2017 No-Gi Worlds: Men's Black Belt Finals Review
2017 No-Gi Worlds: Men's Black Belt Finals Review
The men's back belt finals at 2017 IBJJF No-Gi worlds did not fail to disappoint.
The men's back belt finals at 2017 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds did not disappoint on Sunday in Anaheim, CA. Caio Terra won his 10th(!!) black belt world title, Cyborg mowed through his division, and Team Atos took home four gold medals. Below is a full rundown of the the final matches from each weight category.
Caio Terra def. Tomoyuki Hashimoto – Roosterweight
Nine-time no-gi world champion Terra cruised in his semifinal match before this with a quick armbar. Hashimoto put up an admirable fight against the legend Terra in the final, but it wasn’t enough.
Terra controlled the position and claimed his 10th no-gi world championship by advantages.
Joao Miyao def. Lucas Pinheiro – Light Feather
Joao Miyao is just on another level. While Lucas Pinheiro tore through the early rounds, Miyao had all the answers for him in the light feather final, besting the AMBJJ representative in 50/50 exchanges and eventually taking the back.
Miyao finished the match with what may have been the most epic submission of the event: a standing rear-naked choke.
Osvaldo ‘Quexnihino’ Augusto def. Pablo Mantovani – Feather
First-year black belt Pablo Mantovani followed up on his impressive ADCC run this year by defeating Gianni Grippo and advancing to the finals at No-Gi Worlds.
It looked at points like the rookie might walk away with the gold, but the veteran Quexinho hit a late sweep to win his fourth straight no-gi world title.
Renato Canuto def. AJ Agazarm – Lightweight
Renato Canuto is the real deal. Just one week after taking on some of the toughest competition on the planet at KASAI Pro, Canuto edged out AJ Agazarm at No-Gi Worlds in a nail-biting match that came down to advantages and sheer will.
Canuto won the final with three advantages to Agazarm’s single advantage.
Josh Hinger def. Felipe Cesar – Middleweight
Hinger and Silva both ran the gauntlet to make the final in arguably the toughest division in the tournament. In a bout that took place in many funky positions, Hinger was stuck in 50/50 for a good chunk of the match. Once finally able to break free, Hinger got an advantage for a near pass to repeat as no-gi world champion.
Keenan Cornelius def. Murilo Santana – Medium Heavy
Keenan Cornelius versus Murilo Santana was a stylistic dream match. Two contrasting approaches to the gentle art: the crafty and innovative player in Keenan against the orthodox, pressure-cooking machine that is Santana.
The match opened with Cornelius snatching a few quick single-leg attempts, but Santana was able to sneak his leg out each time. The match stayed on the feet until Keenan was able to hit a blast double five minutes into the round.
This proved to be the pivotal moment in the match, and though Santana was able to employ some interesting guard work, he could not score on Cornelius, thus rewarding the Atos rep another gold medal this the year.
Roberto Torralbas def. Arnaldo Oliveira – Heavyweight
Arnaldo Oliveira advanced earlier in the day when his teammate Thiago Sa bowed out to him in the semifinal.
In a hard-fought match in which neither opponent gave up any ground, Oliveira took home the ref decision against Roberto Torralbas.
Lucas Barbosa def Joao Assis – Super Heavyweight
Lucas Barbosa just seems to have Joao Assis’ number. For the second time in two weeks, Barbosa was able to finish the Checkmat standout — this time with a vicious north-south choke that earned him the win halfway though the match.
Barbosa will step on the mats later Sunday against Joao Gabriel Rocha in an effort to win double gold, stay tuned.
Cyborg Abreu def. Joao Gabriel Rocha – Ultra Heavyweight
It’s not a secret that the biggest guys want to play on top, and Cyborg and Joao Gabriel Rocha opted to fight for a takedown for a majority of the ultra heavyweight final.
Cyborg, explosive as ever, used distance management well and aggressively shot in with two takedowns near the edge of the mat, earning him two advantages over the course of the 10-minute final. Rocha was unable to match the score and was forced to settle for second place.
