In the recent ADCC 2015 absolute winner Claudio Calasans almost didn’t return after losing division. For mixed martial arts fans who follow the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, this was a surprising twist in the championship.
During the open-weight bracket quarterfinals, Calasans was outpointed by the underdog, Keenan Cornelius. Calasans was so affected by his loss that he almost decided not to compete in the Absolute division. However, he was motivated to return to day two of the competition because he wanted to set an example for his jiu-jitsu students. He then proceeded to win the division and become the 2015 Absolute champion.
“I only came back for my students to watch me and to have some fun doing what I know how to do, which is to fight jiu-jitsu,” Calasans told Sherdog.com. “I walked into every fight as if it was the last one, and so I ended up as the champion.”
Calasans’ 2015 ADCC win means that he will face off against his teammate Andre Galvao at the 2017 ADCC championship. Galvao will be a tough opponent for Calasans, even though the two are training partners, teammates and friends. Galvao is highly motivated to win and should put up a good fight agains the reigning champion.
