Plenty of action in the jiu-jitsu world this weekend with Polaris going down in the UK and IBJJF holding no less than five tournaments on four continents. We saw the return of a much-missed grappler, some controversy and near-fisticuffs during and after a match, and rumors of a big tournament in the works. 

Garry Tonon Earns Moral Victory Over Rousimar Palhares at Polaris 3 

The official result may have been a draw but Garry Tonon walked out of the contest with Rousimar Palhares with his head high, not only surviving the terrifying Brazilian’s onslaughts but coming close to finishing it via a number of very close submissions during the 15-minute bout. 

Tonon was widely expected to be outmuscled and overpowered by the stocky MMA veteran and there were certainly moments where that’s what happened, as the feisty middleweight literally tossed Tonon head over heels. But Tonon remained on the offensive throughout and nearly caught Palhares with a couple of heelhooks. 

Tonon thrives in the submission-only format and with the open weight EBI coming up later this month, such a solid showing against a powerhouse like Palhares will undoubtedly give him plenty of confidence in his ability to hang with bigger opponents.

Dead shocked Toquinho couldn't finish this guy. https://t.co/8KAiILcFUS

— Kip Smithers (@Chughes612) April 2, 2016

Jake Shields and AJ Agazarm Nearly Come To Blows 

There was some bad blood in the run-up to their match at Polaris 3, and tensions saw no sign of abating after the final bell. Shields slapped Agazarm a number of times during the heated contest and later claimed Agazarm gouged his eyes during the match.

The veteran MMA fighter used his post-fight interview to call the Gracie Barra rep a “bitch”, taking another swing at him when Agazarm tried to shake hands following the contest.

Ary Farias Returns to Jiu-Jitsu 

After 3 years away from the mats, Atos black belt Ary Farias made a long-awaited return to gi competition with an appearance at the IBJJF Rome Open, taking gold in his category (black belt featherweight) and beating veteran champion Megaton Dias in the process [Update: Farias closed out with Megaton]. Farias, who has been focussed on a budding MMA career, walked away from jiu-jitsu after being DQ’d in the finals of the 2013 IBJJF World Championships for what the referee perceived to be an excessive celebration, a little-known rule that many athletes have fallen foul of.

 

IBJJF Hold FIVE Tournaments On Four Continents In Three Days 

Incredible work from the IBJJF in making jiu-jitsu a truly global sport as they held tournaments in all four corners of the planet. There was the Rome Open and European No-Gi Championships in Italy April 1-3, the Chicago Spring Open (gi and no-gi) April 2-3, the Sydney International Open (gi and no-gi) in Australia April 3, and the Brazilian Southern Championships on April 2.

Full Result for black belt divisions can be found below: 

• Rome International Open 
  
• 2016 European No Gi Championships
  
• Chicago Spring Open 
  
• Chicago Spring Open (No-Gi)
  
• Sydney International Open – TBA
  
• Sydney International Open (No-Gi) – TBA
  
• South Brazilian Championships

Josh Hinger Wins QUADRUPLE Gold In Chicago 

Another solid win for an Atos black belt this weekend as Josh Hinger cleaned up in Chicago. He won gold in both his weight category and absolute divisions in both the gi and no-gi divisions of the Chicago Spring Open. 

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Rumor: Russia vs Brazil In The Works 

Interesting whispers came to us in the last week. First of all, we heard that a power struggle means a major tournament promoter has been blocked from holding events in Moscow, effectively limiting the options of Russian grapplers as to which federations they can compete for.

Secondly, there are rumors that a major event is in the works for later this year, possibly November, that would feature a team of Brazilian grapplers take on a team of Russians. It’s still early days and nothing’s been finalized, so that’s all we can say for now. More updates as we get them. 

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