Today’s Match of the Week features two men who are helping to shape the BJJ scene in Europe, Victor Estima (Gracie Barra) and Alan “Finfou” Nascimento (Checkmat). This battle took place in the finals at this year’s European Open in Lisbon, Portugal.

Both were vying for the title “king of the European middle weights”, Finfou represented Sweden and Victor represented the UK.

Enjoy this match!
 
 

 
 

Today’s Match of the Week takes us back to Brazil circa 2008 at a tournament call Campos III. This battle between grappling elite Marcelo Garcia and UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga was the semi-finals of this elite submission grappling event.

The Campos III tournament had some big names including: Renato Babalu, Thales Leite, Romulo Barral, and Alexandre Cafe to name a few. In the coming week, we will revisit some of theses amazing matches. For now enjoy this match between Marcelo Garcia and Gabriel Gonzaga!

Today’s Match of the Week Segment features the fabled 2006 Robson Moura vs. Jeff Glover no-gi match. This battle took place at the inaugural Professional Submission League event “L.A. Sub X” in 2006.

We have seen the picture numerous times, but have you seen the whole match? Enjoy!
 
 

 

Today’s “Match of the Week” takes us back to the 2007-2008 Grapplers Quest US Pro Trials. This exciting match up pitted champion versus champion. In this semi-final match, 2007 Mundial Champion Lucas Leite faced off against 2007 ADCC champion Rani Yahya in a high pace no-gi match to determine who is truly the best of the best!

Enjoy the match.

In today’s “Young Guns” segment, we feature a collegiate wrestler turned submission specialist, William Abreu. This guy has been tearing up the no-gi scene on a regional and international level since 2007. Some of his more noteworthy titles include:

2011
IBJJF No-Gi World Championship – 1st
IBJJF No-Gi Pan Am – 1st
IBJJF Miami Int’l Open – Weight – 1st – Absolute – 3rd

2010
Abu Dhabi Pro U.S Trials – 1st

His gi game is not too shabby either. Enjoy the interview!

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How did you start Jiu Jitsu?
I stopped wrestling due to injuries, but I still wanted to train somehow. A few of my friends introduced me to Jiu-Jitsu and I’ve never looked back since. It is Great sport with great people…

How has your “uncle” Roberto Cyborg Abreu influenced you?
LOL…Well we are not actually related by blood, but by the grace of God we’re a family nonetheless. In the sport itself I’ve learned a great deal from him, but as a person I’m impressed every day from how big his heart is. Thanks to him I learned that Jiu-Jitsu is more than a sport, it’s a life style.

Who else do you look up to?
Wilfredo Morua, he’s my younger brother. The idea of having to be an example to him was by far the biggest reason for me to never give up. Now that he has gotten old enough to understand life, I can say he is my greatest friend. Noticing more and more how he makes right decisions and learns from the wrong ones truly makes me feel much happier. Not only knowing that I’m on the verge of a great life, but that I made a difference in his life, which in turn guided me to where I am today.

You been known to have a dominating takedown game, what do you think of current state of BJJ in regards to the double guard pull?
Jiu-Jitsu is becoming a sport where most people just care about rankings and medals so lots of “Lay-N-Pray” or “Double Guard Pulling” to hold on to whatever lead they may have. I think the fans deserve more than that, and for that to change some rules need to change.

How would you change the current rules to promote a more dynamic well rounded Jiu Jitsu match?
There should be no sitting, guard pulling can only be done for defensive purposes while there’s contact, the same take down shouldn’t be allowed continuously, they must be successful with another take down before repeating. There should also be stronger stalling rules rewarding the aggressor.

Do you prefer the Gi/judo style throws or the No-Gi Greco takedowns?
By nature and my wrestling experience No-Gi is my preference. Due to the tradition behind the Gi and all the technique needed to master it, it truly grabs my attention much more.

What is your training regiment like?
I work a full-time job and sometimes 2, so training time is slim. I do my best to get in at least 5 days a week (strength training 3 days, Jiu-jitsu 5 days, conditioning 2 days). I’m blessed that everyone at my gym (Fight Sports) from white belts to black push me hard every time so I get great training no matter how short my time is.

Who do you think is your biggest threat in your division? Why?
I don’t follow any stats because I know all too well how you can be a champ one day and not be remembered the next. So to me worrying about who’s in my division is just eating up energy I can use for training.

How would you describe your style, beyond the takedown game?
I love a good fight, I train for all possibilities. In training I do great in all positions but rarely do I get to show case my other skills in competition. I rather have an aggressive fight on the ground than on my feet, I’m very confident on my bottom game.

What has been your proudest moment in BJJ thus far?
In March I went to Brazil to teach a seminar. Wow the people there are so great. Everyone that knows me knows how I love to teach more than compete. The fact that every day I was there teaching the questions never stopped, it felt great. That feeling of knowing I was giving back to the sport I love is an unforgettable moment.

How do you handle defeat?
I’m no stranger to losing, so it’s not an issue to me. Now if I feel I lost due to something I could’ve prevented (strength or conditioning) then that is when I truly can’t get over it. I’m a true believer that matches should come down to skill and experience.  

What are your plans for the near future?
Whatever it takes for that Black Belt, don’t be surprised if I give MMA a try. Everything I do now is for the possibility to have an academy at some point.

Any final thoughts?
Thank you to Fight Sports, Ferrino S&C, Universe Miami, Warrior Rehab and Igo Borges. Anyone out there interested in sponsoring or in a seminar contact me.

