At last week's Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023, a black belt rose through the ranks and set himself apart from his peers, writing his name in the history of both the organization and his own country. At 23 years of age, Zayed Al-Khateeri conquered the roosterweight division in the competition and became the first athlete from the United Arab Emirates to win a major IBJJF tournament.

This is hardly Zayed’s first time making history for his country. After graduating to black belt in May of last year, the Emirati won the AJP World Pro in November, thus also becoming the first UAE-born black belt to win that tournament. At Pans, Al-Katheeri made his IBJJF black belt debut and had to adapt to a different ruleset, which included the IBJJF’s 10-minute bouts.

"It was my first competition under IBJJF and the results were amazing," Al-Katheeri said. "The background of my training was always connected with the AJP rules, with only five minutes of combat. With less time, the fight becomes more intense, and physical interaction is more exhausting. In the 10-minute matches, it's also important to manage both your emotional and physical state, but technique is the real game-changer. I managed to adapt well to the IBJJF ruleset. Honestly, I think 10-minute matches are better for my fighting style.”

Even if the time management wasn’t a challenge for Al-Katheeri, the road to the gold medal was certainly not easy. After beating Italo Frota on Saturday, Al-Katheeri had two opponents adversaries to face on the next day before he could rise to the top of the podium and make history. Among his challengers, his old rival, Jonas Andrade as a hurdle in his way.

"Jonas Andrade is an excellent athlete and a gentleman, Al-Katheeri said. "I’ve fought him three times so far, with twice of those being at AJP, where he beat me on points, and this last one at the Pan, in which I won. The strategy against him will always be to avoid his guard attacks and try to attack him as much as possible. While I don’t underestimate any opponent, I felt very confident in this tournament, thanks to the skills I developed with professor Ribamar Santiago and my team.”

In the final, Al-Katheeri defeated Hiryu Niwa by advantages. With the gold medal around his neck, he looks back at a missed opportunity, a match that fight fans all over the world hoped to see. Al-Katheeri was slated to face Thalison Soares in the quarterfinal; that match did not take place. The 2022 World Champion from Brazil was set to compete in the bracket, and would’ve clashed with Al-Katheeri in the first match of Sunday, but ultimately Soares didn’t show up. Al-Katheeri said he looks forward to meeting him in future tournaments.

“I have a lot of respect for Thalison," he said. "He has been a victorious athlete since his juvenile days, always dominant and consistent in his matches. I’ve always studied his game to learn new technical standards and I’m sure that facing him would be a new and exciting opportunity to learn even more. I would definitely be honored to fight him.”

With Pans now finished, Al-Katheeri said he does not intend to rest on his laurels. Now even more motivated after seeing success in a major tournament, the Emirati plans to continue competing throughout the year and has already set sights on a more ambitious and challenging goal for his career: becoming an IBJJF worlds champion.

"I'm fighting to win the AJP Ranking and the category bonus, and the Grand Slam Abu Dhabi will be on the same date as the Brazilian Nationals, so I won't be going to Brazil to fight," he said. "But, the IBJJF Worlds is a dream, and I will do my best to achieve this for my career and my country. I will be there in June for my first attempt.”

Emerati ties in jiu-jitsu are not a new phenomenon. Since the 1990s, when the UAE embraced the sport, the country has made heavy investments to make add value to jiu-jitsu, and to boost the its relevance in jiu-jitsu culture.

"In the UAE, with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the biggest Jiu-Jitsu project on the planet takes place," Al-Kahteeri said. I found out about Jiu-Jitsu in September 2017, when I was invited by friends to try a class at school. I ended up liking it and, after two weeks, I went to the UAEJJF Training Center. There I met professor Ribamar Santiago, who taught me from white to black belt and with whom I still work together to this day. Since the beginning, I’ve been training Jiu-Jitsu for 6 to 8 hours per day. It has become my lifestyle, a way for me to express myself, and daily motivation for me to keep improving as both an athlete and a human being.”