12 Best BJJ Fighters in the World (Top Picks)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has created some of the best and most important fighters in martial arts history. Starting with the Gracie family in 1914 and continuing to today’s top fighters, these athletes have changed the sport with their amazing skills, smart strategies, and hard work.
There are many greatest BJJ fighters in the world, but some of the best include Rickson Gracie, Roger Gracie, Marcus Buchecha, Royce Gracie, Gordon Ryan, Marcelo Garcia, Andre Galvao, Leandro Lo, Charles Oliveira, Nick Rodriguez, Ricardo Arona and Saulo Ribeiro.
These 12 fighters are not in order by how good they are. The numbers next to their names don’t show their rank. These 12 athletes are each the best in their own way based on their skills, knowledge, and how well they can teach and much more.
For example, the first fighter, Rickson Gracie, is well-known for his 400+ fights and coaching skills. Similarly, the fourth fighter, Royce Gracie, is famous for winning the first UFC. Each fighter is the best in their unique way, and all of them are outstanding.
Before jump in to the article, I want to let you know that all the information here comes from reliable sources, like Wikipedia and the fighters’ official websites. So, you don’t need to worry about its accuracy.
In this article, we explain the BJJ ranking system. If you’re not familiar with it, check the table below for a quick understanding or click the link for a detailed guide.
1. Rickson Gracie (No #1 Fighter of the list):
Full Name | Rickson Gracie |
Nickname | Urso, Bear and The Last Samurai |
Date of Birth | November 21, 1959 |
Place of Birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
BJJ Rank | 9th Degree Red belt in BJJunder Rorion Gracie |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 11-0-0 |
Total Matches | 400+ |
MMA Active Years in Fight | 1980-2000 |
Academy | Torrance, California, USARickson Gracie Academy |
Average Searches on Google | 40,500 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 550K+ Check exact on Insta |
Rickson Gracie is the one of the best and my favorite retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and a BJJ Master. He is the 3rd son of Helio Gracie, who created BJJ, a legend with a long history, undefeated MMA record, and high ranking in BJJ.
On July 6, 2017, at the age of 58, Rickson was promoted to the 9th-degree red belt, which is the 2nd highest rank in the BJJ ranking system. This video shows Rickson being promoted to the red belt.
In 1979, Rickson won a fight against Rei Zulu using a move called a rear naked choke, even though Rei Zulu was bigger than him. This made Rickson famous across the country. After that, he became the Champion of Pride Fighting by defeating Nobuhiko Takada twice.
In 1994 and 1995, Rickson competed in Vale Tudo Japan two times and won both tournaments with his grappling and striking skills. In 1995, he was featured in the documentary “Choke,” which showed how he prepared for the Vale Tudo Japan competition.
In 2020, a Netflix film about Rickson Gracie was announced but has not been released yet. Rickson Gracie fought many matches. Some research shows even Rickson himself said that he had over 400 fights (including BJJ, Sambo, Judo, MMA and wrestling etc) but his dad, Hélio Gracie, did not agree with that number. As an MMA fighter, Rickson fought in the UFC, winning all 11 of his matches.
Lineage: Kanō Jigorō → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Helio Gracie → Rickson Gracie
Winning Matches:
- 11 fights in the UFC, won all 11 matches
- Won 2 matches against Rei Zulu in 1979 and 1984
- Won Vale Tudo Japan in 1994 and 1995
- Won Pride Fighting Championships in 1997
2. Roger Gracie:
Full Name | Roger Gracie Gomes |
Date of Birth | September 26, 1981 |
Place of Birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) |
BJJ Rank | 5th degree black beltunder Carlos Gracie Jr. |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 8-2-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 18-1-0 |
BJJ / Submission wrestling record | 67–7–1 |
MMA Active Years in Fight | 2006–2017 |
Academy | Roger Gracie, Hammersmith, London |
Average Searches on Google | 18,100 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 430K+ Check exact on Insta |
Roger Gracie is known as one of the greatest BJJ fighters ever. He has won many world championships and ADCC titles. Roger has had a big impact on both gi and no-gi competitions, making him a key figure in BJJ history.
He is the son of Mauricio Gomes (a Coral Belt) and the grandson of Carlos Gracie (the founder of BJJ). His mother is Reila Gracie, who is Carlos Gracie’s daughter.
As a teenager, Roger began training in BJJ with his uncle Rilion Gracie and started competing. At the age of 22, in 2003, he earned his black belt from his uncle Carlos Gracie Jr.
From 2004 to 2010, Roger won many IBJJF World Championship titles, including 10 in total. He has also won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 14 times, with 10 gold medals and 5 silver medals.
Roger Gracie is the only fighter to win gold with a 100% submission rate, never losing by submission in 20 years, and the first to win three open weight titles in the black belt division.
Roger retired from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in 2017 after winning a match against Marcus Buchecha, who was the BJJ world champion at the time. Gracie ended his career without ever losing a match by submission, meaning he never was forced to give up in a match due to his opponent’s submission techniques.
Lineage: Carlos Gracie Sir → Helio Gracie → Carlos Gracie Junior → Roger Gracie.
Winning Matches:
Roger Gracie has won many matches and set several records. Here are some of his achievements:
- In 1999, as a blue belt, he won the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
- In 2000, he won the Pan American Championship.
- In 2001, he won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship for the second time.
- In 2003, he won the Silver World Championship as a black belt.
- In 2004, he won the ADCC South American Trials.
- In 2005, he won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the European Open Championship.
- In 2007, he won the ADCC World Championships.
- In 2016, he won the ONE Light Heavyweight Championship.
- He is also a two-time European Champion, and a Pan Champion.
3. Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida:
Full Name | Marcus Vinícius Oliveira de Almeida |
Nickname | Buchecha |
Date of Birth | January 8, 1990 |
Place of Birth | Santos, São Paulo, Brazil |
Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
Weight | 258 lb (117 kg; 18.4 st) |
BJJ Rank | 2nd degree black beltunder Rodrigo Cavaca |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 4-1-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 137-13-1 |
MMA Active Years in Fight | 2011 to now |
Affiliated | CheckMat BJJ, Southern California, US |
Average Searches on Google | 2,900 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 520K+ Check exact on Insta |
Marcus Buchecha is one of the best BJJ fighters of all time. People called him Buchecha, which means “cheek” because he had chubby cheeks when he was younger. Buchecha holds the record for the most IBJJF World Championship titles, making him one of the most decorated BJJ athletes.
Buchecha sister started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was 14 years old. Their dad, Clayton, made Marcus go to the gym with her to keep an eye on her. Soon after, both Marcus and his dad started training too, and they eventually earned 2nd-degree black belts.
Buchecha has won many BJJ championships, including multiple IBJJF World Championships and ADCC titles. He also competed in ADCC, a famous submission fighting championship. In 2020, he started competing in mixed martial arts (MMA) in the heavyweight division of ONE Championship.
Lineage: Carlos Gracie Sir → Carlson Gracie → Élcio Figueiredo → Rodrigo Cavaca → Marcus Almeida
Winning Matches:
- His most notable MMA win was against Kirill Grishenko, where he won in the first round and earned a “Performance of the Night” award.
