World champ returns to support MTC grappling tournament

Maximum Training Centre hosted a 32-man grappling tournament at the Fogolar Furlan Saturday showcasing athletes from around the world. "We were kinda shocked because we didn't know what it was gonna be or what it was going to turn out to be," said Rino Belcastro who spearheaded the event through his club. "I think the response from the outside community was really something, at first it was like is this really happening?"

Belcastro was able to land Harrow native Dante Leon, a grappler and multiple world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt athlete, to do a workshop for athletes earlier in the day.

"I was super pleased to teach the workshops to many familiar and many new faces," Leon said. "Makes me so happy to see the sport growing and in my own hometown, where it all began. I hope this can be my first of many to come in the future."

Grapplers from Japan, the U.S and Canada were part of the 32-man field. "This has been a great turnout. We have some spectacular grapplers from being world champions, top ranked athletes in Canada, everyone is aware of who is on the circuit." Belcastro said.

Kieran Kichuk, a BJJ blackbelt from Markham, Ontario, won the under 185lbs division and was the overall champion. Maxim Cote came out on top in the over-185lbs division.

For Belcastro, the event served as a prelude to a fight night coming up August 11th at the Serbian Centre featuring Canadian boxing champions and Windsorites Hunter Lee and Jayden Trudell.

"To be able to bring something like this to the city it just feels great to be a part of and do it," Belcastro said. "To bring both national champions to fight with each other at home is exactly what is supposed to happen in this sport."

Belcastro says there will be an undercard of between 10-15 fights before the main event.

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