Emmanuela Oliveira 
With no obstacles in his way, Cássio Silva remains firm in his goal to remain undefeated throughout 2024. The black-belt responsible for leading the School of Champs, in France, fought at the Dojo de Paris last weekend, May 18th, on the main card of ADXC 4.
In an interview with VF Comunica the week after his victory, Cássio spoke about his Gi match with Marko Oikarainen, the fourth fight on the main card. The black-belt who has Paris as his hometown started the fight with favoritism and the responsibility didn’t weigh on the lightness of the Brazilian’s well-executed Jiu-Jitsu. The victory came by unanimous decision, a result evident due to the repeated attempts at submission.
“In this fight I didn’t have any strategy, I already knew my opponent and I know my level. I’m a tough fighter in any situation. Whether standing, from the bottom or on top, and this ADXC rules format is perfect for me. The goal was to finish in the first round and in that first round I got to his back to choke him, but he resisted. I couldn’t finish him, but I came close to my goal several times.”, said the champion.
“Surreal”: this is how the black-belt describes the experience of fighting at ADXC
Fighting at ADXC was an opportunity Cássio awaited with great anticipation. With a privileged position in the AJP ranking, he knew it was a matter of time before this goal became real. In his ADXC debut, Cássio highlights the structure of the event, surrounded by organization and professionalism.
“Fighting at ADXC 4 was something surreal, I just worried about putting on a show and fighting in France with everyone shouting my name is an easy job (laughs). I’m already excited for the next one.”.
At ADXC, Cássio worked as an athlete and coach
To fight this weekend, Cássio was accompanied by an athlete from the School of Champs – the purple-belt Lina Grosset. With just three years of Jiu-Jitsu, Lina entered a high-level competition and had a tight fight with Shamma Al Kabani, declared champion in a split decision.
“Participating as an athlete is easier because you have control over your actions and decisions, but as a coach it is very complicated (laughs). Lina fought very well, I didn’t even understand why she lost, but I’m happy with her performance. It’s only been 3 years since she started Jiu-Jitsu and she’s always reaching the top. The result of my work has been appearing through my students, little by little”, analyzed Cássio.
Focusing on occupying the top of the AJP Tour rankings, Cássio Silva’s next commitment is the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Istanbul, scheduled for the beginning of next month. After consecutive victories, Cássio comfortably assumed the position of challenger, analyzing likely good opponents in the near future.
“In ADXC there is a belt and I am very excited to focus on the belt in this division. My ADXC 4 opponent ended the season in second place in the AJP adult rankings and I beat him. So, I really wanted to fight the first in the ranking, which is Welison Fernandes, this fight would be very interesting.”.
