By Michael Sears

The prestige of being a World Pro champion has brought some of the top women's athletes from around the globe together to compete at the 2018 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship this week.

For female brown and black belt athletes, the divisions at World Pro are merged into one bracket per weight category, with $10,000 going to the division champion, $5,000 for second, and $3,000 for third. 

The country qualifiers will take place on Thursday, April 26. The divisions will run through the semifinals on Friday, April 27, and the finals will go down on Saturday, April 28. Here is a preview of the top contenders in the women’s brown/black belt divisions, including a number of former champions looking to defend their titles at the 2017-18 UAEJJF season finale.

Watch the Abu Dhabi 2018 World Pro

When: April 24-28 | Start time: 1 AM CST daily

49kg: Brown belt Bastos returns

Brown belt Mayssa Bastos (Brazil, GF Team) is the No. 3-ranked female brown/black belt this season with 940 points after finishing on top of the podium at Grand Slams in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Abu Dhabi. Bastos is already a two-time UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro champion and should be heavily favored to win a third this weekend.

On her preparation, Bastos said: “I did my training for this event at GFTeam in Orange, California, with master Julio Cesar Pereira. The training has gone well, very strong.”

55kg: No clear favorite in stacked division

Reigning world champion Ana Talita Alencar (Brazil, Alliance) will have to contend with two of the top female prospects in No. 4-ranked Amanda Monteiro (Brazil, GF Team) and Amal Amjahid (Belgium, CENS) in the 55kg division. 

Monteiro and Amjahid are no strangers to each other, having fought each other three times in extremely close matches. Monteiro holds a 2-1 advantage in the rivalry, but Amjahid took the most recent meeting by referee decision at the London Grand Slam.

Amjahid said about heading into the World Pro: “I feel confident for this championship, I’m looking forward to it. I intend to impose myself and take the place that belongs to me.”

62kg: Where qualifying alone is like winning Worlds

The qualifier bracket for the second Brazilian spot is ridiculous at 62kg, as it contains world champions Beatriz Mesquita (Brazil, Gracie Humaita) and Luiza Monteiro (Brazil, Atos) as well as up-and-coming black belt Bianca Basilio (Brazil, JFC Almeida). Whoever emerges from this qualifier has a very good shot at winning the main bracket, no question.

Larissa Paes (Brazil, UAEJJ Team) is the No. 1-ranked woman overall this season with an incredible 1,680 points and will be waiting for the winner of the Brazil qualifier in the main bracket. 

However, 10th-ranked Charlotte Von Baumgarten (Germany, Mathias Ribeiro) holds two victories over Paes this season at the London and Abu Dhabi Grand Slams.

70kg: Can “Baby” stay perfect?

Sixth-ranked Ana Carolina Vieira (Brazil, GF Team) has a perfect 9-0 record in this UAEJJF season, with all but one of those victories coming by submission. 

Vieira will have to win a match to qualify for the main bracket, as Thamara Ferreira (Brazil, Cicero Costha) holds the top Brazilian ranking in the category. Samantha Cook (Great Britain, Checkmat), Erin Herle (USA, Alliance), and Ane Svendsen (Norway, GFT) add to the depth of the 70kg division. 

90kg: New vs. old at highest weight class

Fifth-ranked Nathiely de Jesus (Brazil/Soul Fighters) has won nearly every major tournament in her short black belt career. Contending for the title at 90kg should also be 2018 Pan champion Angelica Galvao (USA/Atos), who has bumped up from 62kg for this tournament.

“I’ve never competed in that weight division or in the open weight. It was not in my plans to compete at the World Pro," Galvao said. "But since I will be there with my husband, as he will be competing at King of the Mats, I thought I could give it a try.”

A great display of talent from our young heroes! Here are the Champions of Day 1 at the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018.#ChampionWithin #ADWPJJC18 pic.twitter.com/MTSzi96RtM

— UAEJJF (@uaejjf) April 22, 2018