The IBJJF Austin Summer Open 2023 took place on July 16th and 17th, 2023 and there were several elite grapplers who decided to compete. Cassio Costa left with two gold medals in the gi after winning the super-heavyweight division and the absolute, while the rest of the podium there was also stacked with top competitors. Lucas Valle took a silver medal from the absolute and a bronze from the middleweight division, while Yan Paiva took gold in that weight class before settling for bronze in the absolute. Clay Mayfield took up the other bronze medal position on the absolute podium and stood on the same spot at medium-heavyweight, behind Carlos Neto in the top spot and Austin Oranday in second.
Mayfield and Oranday returned the next day for the no gi divisions to battle it out in the medium-heavyweight final, with Oranday winning the match and the gold medal. Yan Paiva also came back on the second day too and won another gold medal at super-heavyweight, while Pedro Alex had a great weekend as he won gold at ultra-heavyweight in gi and no gi, along with silver in the no gi absolute. The only match in the featherweight no gi division saw Alexandre Vieira beat Frank Rosenthal. None of the men took home two gold medals on the second day though, as Alejandro Coquelet won the absolute division but lost the final of the heavyweight division to Jacob Couch.
Some surprising names competed at the IBJJF Austin Summer Open 2023 too, as Manuel Ribamar won a silver medal in the gi at heavyweight. Emily Fernandez did well in the women’s gi divisions, taking home a default gold at lightweight before winning the absolute. She wasn’t the only top female competitor either though, as Thamires Monteiro also entered the tournament. She didn’t make out quite as well though, as she got given default gold medals in the gi and no gi middleweight divisions before having to settle for a default silver medal in the no gi absolute.
