Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Shining bright in Brazil’s Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC 3), Emirati jiu-jitsu athlete Zayed Alkatheeri made his country proud as he conquered yet another victory on March 2.

Shining bright in the preliminary card, Alkatheeri faced the Brazilian athlete Oziel Santos in a Jiu-Jitsu bout.

Zayed showed outstanding technical prowess and shrewdness, using the ADXC cage as another weapon in his arsenal as he unleashed his dangerous foot attacks throughout the duel.

After the three rounds were up, the UAE athlete rose as the ADXC 3 champion.

Moreover, in the main event, the Brazilian athlete Jansen Gomes paid back Bruno Lima’s provocation and got the victory.

With exceptional work in the use of the cage, Gomes opened the fight with a beautiful double leg takedown, using the cage and the grips on the pants to throw Lima to the ground later on and even taking his opponent’s back twice over the five three-minute rounds.

After the win, Gomes talked about his gridwork and left a sharp message to his opponent: “I prepared in Dubai with Thiago Sá and worked hard to understand the cage during training to arrive well prepared.”

Tareq Al-Bahri, General Manager of International Vision Sports Management (IVSM), emphasized the significance of cooperation between the UAE and Brazil in developing the sport of jiu-jitsu and elevating it to new heights while enhancing its global reach. He also highlighted Abu Dhabi’s prowess as the world capital of combat sports, noting its excellence in turning aspirations into reality.

“Today, I’m filled with pride and happiness. The UAE has emerged as a global sports leader. Our commitment has extended beyond hosting more than three hundred annual events all over the world, including a significant number here in Brazil,” he said.

The mayor of the Brazilian city of Balneário Camboriú, Fabricio Oliveira, spoke about the importance of the synergy between Abu Dhabi and Brazil, with plans to implement even more advances for local young people through sport and the culture of respect that martial arts can provide.

“I’ve already practiced Jiu-Jitsu in Balneário Camboriú, and I say that it is not just a sport but a culture,” Oliveira shared. “It’s part of the Abu Dhabi lifestyle, and I was invited to see it up close. The union of Balneário Camboriú with Abu Dhabi shows that the sport is capable of overcoming any geographical barriers.”