A new Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Legends tournament has been added to the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championships programme and will feature some of the sport’s most famous practitioners.
Taking place on April 22 — the final day of five-day Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship — Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Legends comprises 10 greats of the sport, with two battling each other in five different weight categories.
Competing for the bantamweight gold will be American Wellington Dias — a two decade jiu-jitsu veteran — and Brazil’s Helio Moreira, who has been a top jiu-jitsu competitor since the 1990’s.
The lightweight division title will be contested by former Brazilian national champion Alexandre Freitas and American Baret Yoshida.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Kenny Florian will take on three-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion Vitor Ribeiro of Brazil in the welterweight division.
The middleweight gold will be decided between two-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion Amaury Bitetti of Brazil and American Roberto Traven, a former Brazilian Nationals, the Mundial and the Abu Dhabi Combat champion.
Finally, the heavyweight division title will be contested by Brazil’s two-time world champion Marcio Cruz and compatriot Gabriel Gonzaga, a gold medal winner at the 2006 Mundials and a former UFC champion.
Held at the Ipic Arena at Zayed Sports City, the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Legends will take place on the final day of the two week jiu-jitsu event, which begins with the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival on April 10-15.
The two-day Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Cup will then begin on April 16, followed by the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017 from April 18-22.
The Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards will then be held the following day, on April 23.
The Championship is open to all and is free to attend across the two weeks. To learn more about the event, to register and keep up-to-date with the programme visit www.uaejjf.org
* The National staff
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