 2×0
– Anderson Duarte def. Yuri Hendrex via 2×0
– Meyram Maquine def. Keven Carrasco via 4×2
– Jefferson Fagundes def. Tomoyuki Hashimoto via 0x0, 1×0 adv
Semi-Finals:
– Meyram Maquine def. Jefferson Fagundes via Choke from the back
– Anderson Duarte def. Seokhyeon Seo via 0x0, 1x0adv
Final:
– Meyram Maquine def. Anderson Duarte via choke from the back
MALE, FEATHERWEIGHT
– Quarter-Finals:
– Diego Sodre def. Sam McNally via 2×0
– Kennedy Maciel def. Sebastian Serpa via 2×0
– Alex Sodre def. Jun Cho via decision
– Ademir Barreto def. Isaac Doederlein via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Alex Sodre def. Ademir Barreto via 8×8, 1×0 adv
– Kennedy Maciel def. Diego Sodre via 4×2
Final:
– Kennedy Maciel def. Alex Sodre via 2×2, 2×1 adv
MALE, LIGHTWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Natan Chueng def. Leon Larman via 2×0
– Espen Mathiesen def. Lucas Protasio via 2×2, 1×0 adv
– Elijah Dorsey def. Pedro Leonardo via 0x0, DEC
– Pablo Lavaselli def. Julio Arantes 7 0
Semi-Finals:
– Elijah Dorsey def. Pablo Lavaselli via 2×0
– Espen Mathiesen def. Natan Chueng via decision
Final:
– Elijah Dorsey def. Espen Mathiesen via 0x0, 2×0 adv
MALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Mica Galvao def. Tarik Hopstock via Choke
– Fabyury khrysthyan def. Max Lindblad via Kneebar
– Andy Murasaki def. Vinicius Martins via Choke from the back
– Joao Pedro “Bolo” def. Szilard Sule via decision
Semi-Finals:
– Mica Galvao def. Fabyury khrysthyan via Choke from the back
– Andy Murasaki def. Joao Pedro “Bolo” via 6×2
Final:
– Mica Galvao def. Andy Murasaki via armbar
MALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Mauricio Oliveira def. Nolan Stuart via Choke from the back
– Davi Vetoraci def. Charles Adorian via 9×2
– Horlando Monteiro def. Faris Lamkadem via Triangle
– Wellington Luis def. Shane Fishman via 9×4
Semi-Finals:
– Mauricio Oliveira def. Davi Vetoraci via 2×2, 1×0 adv
– Wellington Luis def. Horlando Monteiro via 2×0
(Team Fratres closed the medium-heavyweight division)
MALE, HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Fellipe Andrew def. Marcos Carrozzino via Katagatame
– Lucas Alves def. Italo Lima via Straight ankle lock
– Adam Wardzinski def. Vinicius Liberati via 4×0
– Pedro Machado def. Jesse Vuorio via Armbar
Semi-Finals:
– Fellipe Andrew def. Lucas Alves via Botinha
– Adam Wardzinski def. Pedro Machado via 9×4
Final:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Fellipe Andrew via 9×0
MALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Rayron Gracie def. Marcus Ruiz via Verbal tap
– Erich Munis def. Vinicius Lessa via Choke from the back
– Harryson Pereira def. Anderson Munis via 2×0
– Anderson Kauani def. Thiago Andrade via Choke from the back
Semi-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Rayron Gracie via 2×0
– Anderson Kauan def. Harryson Pereira via 2×2, 2×1 adv
Final:
– Erich Munis def. Anderson Kauan via 26×0
MALE, ULTRA-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Gutemberg Pereira def. G. Lambertucci via Triangle
– Kjetil Lydvo def. Helder Junior via Cachecol choke
– Marcus Ribeiro def. Tacio Carneiro via 0x0, 3×2 adv
– Yatan Bueno def. Seif Houmine via 6×4
Semi-Finals:
– Gutemberg Pereira def. Kjetil Lydvo via 13×2
– Yatan Bueno def. Marcus Ribeiro via 2×0
Final:
– Gutemberg Pereira def. Yatan Bueno via 0x0, 1×0 adv
MALE, OPEN WEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Guilherme Lambertucci def. Vinicius Lessa via Armlock
– Pedro Machado def. Wellington Luis via 4×0
– Gutemberg Pereira def. Javier Barter via Crucifix choke
– Mauricio Oliveira def. Clayton Mayfield via 11×0
Semi-Finals:
– Gutemberg Pereira def. Mauricio Oliveira via gentlemen’s agreement
