Weekend Recap: Wardzinski Reigns As Europe's Most Winningest Black Belt

Weekend Recap: Wardzinski Reigns As Europe's Most Winningest Black Belt

A Polish black belt goes big in Berlin, a rivalry starts to shape up between two top competitors, and a streak continues to grow in Brazil. Yep, it's your essential weekend recap.

Oct 9, 2017 by Hywel Teague
Weekend Recap: Wardzinski Reigns As Europe's Most Winningest Black Belt
A Polish black belt goes big in Berlin, a rivalry starts to shape up between two top competitors, and a streak continues to grow in Brazil. Yep, it's your essential weekend recap. 

Wardzinski Takes Quad Gold in Germany

Checkmat's Adam Wardzinski (pictured top) is Europe's most winningest black belt, and he added no less than four gold medals to his collection over the weekend by cleaning up at the IBJJF German Nationals in Berlin. 

Wardzinski has really made a name for himself over the last 12 months, and the Checkmat black belt has solidified his position as the No. 1 European in the game. 

On Saturday, Wardzinski took gold in the weight and absolute divisions. He's the only non-Brazilian or American to be placed in the top 35 black belts in the world according to the IBJJF ranking (he's currently at #21), and he's the current No. 1-ranked male black belt in the UAEJJF ranking. 

IBJJF German National 
​BLACK / Adult / Male / Super-Heavy
1 - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat
2 - Nicolas E. Penzer - PAT Academy Belgium
3 - Felipe Oosterveen Arantes Cançado - Gracie Humaita International
3 - Marek Pawel Zbrog - Gracie Barra

​BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat
2 - Espen Mathiesen - Nova Uniao Kimura Internacional
3 - Ali Seena E. A. Munfaradi - Alliance International
3 - Nicolas E. Penzer - PAT Academy Belgium

IBJJF No-Gi German National 
​BLACK / Adult / Male / Super-Heavy
1 - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat
2 - Nicolas E. Penzer - PAT Academy Belgium
3 - Felipe Oosterveen Arantes Cançado - Gracie Humaita International

​BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Adam Wardzinski - CheckMat
2 - Ali Seena E. A. Munfaradi - Alliance
3 - Martin Johannes Gobel - GCP Godzilla Competition Project
3 - Nicolas E. Penzer - PAT Academy Belgium

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Souza extends streak in Brazil

Dimitrius Souza may not have the superstar name as some of the other heavyweights in the game, but the Alliance black belt's been on a streak these last months -- and it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon.

Souza has been collecting medals over the last five months since his third-place finish at the IBJJF 2017 World Championships, most recently taking double gold at the Floripa Open in Florianopolis, Brazil, on Saturday.

We ran the numbers and Souza has picked up nine gold medals and two silvers since June 23, and in that time he's lost only three matches -- two to Erberth Santos (hence Souza's two silver medals) and a loss to Buchecha at the IBJJF Heavyweight Grand Prix in August. 

June 23: Rio Winter International Open Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

July 1: Sao Paulo BJJ Pro IBJJF Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

July 8: Belo Horizonte Winter International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
2 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

Aug. 12: Curitiba Winter International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

Sept. 16: Sao Paulo International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
2 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

Oct. 7: Floripa Spring International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017
BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Dimitrius Soares Souza - Alliance

WATCH: Floripa Open 2017 - Adult Male Black Belt Open Class Final - Dimitrius Souza vs José Henrique Cardoso

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Barbosa and Canuto Face Off Again

nullMedium heavyweight Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa of Atos and middleweight Jaime Canuto of GF Team have been very active, competing on an almost weekly basis. 

They met on Sept. 30 in the semifinal of the absolute division of the IBJJF Dallas Fall Open, with Barbosa coming out on top. 

On Saturday, they fought once again at the Charlotte International Open in Charlotte, NC, this time in the final of the absolute. For the second time in as many weeks, Barbosa took gold. 

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class
1 - Lucas Daniel Silva Barbosa - Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2 - Jaime Soares Canuto - GF Team
3 - Max dos Santos Gimenis - GF Team
3 - Walnan Presto Constantino - Alliance

WATCH: Lucas Barbosa vs Jaime Canuto / Dallas Fall Open 2017, Sep 30, 2017

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