Day 1 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Abu Dhabi was a triumph this Friday, may 6th, in the United Arab Emirates. The 4th Edition of the Abu Dhabi Queen of Mats closed the program in great fashion. Six talented athletes in the heavyweight division fought to the end in search of the ultimate glory. Brazil’s Yara Nascimento rose to the top in thrilling matches.
Yara Nasciemnto came in the bracket as the favorite to win and she confirmed her status with competence. In four matches, Yara was able to make her game work and beat each opponent with authority. There was no easy match and Yara knew about it before the event.
Initially in Group A, Yara debuted with a tough 4×3 win on points over Rebeca Lima. Yara’s second opponent was Thalyta Silva. This time, Nascimento was able to get a sweep in the end to win 2×1.
In the semifinal, Yara had a great challenge in Ingridd Sousa. In a very studied match, Yara managed to reach the end of the match with a 3×2 lead to reach the final.
In Group B, Rafaela Bertolot reached the final with two wins in three matches. She first finished Julia Borscher in Round 1. In her second match, Rafaela was caught in a kneebar by Ingridd Sousa. In the semifinal, Bertolot made it to the final with a 1×0 win over Thalyta Silva.
The final put Yara against Rafaela. The match was fast paced from the beginning and Yara used her size to put pressure and work a collar choke to get the finish. After winning, Yara revealed she was not 100% physically: “I tried to play my usual game, but I have an injury that held me back. In the final, I knew it was time to give it all and win it and that’s what I did.” Here’s how the bracket played out.
Group A
Round 1
Rebeca Lima 3 X 4 Yara Nascimento
Round 2
Rebeca Lima 3 x 5 Thalyta Silva
Round 3
Thalyta Silva 1 x 2 Yara Nascimento
Group B
Round 1
Rafaela Bertolot x Julia Borscher
Rafaela finishes Julia with a choke from the back
Round 2
Rafaela Bertolot x Ingridd Sousa
Ingridd finishes with a knee bar
Round 3
Ingridd Sousa 3 x 3 Julia Borscher
Julia wins for scoring last
SEMIFINALS
Yara Nascimento 3 x 2 Ingridd Sousa
Rafaela Bertolot 1 x 0 Thalyta Silva
3RD PLACE MATCH
Ingridd Sousa 3 x 1 Thalyta Silva
FINAL
Rafaela Bertolot x Yara Nascimento
Yara finishes in the north and south collar choke
FINAL RESULTS
1st – Yara Nascimento (Brazil)
2nd – Rafaela Bertolot (Brazil)
3rd – Ingridd Sousa (Brazil)
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam returns on Saturday with the Masters Division and the Lightweight Abu Dhabi King of Mats
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Abu Dhabi returns this Saturday, May 7, for another full day of matches in the Jiu Jitsu Arena. Day 2 will feature the Masters Division, with athletes born in 1992 and before. The black belt division has big names such as Faisal Al Kitbi, Igor Silva, Renato Cardoso, Osvaldo Moizinho, among others. More info here.
After the seasoned competitors, it’s time for the 11th Edition of the Abu Dhabi King of Mats. This time the Lightweight division will take on the mats. The contenders are: Omar Al Fadhili, Isaac Doederlein, Alexssandro Sodré, Lucas Pinheiro, Meyran Alves, Rodnei Junior. More info here.
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