– Pedro Machado def. Guilherme Lambertucci via Armbar
Final:
– Gutemberg Pereira def. Pedro Machado via 6×0
FEMALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT
3 athlete division
– Shelby Murphey def. Giulia Gregorut via 6×4
– Giulia Gregorut def. Amber Freitas via 0x0, 1×0 adv
Final:
– Shelby Murphey def. Giulia Gregorut via 3×2
FEMALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Rose Sharouni def. advanced via WO
– Mayssa Bastos def. Yasmin Pessanha via 21×0
– Diana Teixeira def. Naiomi Mathews via 2×2, 2×0 adv
– Jessica Caroline def. Laura Peretti via Triangle armlock
Semi-Finals:
– Jessica Caroline def. Rose Sharouni via Triangle armlock
– Mayssa Bastos def. Diana Teixeira via Choke from the back
Final:
– Jessica Caroline def. Mayssa Bastos via 2×0
FEMALE, FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Camila Roque via Bow and arrow
– Rafaela Rosa def. Zofia Szawernowska via 2×0
– Gabriela Pereira def. Astrid Scholin via 2×0
– Vitoria Assis def. Maria Luiza via 2×2, 2×1 adv
Semi-Finals:
– Gabriela Pereira def. Vitoria Assis via 5×0
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Rafaela Rosa via Tarikoplata
Final:
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Gabriela Pereira via 2×2, 2×1 adv
FEMALE, LIGHTWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Vitoria Vieira def. Stephanie Delphin via
– Ludimira Fiori def. Maria Claudia via 0x0, 1×0 adv
– Sabrina Gondim def. Amanda Hening via 6×0
– Julia Alves def. Amandine Layec via Canto choke
Semi-Finals:
– Julia Alves def. Sabrina Gondim via 0x0, 2×1 adv
– Vitoria Vieira def. Ludimira Fiori via 4×2
Final:
– Julia Alves def. Vitoria Vieira via 0x0, 2×0 adv
FEMALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Thalyta Silva def. Beatrice Fraux via RNC
– Raquel Canuto def. Ana Brandao via decision
– Natalia Zumba def. Alexia Arantes via 0x0, 1×0 adv
– Ingridd Alves def. Gabriele Schuck via 6×2
Semi-Finals:
– Thalyta Silva def. Raquel Canuto via 5×0
– Ingridd Alves def. Natalia Zumba via RNC
Final:
– Thalyta Silva def. Ingridd Alves via DQ (very odd DQ for no apparent reason, inside 50/50 guard)
FEMALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Sabatha Lais advanced via WO
– Maria Malyjasiak advanced via WO
– Aurelie Le Vern def. Raquel Santos via Mouted cross choke
– Leticia Cardozo def. Vannessa Griffin via 0x0, 2×1 adv
Semi-Finals:
– Sabatha Lais def. Leticia Cardozo via Choke from the back
– Aurelie Le Vern def. Maria Malyjasiak via 0x0, 1×0 adv
Final:
– Aurelie Le Vern def. Sabatha Lais via 13×0
FEMALE, HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Maria Vicentini def. Salla Simola via injury
– Melissa Cueto advanced via WO
– Izadora Cristina advanced via WO
– Amanda Magda advanced via WO
Semi-Finals:
– Melissa Cueto def. Maria Vicentini via decision
– Izadora Cristina def. Amanda Magda via 3×2
Final:
– Melissa Cueto def. Izadora Cristina via 4×4, 3×1 adv
FEMALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT
4 person division – no quarter finals
Semi-Finals:
– Tayane Porfirio def. Yara Soares via 0x0, 3×0 adv
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Maryanna Cardoso via RNC
Final:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Tayane Porfirio via 9×0
FEMALE, OPEN WEIGHT
Quarter Finals:
– Yara Soares def. Salla Simola via Choke
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Maryanna Cardoso via Choke from the back
– Thalyta Silva def. Maria Claudia via Ezekiel choke
– Melissa Cueto def. Vannessa Griffin via 9×0
Semi-Finals:
– Thalyta “Thata” Silva def. Melissa Cueto via 2×0
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Yara Soares via decision
Final:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Thalyta Silva via armbar
