The 2023 London International Open took place on Saturday February 18th and Sunday February 19th at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England. With 74 gi athletes and 32 no-gi athletes, CheckMat won the overall team title for both gi and no-gi. The 2021 World Champions had many athletes who took gold, including black belts Jansen Gomes and Max Lindblad.

Coming off his first major black belt title at the 2023 Europeans, Jansen Gomes competed in the medium-heavy and open class divisions in London. Jansen won his first match at medium-heavy and then lost to eventual champion Uanderson Ferreira in the semifinals. Jansen bounced back in tremendous fashion in the open class, however, winning four matches to take gold. In the final he faced Roberto Jimenez. The two exchanged takedowns and sweeps with Jansen coming out the victor via points.

2023 European brown belt double gold medalist Uanderson Ferreira made his black belt debut in London. Uanderson’s last tournament as a brown belt was nothing short of spectacular, as he went undefeated in Paris, France to cap off his time as a brown belt. His medium-heavy division at the London Open included Jansen Gomes, Tarik Hopstock, Bradley Hill, and Faris Benlamkadem, a steep test for the Carlson Gracie representative. Uanderson won all three of his matches, proving that he’s ready to make some noise at the highest level of the sport.

The 2023 London Open also marked the return of 2X World Champion Tayane Porfirio of Double Five. She didn’t have any matches at super heavy, but had two in the open class. In her first match, Tayane scored points via guard passes, knee on belly, and mount before finishing her opponent with an americana. In the final Tayane used a similar strategy, passing her opponent’s guard, mounting, and finishing with an ezekiel choke. 

The standout competitor of the no-gi divisions was Roberto Jimenez of Studio76 Jiu-Jitsu Las Vegas. Roberto won heavyweight and open class gold with six victories on the day, using the aggressive and well-rounded style of jiu-jitsu that has made him a favorite competitor to watch of many jiu-jitsu fans. Gamila Kanew of ZR Team Association was the no-gi female absolute champion, winning her only match in the division.

2023 London Open team results:

1. CheckMat

2. ZR Team Association

3. Gracie Barra

2023 London Open No-Gi team results

1. CheckMat

2. Soul Fighter’s Israel

3. Gracie Barra