Cole Abate had one of the most impressive runs of the day. He took out Kennedy Maciel in the semis and then beat João Mendes in the final to win featherweight. At this point he’s not just a rising name, he’s already part of that top tier.
Andy Murasaki walked through the middleweight bracket. Solid performances across the board and a smart final against Jackson Nagai. Nothing flashy, just sharp jiu jitsu from start to finish.
Heavyweight had the biggest upset of the event. Nolan Stuart submitted Adam Wardzinski with an omoplata in the final. Wardzinski is not the kind of guy you catch like that, that finish made a lot of people take notice.
Erich Munis did exactly what people expected. He took gold at ultra-heavyweight and didn’t have much trouble doing it. He beat Gustavo Batista by points in the final and added another big win to his already stacked resume.
On the women’s side, Sarah Galvão had the most talked about performance. She subbed Brianna Ste-Marie, beat Cassia Moura, then edged out Janaina Lebre in the final to win lightweight. She’s still a teenager and already beating some of the most experienced names out there.
Super-heavyweight was all Gabi Pessanha again. Two quick submissions on her way to the final and then a solid win over Tayane Porfirio. She’s still the top dog in the gi and no one’s really close right now.
That was the story of the day. Young athletes like Sarah and Cole are putting themselves in the same conversations as multi-time world champions, And they’re doing it consistently at big events like these.
The CJI Effect and What This Means for Athlete Pay
IBJJF did not start handing out twenty thousand dollar prizes for no reason. This is a direct response to what Craig Jones is doing with the CJI. He built a PPV event that put athlete pay front and center, and he gave them a platform without all the politics, and it worked.
Now we’re seeing some of the same athletes bounce between IBJJF Crown and CJI. People like Sarah Galvao showing up in both, that says a lot. Athletes want opportunity. They are finally in a spot where they don’t have to pick between prestige and getting paid.
CJI brought rawness and real checks, IBJJF brought structure and history. But now both events are realizing they need each other. IBJJF needed to step up with prize money if they want to keep the top names. And CJI showed you can run a world-class event and take care of the people on the mats at the same time.
For the athletes, this shift is a big win. These careers are short, training is brutal and expensive. Until recently, even the best in the world were still scraping by. Now there’s some actual incentive to go all in. Compete more, train harder, put on a show, get paid!
If Crown keeps paying out like this and CJI keeps building momentum, we might finally see the professional side of jiu jitsu catch up to the talent level. And that’s what this sport needs. Respect, visibility, and real money on the line. Not just $5 medals and Instagram likes.
This weekend was another step in that direction.
