The Brazilian Nationals is known as one of the toughest tournaments of the year. Very few Americans make this trip, and even fewer come home with medals. Team LLoyd Irvin sent two seasoned Purple Belt competitors, Keenan Cornelius and Jon Delbrugge. Jon and Keenan are both middleweights, and compete in the same division on opposite sides of the bracket.
After some hard fought battles, both John and Keenan had cleared out their side of the bracket to meet in the finals. They split the middleweight division and both moved on to fight in the Absolute (open weight class). After a hard fought battle in the open Jon got edged out. Keenan Made It all the way to the Finals to rematch Joao Miyao. It was a tight match but Keenan was able to win the referee decision. Keenan has now won double gold at the first three Grand Slam events of the year (European, Pan Ams, Brazilian Nationals). Up next is the World Championships, which is the most important of all the grand slam events.
Below is a video of one of keenan’s matches in Brazil. If you are interested in learning Jiu Jitsu, Paramount BJJ is the Team Lloyd Irvin training center for Chester County, Pa. They provide the best quality instruction in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Muay Thai, and Boxing. Click here to learn more about the programs or to find out about the 30 Day Free Trial!