JIU-JITSU – Bahrain’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) star Pedro Bisi de Jesus added yet another major international accolade to his already impressive collection yesterday.
The 16-year-old reigning European BJJ champion won the gold medal in the youth men’s under-18 95kg category at the inaugural Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship 2025, currently being held in Al Ain, the UAE.
The three-day event, taking place under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), is bringing together more than a thousand athletes from over 60 countries for a highly anticipated showcase of elite grappling.
De Jesus secured his gold with a unanimous decision win against Said Radzhabov from Russia in their division’s final. All three judges scored the contest 10-9 in favour of de Jesus.
“It was an honour to be part of the first edition of AJP’s World Grappling Championship and an even bigger honour to be a champion under this event,” de Jesus told the GDN last night. “The structure was amazing and not only the athletes but the staff and referees also showed to be very professional.
“This would not have been possible without my teammates and coaches at Reza’s Martial Art Centre, who have shown dedication to train and prepare me to be a champion, and my family’s, friends, and AJSCO’s support as well.”
Joining de Jesus and Radzhabov on the podium was Oskar Molenda from Ukraine, who defeated Abdelaziz Josserand from France in the bronze medal clash.
Earlier in his bracket, de Jesus won three matches en route to securing his place in the final. He first beat Fariz Marupzhanov from Kazakhstan by unanimous decision in the eighth-finals. All three judges also scored the match 10-9 for de Jesus.
In the quarters, the kingdom’s star athlete defeated Emirati Ahmed Alshamsi by submission, and then secured another submission win in the ensuing semis against Molenda.
De Jesus’s gold in Al Ain further cements his status as one of the world’s best young BJJ fighters.
Earlier this year, he made history as the first-ever athlete fighting out of Bahrain to win a gold medal in the European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025. He emerged triumphant in the men’s juvenile two blue belt super-heavy (89.30kg) category in the event, held in Lisbon, Portugal.
He continues to excel in the sport, winning a number of prestigious medals at all levels of competition.
De Jesus is also currently ranked number one in Bahrain in the men’s youth blue category on the 2024-25 AJP Tour, as well as 15th in Asia, and 21st overall.
The Abu Dhabi World Grappling Championship 2025 is scheduled to conclude today.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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