FB: www.facebook.com/abreuwilliam1
Twitter: @not_a_problem
Email: info@williamabreu.com

Today we feature a great battle between two jiu jitsu superstars, Andre Galvao vs Xande Ribeiro. This epic match took place this past weekend at the 2012 World Pro. Check out Galvao’s unrelenting passing efforts.

Enjoy the match!

Today’s Young Guns segment features a sensational light weight purple competitor, Michael Liera Jr. In 2011 he won the worlds as a blue and now as a relatively new purple belt, this young bjjer took gold at this year’s Pans.

Enjoy the interview and watch out for this guy at this year’s Mundials. Ossss!

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How did you start Jiu Jitsu?
I started Jiu Jitsu when one of my dad’s friends invited us to a class. I had no idea what Jiu Jitsu was, nor did I have any interest in it at the time, but me and my dad tried it out and we have stuck with it ever since then.

Who are your main influences?
My main influences in Jiu Jitsu are my instructors Andre Galvao, Rafael and Guillherme Mendes. They have showed me most of the techniques I use, and I try to replicate their Jiu Jitsu as much as I can.

Like many of our Young Guns, you went to the world pro tournament at Abu Dhabi. What was your experience like there on and off the mat?
The World Pro in Abu Dhabi was an expericence of a life time! I was very fortunate to have gone last year, I met a lot of good people and had a good time in the tournament. Abu Dhabi was obviously very different from what I’m used to here in California, but it was cool to see how mainstream Jiu Jitsu was there! There would be posters and advertisements for the World Pro tournament everywhere like commercials, buses and bill boards! In the tournament I placed 2nd in my weight having all submissions up until the final where I lost by one advantage. This year I competed in the New York Trials and won my weight division but lost in the absolute finals by one point. I training hard to go back to Abu Dhabi next year though!

What is you training regiment like at Atos?
At Atos Jiu Jitsu we train 10-11.30am drills, 12pm competition training, 4pm Workout and/or Drill session, and 6pm night training. At Atos we get the best of our training because we try to do everything as a team, so we can push each other in everything we do.

Who do you think is your biggest threat in your division? Why?
There are a lot of tough guys in my division this year, it is hard to choose just one!

What has been your proudest moment in BJJ thus far?
My proudest moment in Jiu Jitsu so far was definitely winning the Pan Americans this year at purple belt. I was very happy that all the hard work put in for that specific tournament had paid off!

How do you handle defeat?
In any tournament it is really hard for anyone to accept losing, I just always try to keep my head up and learn as much as possible from each lost.

What can we expect from you in the future?
A black belt world title! That is my ultimate goal!

Any final thoughts?
I’d like to thank first and foremost my family for supporting me and my pursuit of my dreams! Shoyoroll and JiuJitsuFactory.com for all of the help they have given me! My team Atos for all of the good trainings! and thank you submissioncontrol.com! Oss.

Today’s Match of the week features an exciting battle between Leandro “Lo” Nascimento and Celsinho Venicius. This match took place last year at the 2011 World Pro.

Leandro “Lo” Nascimento made quite a stir at this past Pans by beating out heavy favorite Lucas Lepri. For those who are unfamiliar with Leandro’s history (courtesy of BJJ Heroes):

Leandro Lo do Nascimento was born on the 11th of May, 1989 on the east side of São Paulo – Brazil. He started practicing Jiu Jitsu through the “Lutando Pelo Bem” project for underprivileged children in 2004, a project led by Cicero Costha.

Leandro was a natural athlete and won many important titles as a junior, such as the Mundial in 2005, medalling again in 2006. In 2007 the world’s biggest organization (CBJJ/IBJJF) shifted its tournament – the Mundial – to the United States seeking world wide recognition. With the change many Brazilian competitors (Leandro included) lost their main tournament as they did not have the means to travel to America. These fighters were left with the considered smaller events such as the World Cup – CBJJE, the World League Pro Jiu Jitsu and the World Pro Cup all of which were won by Leandro Lo.

It was on April 14th of 2011 that Leandro finally turned a few heads his way. After winning the south Brazilian trials at the “Gramado”, Lo went on to defeat two legends in the tournament’s final stage, Celso Vinicius and Michael Langhi. Langhi was widely considered the best lightweight in the world, and hadn’t lost a competition in 3 years.

Leandro “Lo” Nascimento titles:
“Pan American Champion (2012)
Copa Podio GP Champion (2011)
Brazilian National Nogi Champion (2011)
Rio Open Champion (2011)
Brazilian National Champion (2009 & 2010 brown, 2011)
World Jiu Jitsu Pro Cup Champion (2011)
World League Pro Jiu Jitsu (2010)
Brazilian Cup Champion (2008 purple – CBJJE)
World Champion (2005 junior blue)
World Silver Medallist (2006 junior blue)
Brazilian National Silver Medallist (2008 purple)

Enjoy the match!

2012 IBJJF Pans Adult BB Bracket Results (Click to Enlarge)

Rooster / Galo:

Ultra Heavy / Pesadissimo:

Today’s Match of the week features two champions of different generations, Alexandre Ribeiro x Roberto Tozi.

This battle took place at the 2005 CBJJO World Championships. Started by Andre Pederneiras, the CBJJO was formed as a result of his belief that if BJJ wants to achieve a professional level, fighters should be paid when fighting in major tournaments. After several year and some internal issues the CBJJO organization was forced to close its doors.

Enjoy the match!

 
 
Tozi Pass