The IBJJF Atlanta Winter Open 2024 took place on February 10th, 2024 and there was some fantastic matches across many of the divisions. The lightest men’s division might have only had one match but it was a battle between two top roosterweight contenders. In the end it was Cory Walker who stood on top of the podium though, and Tadiyah Danforth had to settle for the silver medal. They weren’t the only notable names out of the lighter competitors though, as the light-featherweight division was won by Nathannael Jackson. The opposite end of the scale featured another elite competitor too, as Inacio Santos managed to emerge victorious in the only match of the ultra-heavyweight division.
The super-heavyweight division was won by Luccas Lira, and he returned later on in the day to challenge himself by entering the absolute as well. Not only did Lira win a second gold medal but he did so by beating some really tough opposition, most notably Johnny Tama in the final. Sebastian Serpa also stood on the podium of the absolute division despite being a featherweight competitor, and he occupied one of the bronze medal spots. He won a silver medal in his weight class earlier in the day, but only because he closed out the division with his teammate Brian Mahecha.
Clay Mayfield was the only other big name in the men’s divisions, although he had to settle for a silver medal as Andre Gois won the medium-heavyweight division instead. The women’s divisions weren’t very busy at the IBJJF Atlanta Winter Open 2024, but they still attracted some great competitors regardless. The middleweight division was won by Suellen Lima and although she was a top contender to win the absolute title, she ended up with a silver medal in that bracket instead. That’s because Fernanda Cristo beat her in the final, shortly after winning gold in the medium-heavyweight division as well.
