Faisal Al ketbi who is a BJJ brown belt and United Arab Emirates (UAE) idol will compete in Copa Podio’s 2014 heavyweight Grand prix on the 1st of February. Faisal is the adopted son of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, the creator of ADCC. The Team UAEJJ athlete has placed in most grand slam IBJJF tournaments such as the Europeans & Pans. Earlier in 2013, he controversially won the WPJJC brown belt Super heavyweight class by beating the UK’s Luke Costello in a match where he was awarded 3 points for a non existent guard pass.
The Heavyweight GP will involve the cream of the crop of BJJ with stars such as Rodolfo Vieira, Leo Nogueira, the lightweight Leandro Lo as well as the US brown belt phenom Tim Spriggs from Team Lloyd Irvin. It will take place on the first of February 2014, in Club Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
The second edition of the Copa Podio Heavyweight Grand Prix will air from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb. 1 via livestream. The schedule has now been released for the event and you can purchase the livestream online ahead of time.
Here is how the day will tentatively unfold:
SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME IN LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK)
11 AM PST / 2 PM EST – GYMNASIUM GATES OPEN
12 AM PST / 3 PM EST – CITY CHALLENGE
Magid Hage (San Diego) x Franco Marini (Buenos Aires)
1 PM PST / 4 PM EST – 1st ROUND GP
(Green) Luiz Panza X Tim Spriggs
(Green) Rico Bastos X Travis Stevens
(Yellow) Rodolfo Vieira X Alexandre Souza
(Yellow) Alan Belcher x Faisal Alkitbe
1:40 PM PST / 4:40 PM EST – 2nd ROUND GP
(Green) Rico Bastos X Luiz Panza
(Green) Leo Nogueira X Tim Spriggs
(Yellow) Rodolfo Vieira X Faisal Alkitbe
(Yellow) Alexandre Souza X Leandro Lo
2:20 PM PST / 5:20 PM EST – 3rd ROUND GP
(Green) Leo Nogueira X Rico Bastos
(Green) Travis Stevens X Luiz Panza
(Yellow) Leandro Lo X Faisal Alkitbe
(Yellow) Alan Belcher X Rodolfo Vieira
3 PM PST / 6 PM EST – 4th ROUND GP
(Green) Travis Stevens X Leo Nogueira
(Green) Tim Spriggs X Rico Bastos
(Yellow) Leandro Lo X Alan Belcher
(Yellow) Faisal Alkitbe X Alexandre Souza
3:40 PM PST / 6:40 PM EST – 5th ROUND GP
(Green) Tim Spriggs X Travis Stevens
(Green) Luiz Panza X Leo Nogueira
(Yellow) Alexandre Souza X Alan Belcher
(Yellow) Rodolfo Vieira X Leandro Lo
4:40 PM PST / 7:40 PM EST – SEMI-FINALS
(Match 1) 1st Green Group X 2nd Yellow Group
(Match 2) 1st Yellow Group X 2nd Green Group
5 PM PST / 8 PM EST – SPECIAL MATCH
Felipe Preguiça X Guto Campos
5:15 PM PST / 8:15 PM EST FINALS
(3rd PLACE) Loser Match 1 X Loser Match 2
(GREAT FINAL) Winner Match 1 X Winner Match 2
