Tenerife's Aday González Crowned European Jiu-Jitsu Champion After 19 Months

"Get the medal out! Get the medal out!" Aday González López (Los Realejos, 1994) hears that chant often as soon as he walks into the gym after returning from Lisbon. The guys at Obsessive BJJ (La Victoria) want to touch it, see it up close, and confirm for themselves that what seemed impossible just days ago is now real. The fighter from Tenerife, with just over a year of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice, is already a European champion. It's a story shaped by discipline, careful planning, and a coach-athlete bond that goes far beyond the training mat.

The achievement happened last weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, where Aday González became the European Jiu-Jitsu champion. He competed in the continental championship organized by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), winning in the -64 kg category – one of the toughest in the sport.

What's remarkable is how he won. Aday's time in Portugal wasn't a series of nail-biting fights or close calls. He didn't give up a single point to his rivals throughout the entire championship. He fought four matches, finishing three of them before the time limit, and winning one convincingly with a 9-0 score.

But there's more to this story than just numbers and statistics. The real meaning of this gold medal comes from his journey. Aday has only been training jiu-jitsu for one year and seven months. He doesn't have a long history in the sport or a childhood spent training. Instead, it was a choice he made almost by chance, but one he committed to fully from the start.

After our interview, Aday will return to his routine, back to training. He hasn't stopped since he got back to the island on Sunday, already focused on the Canarian circuit that begins on March 14th. This week, though, things feel different. The Tenerife fighter admits the win hasn't quite sunk in yet; he's still "on cloud nine."

Aday describes his return as "spectacular," with his family waiting for him "super happy." However, if there's one name linked to Aday's gold medal, it's Freddy Yanes. Freddy is his coach, strategist, and personal mentor. Aday says Freddy "planned every detail" of their path to Lisbon.

Aday readily explains that his role was simply to compete and follow their plan. Everything else – from combat strategy to nutrition, rest, and prior planning – was his coach's work. When asked what percentage of the European title belongs to Freddy, he replies, "a lot, practically everything." He then shares examples of their relationship, which shows deep commitment and discipline: training on holidays, improvised sessions at the coach's house, and even training on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, or Three Kings' Day.

Aday's jiu-jitsu story began when an acquaintance suggested he train with Freddy, who had just opened a gym in La Victoria. "Okay, let's give it a try," Aday replied. He was hooked by the atmosphere, the teaching style, and especially the philosophy behind the sport. That was 19 months ago, the same amount of time the gym has been open.

His week involves balancing his work schedule with double training sessions and individual workouts. On Mondays and Thursdays, he usually trains morning and afternoon; on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he does at least one session daily; and on Saturdays, he dedicates himself to specific combat training.

Last week, Lisbon was where all that hard work paid off. After winning fight after fight, the final arrived, bringing with it the moment Aday had been dreaming of for months. "I couldn't believe it. When I finished the fight, I only heard my wife, Mar, crying: 'You did it, you did it, you won, you won!' I sat on the ground looking at her and burst into happy laughter. I had never felt like that in my life."

Does he have any more jiu-jitsu dreams? "No, I already achieved mine," he replies. Being European champion was his goal, and the fighter from Los Realejos has already done it.