Amal Amjahid and Bianca Basilio were both champions at last year’s UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (Amjahid in the 55kg category and Basilio in the 62kg category), and in this year’s finals, it was no surprise to see them facing off against each other.
This match was highly anticipated. Last year, Amjahid was a brown belt and won against Amanda Nogueira to secure gold. Basilio, on the other hand, defeated fellow 2019 finalist Ffion Davies (who was also a brown belt at the time) for her title. Both Basilio and Amjahid have earned reputations as quick, clever, and intense athletes, and once they earned their spots in the 55kg finals this year, everyone knew this was going to be one of the best matches to watch.
The women didn’t disappoint — this match was a nail-biter. While neither competitor was able to submit the other, the fact that this match went the distance is an indication of just how technical Basilio and Amjahid are in both offense and defense. Ultimately, Basilio claimed the championship title with a two-point lead over Amjahid with a score of 4-2.
Watch the match below:
