Abu Dhabi: With the defending champion Jose Junior having taken a sabbatical from competitions, the World No. 1 ranking in Black Belt category in all probability, will be bagged by Igor Silva.
The Brazilian is leading the points tally with 2040 points having bagged 13 golds, three silvers and a bronze in this season’s World Ranking Tournaments.
Adam Wardzinski is giving him a close chase with 1620 points having won eight golds, five silvers and two bronze. However, with 400 points up for grabs, from the World Pro, it is certain that the Polish ace will fall short even if he goes on to win the title here in the capital and Silva ends up crashing out early.
“I’m extremely delighted to go into the World Pro with the No. 1 spot against my name,” said Silva in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.
“It has been a lot of hard work but in the end a great feeling knowing that your effort has paid off. I was the World No 1 in No-Gi (Without traditional kimono) last year and now to build on that is special,” added Silva, for whom the UAE capital is not an unfamiliar territory. He will be having plenty of support as he is based here in the capital for a while now like Junior. He also tasted success in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam earlier this year — win the 110kg final beating compatriot Mauricio Lima. In the same Grand Slam, his closest challenger Wardzinski went down to another Brazilian Helton Silva Junior in the 94kg final.
Silva is well aware that the icing on the cake at the back of an exceptional season will be a gold at the World Pro and he is ready to give his best.
“Yes, no better way than to finish with a title here at the World Pro. It will not be easy as some of the best fighters will be here but I’m ready for the challenge. I have been working hard and putting in as much time as possible after my work. Hopefully, I can go on to win here,” asserted Silva.
Baring Wardzinski, all the remaining fighters in the top 10 rankings are Brazilians and there is very little to choose between them.
The battle for the third and fourth spot in the World Ranking, however, is going to be a tooth and nail one. Brazilian Jose Lima is currently neck-to-neck with compatriot Haigo George. Jose has amassed 1260 points with seven golds and a silver. He leads George, who has won six golds and two silvers by a mere 100 points.
In the women’s brown and black category, 22-year-old Larissa Paes of Brazil has already sealed the World No 1 ranking with 1680 points having bagged 11 golds, six silvers and a bronze. Countrymate Thamara Silva is on second spot with 1060 points while Mayssa Caldas Pereira Bastos is on third with 940 points. While the rest of the spot are being occupied by the dominant Brazilians, Australia’s Livia Gluchowska and Germany’s Charlotte Von Baumgarten jointly occupy the 10th spot with 400 points each.
Paes, who is based here in the capital for the past one year as an instructor, will also be keen to finish off on a high. However, her main challenger will once again be Von Baumgarten to whom she lost twice in succession — at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour semis in the capital and most recently in the final in London.
