Welcome back to IBJJF News, your source for the latest results, key highlights, and standout moments from the global jiu-jitsu community.

This past weekend was a showcase of international talent, featuring three major competitions across two continents: the Miami Winter Open in Florida, the Atlanta Winter Open in Georgia, and the Sul-Americano Crianças in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Francisco Papasideiro of AOJ delivered extraordinary performances over the weekend. In Miami, he dominated the super heavyweight division with a decisive victory before capturing three additional wins in the absolute to secure double gold. He then immediately traveled to Atlanta, where he again competed in the super-heavy and absolute divisions, achieving four more victories, three by way of submission. In a stunning display of endurance and skill, Francisco amassed four gold medals across two events in two different cities over just two days.

At the Miami Winter No-Gi Open, Sebastian Rodriguez of Unity Jiu-Jitsu won two matches to claim the gold medal at medium-heavyweight, while Kade Tsitos emerged as the no-gi absolute champion. Lucas Lira completed an impressive performance with gold and bronze medals at the Miami Open. Paulo Lopes conquered both the gi and no-gi divisions in Miami, securing four gold medals for the weekend, highlighted by a flawless 100% submission rate throughout his no-gi campaign.

Iris Nascimento clinched double gold with four masterful matches in the brown belt gi divisions at the Miami Winter Open. In the women’s black belt divisions, Sabrina Gondim of Fight Sports seized gold in the gi absolute. Her teammate, Ana Lima, also celebrated a perfect weekend in Miami, going 3-0 to win both gi and no-gi titles.

The Atlanta Winter Open presented a spectacular array of world-class athletes, notably including Larissa Dias of Elementum Jiu-Jitsu. Larissa earned double gold through three dominant performances in the black belt divisions. Cicero Costha Internacional athlete, Julianna Wong, secured the open class gold in the brown belt division. Emilio Hernandez captured double gold in the master 1 division, compiling five victories with three submissions. Kogaion Academy athlete, Beatrice Jin, recorded two victories to claim the lightweight gold medal in the black belt division.

Notable champions from the weekend with limited mat time include Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu, Lucas Lira, Everton Teixeira, and Ademir Barreto.  Each elite black belt added an open gold medal to their extensive resumes.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the Sul-Americano Crianças brought 2,200 enthusiastic youth athletes to the mats in Rio de Janeiro. Amidst numerous stellar performances, orange belts Daniel 220 and Gabriel Bastida were crowned champions.

Emanuel Santos, Paulo Aciole, and Maria Eduarda also earned gold medals after navigating challenging brackets. Isabelle Lopes struck Juvenile 3 featherweight gold, Bernardo Rizzo secured the Juvenile 3 middleweight title, and Marcelly Ellizabeth da Silva joined the championship honors with a Juvenile 3 middleweight gold medal.

Next on the calendar is the 2026 IBJJF Absolute No-Gi GP in Costa Mesa, California. The elite eight-man no-gi grand prix bracket is finalized, and the event will also feature gi superfights showcasing some of the sport’s most brilliant competitors.

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