Two of this week’s inspired fighters, Braulio Estima and Vinicius Magalhaes, are disputing a place in the absolute final. Braulio attacks Pesao’s leg and ends up playing guard. Eventually, Braulio closes and nearly mounts. Vini escapes standing but Braulio takes him down, opening the scoring (2-0). They go to the middle and Braulio puts in the hooks for three more (5-0). Vini escapes but ends in Braulio’s close guard. Braulio sweeps, makes it 7-0 and time runs out. Braulio and Xande (read below) will repeat the 2007 <99kg final. But now it counts for the most important division, the absolute.
In the other area, Xande pulls Gunnar into his guard, a strategy that has truly worked thus far in this tournament. Underdog Gunnar threatens Xande’s back, but the 2008 and 2006 Jiu-Jitsu Absolute World Champion defends and connects a straight knee bar, tapping Iceland’s representative. Xande is the first absolute finalist.
