Being one of the top athletes in Jiu Jitsu can pay pretty well. From sponsorships to tournament earnings to cash payouts for earning a World Jiu Jitsu Award … it’s good to be on top.
The World Jiu Jitsu Awards ceremony at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi took place last month. Here is a breakdown of all the World Jiu Jitsu Award winners and the money their earned. (Source: flograppling.com)
Best Male Adult Black Belt of 2017-2018, Global Ranking:
- Igor Silva (BRA), 2,280 points ($25,000)
- Adam Wardzinski (POL), 1,940 points ($10,000)
- Jose Carlos Lima (BRA), 1,660 points ($5,000)
In addition to the payouts for the global ranking, there were additional continental awards of $5,000 for the top-ranked athletes from each region. Silva and Wardzinski picked up extra bonuses as top-ranked athletes in their regions.
Africa: Adolfo Correia, 380 points
Asia: Joao Carlos Kuraoka, 840 points
Europe: Adam Wardzinski, 1,940 points (No. 2 in the world)
North/Central America: Matthew Leighton, 680 points
Oceania: Lachlan Giles, 540 points
South America: Igor Silva, 2,280 points
Best Female Adult Brown-Black Belt of 2017-2018
- Larissa Paes, 1,920 points ($10,000)
- Mayssa Bastos, 1,340 points ($5,000)
- Thamara Silva, 1,300 points ($3,000)
Best Master Black Belt of 2017-2018
- Mauricio Antunes (BRA), 1,880 points ($10,000)
- Thiago Marques (BRA), 1,740 points ($5,000)
- Claudio Cardoso (BRA), 1,520 points ($3,000)
Finally, the teams were recognized with cash prizes of their own.
Best International Academy
- GF Team, 66,543 points ($10,000)
- Checkmat, 54,894 points ($5,000)
- Alliance, 46,871 points ($2,000)
Andy Gonzalez is a coach at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club. He has earned his BJJ Brown Belt under 2nd Degree Black Belt, Professor Mikal Abdullah. Follow Andy on Twitter at @GoGoGonzilla
Andy lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Amanda and their 3 beautiful children. Andy is also the father of a Marine who is honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps.