The two-day competition, running on August 29 and 30 at the Dynamo Sports Academy, has attracted 1,220 male and female athletes from 32 countries. The field includes 85 black belts, giving the Moscow stop a strong concentration of elite-level competitors alongside athletes seeking international ranking points and experience.
The tournament forms part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, which has developed into a major international circuit bringing together competitors from different academies, countries and fighting systems. Moscow’s inclusion underlines Russia’s established position within competitive jiu-jitsu and the wider growth of the sport beyond its traditional strongholds.
Competition at black-belt level is expected to be particularly closely watched. Brazilian black belt Jonathan Silva, among the athletes entered for the tournament, said the depth of the international field made every contest difficult and highlighted the value of facing opponents trained in different styles and systems.
The presence of competitors from 32 countries also gives athletes opportunities beyond medals. International events allow fighters to measure their technical development against opponents they do not normally encounter at national competitions, while coaches can assess tactical approaches across different schools.
Tareq Al Bahri, general manager of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Association, said the Grand Slam had established an important position on the international competition calendar. He pointed to the mixture of champions from different academies as one of the circuit’s main strengths and said the scale of the Moscow registration reflected confidence among athletes and teams in the tournament.
The Moscow event is being staged at the Sport Academy Dinamo, also identified by organisers as the Dynamo Sports Academy, on Yuri Nikulin Street. The venue is hosting the Grand Slam across both days as competitors progress through their respective divisions and medal contests.
The competition comes as the AJP Tour maintains a busy global calendar covering Grand Slam, continental, national, international and regional championships. Events are being staged across Europe, Asia, South America and Oceania, providing athletes with multiple opportunities to compete during the season.
The Grand Slam format sits towards the upper end of that competition structure, drawing established professionals as well as athletes looking to improve their international standing. Large fields can create demanding brackets in which competitors may need several victories in a single tournament before reaching the medal rounds.
Moscow has become a familiar destination for the series. The city also hosted an Abu Dhabi Grand Slam event in 2025, when competitions were held across youth, amateur, master and professional categories. Its return to the schedule demonstrates the organisers’ continuing focus on markets where jiu-jitsu has developed substantial athlete and academy participation.
The broader expansion of international jiu-jitsu has been supported by increasingly structured ranking systems, professional competition circuits and greater opportunities for athletes to compete outside their home countries. Events bringing together dozens of nationalities are particularly important for black belts, where differences in guard systems, passing strategies, submissions and match management can produce sharply contrasting tactical contests.
For Abu Dhabi, the Grand Slam series also extends the emirate’s role in promoting jiu-jitsu internationally. The competition circuit complements major events staged in the UAE and contributes to a calendar designed to give athletes sustained competition rather than relying on a small number of annual championships.
Once competition in Moscow ends on August 30, the Grand Slam circuit is scheduled to move to Shanghai for its next major stop on October 17 and 18. The Shanghai event will be held at the Jing’an District National Fitness Center as the 2026-2027 series continues its international programme.
Other AJP competitions will take place before Shanghai, including the Asia Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi from September 4 to 6 and the Oceania Continental Championship in Sydney on September 6. Events are also scheduled in South Korea, Argentina, Brazil and Russia during September, maintaining an intensive competition calendar for athletes pursuing ranking points and qualification opportunities.
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