Abu Dhabi: The AJP No-Gi Abu Dhabi International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 will get underway at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, on Saturday, February 18, marking the first competition in the thrilling new season of Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP) events. The championship, organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation in association with the AJP, is open to all nationalities and will feature fights for Kids, Youth, Amateurs, Professionals, and Masters categories.

Competitions for the Infant, Junior and Teen, Youth, Master 1and Master 2 categories, will take place on Saturday, the first day of the event. The fights begin at 11:00 a.m. Competitions for the Amateur and Professional divisions will be held on Sunday.

“The AJP No-Gi Abu Dhabi International Jiu-Jitsu Championship keeps up with the ambitions of the top athletes who want to start the season in the best way possible courtesy to the participation of professionals from all around the world,” said Fahad Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. “The competition serves as a crucial training base for them ahead of forthcoming championship.”

For his part, Tariq Al Bahri, Director General of the AJP, said: “Through the tournaments AJP hosts in capital cities across the world, we aim to significantly contribute to the development of sport and reach more people. Over the past few years, these tournaments contributed cementing Abu Dhabi’s standing as the sport’s world capital, the host of its major championships, and desired venue for global athletes.”  

Pedro Nascimento, a blue belt athlete at Al Wahda Jiu-Jitsu who competes in the Amateur division, said: “We are very thrilled to be returning to the mats and compete in the AJP tournaments. I expect the competitions to be more difficult this year, especially with the increase in the number of participants. The quality of the events is factor that makes the competition challenging.”