Thalys Pontes overcome the Final match of IBJJF Pan Pacific in Sydney Australia | tapbjjacademy.com

Thalys Pontes, a young Brazilian, dreamed of becoming the top fighter in the world. Fueled by a passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he trained tirelessly to win 22 IBJJF tournaments in 2018 to become IBJJF ranked number 1 in the world, with the IBJJF Pan Pacific Championship in Australia as his final goal for double gold. On competition day, Thalys felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Coached by his brother, the legend Thalison Soares, Thalys fought through the preliminary rounds, winning 7 fights with precision and showing a beautiful flow of techniques. He advanced to the final match in both GI and No-Gi. In the No-Gi final, Thalys faced a tough Brazilian opponent. Early in the match, he was caught in a painful arm-lock. Despite the intense pain, Thalys refused to give up. With determination, he escaped the hold by using his opponent's position against him. Freed, Thalys begin attack and took control, executing two flawless sweeps and a guard pass, and two back takes to securing victory. The referee raised his hand, Thalison, Robert and the crowd cheered. Thalys had won double gold Gi and No-Gi at the IBJJF Pan Pacific Championship. Later in that day tears of joy filled his eyes as he realized his dream had come true. Thalys Pontes' journey showed that dreams can come true with hard work, determination, and faith.