The UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation has announced the final round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the ceremony honouring the winners of the 2026 season, with competitions set to take place at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi from October 16 to 18. Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club leads the overall Gi standings heading into the finale, followed by Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club and Palms Sports – Team 777, according to details released by the federation. The concluding matches will determine the Gi champions while also settling the top positions in the season’s combined Gi and No-Gi standings.
Boys and girls in the Kids categories will compete on October 17 before the Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 divisions bring the third edition of the championship to a close on October 18, when the awards ceremony honours the top finishers. Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation, said, “The final round is the culmination of a full season of hard work, consistent training and careful preparation by clubs and academies. The final standings are not determined by a single result, but by the combined contributions of male and female athletes across all age groups throughout the season.” Among those competing is Khaled Alkatheeri of Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club in the Under-16 category, who according to the federation’s announcement described every match as carrying a responsibility toward his club and teammates.
The federation’s announcement of the championship final round, awards ceremony forms part of its ongoing calendar that has seen the UAE host more than 20 national and international events in recent years. A review published by the Abu Dhabi Media Office placed the number of participants in the 16th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship above 9,000 athletes from 137 countries, with an 11 percent increase in entries recorded for the following edition that drew more than 10,000 competitors from over 130 nations. The federation’s data further shows the UAE national team securing 65 medals, including 18 gold, at the 2026 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship hosted in Abu Dhabi, where it claimed titles in both the Adult and Under-21 Newaza divisions.
Similar domestic leagues organised by the federation have consistently produced talent capable of competing at the highest levels, with the UAE topping the AJP Asia Jiu-Jitsu Championship standings in September 2026 with 568,100 points ahead of Brazil and Kuwait. Mubadala Arena has served as the primary venue for these concluding rounds and ceremonies, including the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tour finals where champions were crowned in multiple weight categories for both men and women. The structure of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Championship, featuring separate Gi and No-Gi segments across five rounds, has broadened access for athletes from clubs throughout the country.
Federation officials have emphasised that the season-long format rewards sustained performance rather than isolated results, a principle applied uniformly across age groups from children to seniors. The awards ceremony is expected to recognise both individual standouts and the leading clubs, following the pattern established in prior editions where Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club and Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club claimed divisional titles. This approach aligns with the federation’s wider objective of strengthening the sport’s foundations at the grassroots level while maintaining the UAE’s prominent position in international jiu-jitsu rankings.
