The New Wave Of Black Belts Chasing Big Cash Prizes

The first Abu Dhabi Grand Slam of the 2017-2018 season goes down on July 15 in Tokyo, Japan. Last year there were a few key black belts disputing the cash prizes and the all-important ranking points that each victory offers.

Jul 7, 2017 by Hywel Teague

The New Wave Of Black Belts Chasing Big Cash Prizes

The first Abu Dhabi Grand Slam of the 2017-18 season goes down on July 15 in Tokyo, Japan. Last year, there were a few key black belts disputing the cash prizes and the all-important ranking points that each victory offers, and it appears that the faces will be very different this time around.

The principal athletes in the 2017-18 season include Gabriel Arges, Jose Junior, Nathiely Jesus, and Xande Ribeiro. None of them are currently signed up for the Tokyo Grand Slam -- that's not to say they won't come into the mix later on in the season, but it means they'll have some catching up to do.

The big-name black belts who have signed up for the July 15 event include:

Rikako Yuasa
Lucas Hulk Barbosa
Jaime Canuto
Adam Wardzinski
Isaque Bahiense
Thamires Aquino
Alexandre Vieira
Thiago Bravo

Yuasa is a three-time black belt world champion in IBJJF events and placed second at the Abu Dhabi 2017 World Pro. In her bracket, however, Yuasa will need to face Mayssa Bastos, the brown belt who beat Yuasa for gold at World Pro. Maybe the home advantage will work in Yuasa's favor, with Bastos having to contend with considerable jet lag and the effects of a 30-hour journey from her home in Brazil.

Lucas Barbosa, Jaime Canuto, and Isaque Bahiense will all compete in the 85kg division, currently a four-man bracket filled out by Marcos Costa of the UAEJJ Team. Whoever takes that division will sure as hell have fought hard for it.

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World Pro silver medalist Adam Wardzinski is back, this time moving up a weight division to 110kg. There's no word on why he's decided to come up from 94kg -- maybe he's planning on eating a lot of sushi in Tokyo.

Alexandre Vieira, a 69kg black belt of BTT, is currently awaiting news of his suspension from IBJJF tournaments following his spat with Erberth Santos back in April. Vieira is signed up for both the Tokyo and Los Angeles Grand Slams, meaning we could see him in action throughout the entire season. His participation in his hometown of Rio is almost guaranteed, and a gold will win him a ticket to Abu Dhabi in January, giving him at least four opportunities to rack up plenty of points.

What's on the line

A reminder of what's at stake at the Tokyo Grand Slam: black belt division winners get a cool $2,500 and 200 ranking points.

Ranking points are crucial for athletes looking to compete in the World Pro with the introduction earlier this year of a maximum of two athletes of the same nationality per category. The highest-ranked athlete automatically qualifies for the division, while all other competitors of the same nationality will need to earn their spots in the main division by winning a country qualifier bracket.

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Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Schedule

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam - Tokyo, July 15
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam - Los Angeles, September 23-24
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam - Rio de Janeiro, November 10-12
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam - Abu Dhabi, January 12-13
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam - London, March 10-11

How to Watch Abu Dhabi 2017 Grand Slam Tokyo

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