The IBJJF Euro Black Belt finals took an unexpected turn during the Male/Master 1/Black/Feather division, leaving fans puzzled and competitors frustrated. Alejandro Carreras Lecoq and Venino Marciano Rondon de Lima Junior squared off in what promised to be an intense battle, but things went south fast.
The drama began when Lima Junior attempted a wrist crank, which caught the ref’s attention. Lecoq , seemingly unimpressed with this maneuver, reacted by launching a kick toward his opponent. Lima Junior, unfazed, blocked the kick, and things got stranger from there. Lecoq theatrically expressed pain, though many in the audience and online doubted the severity of his injury. The clock was stopped, and confusion spread through the arena.
The match, already tense, devolved further. Attempted kick and subsequent display of distress left many scratching their heads. Was he really hurt, or was it a tactical play to avoid the inevitable? Spectators online were quick to point out that it looked more like frustration than actual pain. While wrist cranks aren’t always appreciated, reactions like this are rare, especially at such a high level of competition.
In an ironic twist, Lima Junior’s calm defense against the kick, coupled with the odd sequence of events, led to widespread commentary. Many felt the situation mirrored some of the more dramatic antics seen in other sports. Observers couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle. “That tantrum kick was something else,” one quipped, while another highlighted the obvious attempt to bend the rules.
Ultimately, both athletes left the mat with little more than bruised egos. Lecoq ’s uncharacteristic reaction and the blocked kick that followed left fans debating who was more at fault. Was Lima Junior’s wrist crank too aggressive, or was Lecoq simply looking for an easy way out?
Whatever the case, this match will undoubtedly live on in IBJJF history as one of the strangest. Theatrics aside, it served as a reminder that even in elite competition, emotions can run high and things don’t always go as planned. The wrist crank might not have sealed the deal, but the antics certainly left an impression.
