Abu Dhabi: Brazilian Paulo Miyao defeated American Isaac Doederlein to win the Abu Dhabi King of Mats jiu-jitsu title, in a very strategic and tactical final. The contest had ended on points 4-4, but Miyao was declared winner on the referee’s decision.
Miyao was always the favourite going into the clash as he had also won the 69kg male adult black belt category.
“Even though I was made favourite by the media and fans, I went into this competition with the mentality of an underdog and to win this prestigious title is really amazing. As I mentioned before, the toughest part was the breaks between the matches, which were short. But I have to say, it was really fun.” said an elated Miyao.
Doederlein, speaking about his showing said, “Paulo is one of the best and to lose a close match against him is another learning experience for me. I would love to have a rematch with him; hopefully we will get to meet at the Abu Dhabi World Pro next month in Abu Dhabi. I want to thank my team and also I am grateful to the UAEJJF for inviting me to this amazing tournament.”
Results: Male Black Belt Winners: 56kg — Nobuhiro Sawada, 62kg — Gabriel Sousa, 69kg — Paulo Miyao, 77kg — Max Lindblad, 85kg — Lucas Barbosa, 94kg — Kaynan Duarte, 110kg — Ricardo Evangelista
Female Brown/Black Belt Winners: 49kg — Mayssa Bastos, 55kg — Anna Rodrigues, 62kg — Ffion Eira Davies, 70kg — Thamara Silva, 90kg — Gabrieli Pessanha
