The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World’s 2017 Championships
The excitement around 2017’s ADCC World Championship fights is building to bring the action to Espoo, Finland, at the Metro Arena on September 23 and 24. This will be two intense days of the world’s best martial artists battling for supremacy. The event hosts a super fight between Andre Galvao and Claudio Calasans for a prize purse worth $40,000. The competition among the featherweight division (66kg) is fierce with Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” making a return to the tournament to keep his status as the top featherweight fighter in a decade.
Let’s take a look at all of the featherweights preparing to kick butt at the ADCC World’s 2017.
Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” Marciel – Rubens Charles Marciel is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt known as one of the best featherweights in the last decade. Marciel is an IBJJF World Champion, IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, and ADCC Champion, just to name a few.
Justin Rader – Justin “Darth” Rader, born in 1987, is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is a black belt who has studied under the legendary Rafael Lovato Jr. and is associated with his brand of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A few of Justin Rader’s extensive titles include the World No-Gi Champion, ADCC USA-EC Trials Champion. He will definitely be a featherweight worth watching.
Paulo Miyao – Paulo Henrique Bordignon Miyao is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with an extensive victory record. This featherweight won back his Brown Belt Absolute title from his long-time rival Keenan Cornelius at the 2013 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which is considered significant given the weight division. Miyao works with trainer Cicero Costha, his brother João Miyao, and the world-famous champion, Leandro Lo.
Bruno Frazatto – Bruno Frazatto Xavier de Campos Barbosa is from Campinas, Brazil. The black belt started his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training at 16 years old. He quickly rose to dominance through many titles while fighting in adult matches when he was still a kid. In 2005, Frazatto studied with the prestigious coach, Roberto Godoi. In that same year, Bruno won his first World Championship, claiming third place.
Geovanny Martinez – Geovanny “Freakazoid” Martinez is a break dancer from San Diego, California. Martinez began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2011 after Ryan Ford asked him to teach his son to break dance in exchange for studying jiu-jitsu. He later began working with Sean Bollinger and exploring local competitions. Geo started breaking away from the pack when he trained with Eddie Bravo, who awarded him a black belt in 2014.
Eddie Cummings – Edward “Wolverine” Cummings is originally from New York and didn’t begin training until he came across a grappling class at Stony Brook University. Cummings began his training with Krishna Mirjah, who stressed the no-gi elements of jiu-jitsu and planted a seed of professional competition in Eddie’s head. Wolverine earned his blue belt under Renzo Gracie’s tutelage. His efforts paid off. He defeated Mark Ramos in 2013 at the Grappler’s Quest World Series of Grappling tournament.
Augusto Mendes – Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mendes started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu after his brother, Bruno Mendes, who asked him to train at the Kioto gym in Rio de Janeiro. Mendes trained with the highly respected Francisco Mansor and took home the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. Augusto has lived Brazilian jiu-jitsu since he was 14 and has the title victories to demonstrate his prowess. He won the Black Belt Rio Open and has been victorious twice at the Brazilian Team Championships.
AJ Agazarm – AJ “Leon” Agazarm is from Hollywood, Florida. Agazarm began wrestling in tenth grade and went on to win many titles in high school, which resulted in a scholarship to a NAIA school in Williamsburg, Kentucky. As a freshman in college he got involved in competitive mixed martial arts by filling in for a no-show competitor. Seven years later in 2013, AJ Agazarm won the Brazilian National No Gi Championship. He was the first non-Brazilian to win the title.
Baret Yoshida – Baret Yoshida is from the state Hawaii. He trained at the Relson Gracie’s, an accomplished academy where Yoshida earned his purple belt. Yoshida is one of the exceptional no-gi competitors fighting today. This warrior has acquired medals at three of the world’s most brutal mixed martial arts tournaments. He’s been a black belt since 2002.
Leo Vieira – Leonardo Vieira is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leo began training with Romero Cavalacanti at the age of six with his two younger brothers. All three Vieira Brothers are black belts in BJJ. Leonardo won his first World Championship event as a brown belt in 1996. In 2003, he won the World’s Submission Grappling title, the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, and won another historic gold medal in 2005. Leo also made waves by winning a silver medal at the ADCC in 2011. He’s sure to surprise us this year!
Ethan Crelinsten – Canadian grappler Ethan Crelinsten has been quietly kicking butt for a while now. A Gracie Nationals champ as a brown belt and a 135-pound Finishers winner, this Tristar Gym/Renzo Gracie athlete has been making waves in the sub-only scene for quite some time, and those who had been following his progress probably weren’t too surprised when he won the ADCC West Coast Trials earlier this year. More info Here
Here are some of the other competitors:
Uranov Zhakshylyk – Asia & Oceania Trials Winner
Janusz Andrejczuk – European Trials Winner
Pablo Mantovani – South American Trials Winner
Yuta Shimada – Asia & Oceania Winner
Kuba Witkowski – European Trials Winner
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Championship is the gold standard of martial arts performances. The world’s best martial athletes compete for a prize worth over $200,000. Finland will host the competition’s Main Super Fight between Andre Galvao and Claudio Calasans, the Star’s Super Fight between Renzo Gracie and Sanae Kikuta, as well as the fight between Frank Mir and Chael Sonnen.