- He has also received awards of performances “Submission of the Month”
- He is 13 times world championships from 2011 to 2019
- 29 gold medals from international tournaments
- An absolute divisions in gi competitions for more than eight years
4. Royce Gracie
Full Name | Royce Gracie |
Date of Birth | 12 December 1966 |
Place of Birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
Weight | 176 lb (80 kg) |
BJJ Rank | 7th deg. BJJ Coral BeltUnder Rickson Gracie |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 15 Wins, 2 Loss, 3 Draw |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 34 Wins, 4 Loss, 0 Draw |
Active Years in Fight | 1993-1988 |
Academy | Michigan, USA Royce Gracie JJ |
Average Searches on Google | 74,000 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 345K+ Check exact on Insta |
Royce Gracie is an important member of the BJJ community. He is the son of Hélio Gracie, who created BJJ with his brother. Royce started Jiu-Jitsu training at a young age, competing in his first match at 8 years old. By the age of 14, he was already teaching Jiu-Jitsu, and when he turned 17, he earned his black belt under his father, Hélio Gracie.
Royce is one of the most well-known and respected fighters in the world of BJJ. He played a major role in making BJJ famous by competing in UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4. He won all these tournaments by using his submission grappling techniques, defeating opponents who were bigger and heavier than him. This brought him a lot of fame. Because of his success in the UFC, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (also known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) became very popular, and people understood the importance of grappling and ground fighting.
He has competed in many events like PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1’s MMA events, and Bellator.
Lineage: Kano Jigoro → Tomita Tsunejiro → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie Sir → Hélio Gracie → Royce Gracie
Winning Matches:
UFC 1 (1993):
- Royce Gracie had 3 fights in this tournament.
- First fight: He fought Art Jimmerson and won by submission (mounted).
- Second fight: He fought Ken Shamrock and won by submission (rear-naked choke).
- Third fight: He fought Gerard Gordeau and won by submission (rear choke).
UFC 2 (1994):
- Royce Gracie had 4 fights in this tournament.
- First fight: He fought Minoki Ichihara and won by submission (lapel choke).
- Second fight: He fought Jason DeLucia and won by submission (armbar).
- Third fight: He fought Remco Pardoel and won by submission (lapel choke).
- Fourth fight: He fought Patrick Smith and won by submission to punches.
UFC 4 (1994):
- Royce Gracie had 3 fights in this tournament.
- First fight: He fought Ron van Clief and won by submission (rear-naked choke).
- Second fight: He fought Keith Hackney and won by submission (armbar).
- Third fight: He fought Dan Severn and won by submission (triangle choke).
5. Gordon Ryan:
Full Name | Gordon Ryan |
Date of Birth | July 8, 1995 |
Place of Birth | Monroe Township, New Jersey, USA |
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
BJJ Rank | BJJ 1st Degree Black Belt Under Garry Tonon & John Danaher |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | No Fights |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 156–9–3 |
Active Years in Fight | 2011 to now (Not Verified) |
Academy | Located in Austin, Texas, US. |
Average Searches on Google | 165,000 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 1 Million+ Check exact on Insta |
Gordon Ryan started the training under the age of 15 with many famous coaches, including John Danaher, Tom DeBlass, and Garry Tonon. He won numerous international matches starting at the age of 18.
Ryan is considered one of the top no-gi grapplers. who has won the EBI titles and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship seven times. He has also been a champion at the IBJJF No-Gi World Tournament twice and has won the Eddie Bravo Invitational four times.
In July 2021, he opened his own academy in Austin, Texas.
Winning Matches:
- In 2016 he won the Eddie Bravo Invitational Championship.
- In 2017 won EBI title by defeated Yuri Simões at Kasai Pro Matache
- In 2019 won ADCC World Championship (-99 kg) and absolute division despite injuries.
- In 2020 defeated Matheus Diniz at ADCC.
- In 2022 competed at ADCC, winning gold in +99 kg and the superfight against André Galvão. In the same year he also achieved the fastest submission in ADCC history.
- In 2024 competed in Who’s Number One 24 and ADCC World Championship, winning matches against Josh Saunders, Yuri Simões, and Felipe Pena.
6. Marcelo Garcia
Full Name | Marcelo Garcia |
Nickname | Marcelinho |
Date of Birth | January 17, 1983 |
Place of Birth | Formiga, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Height | 1.73 m |
Weight | 70 kg |
BJJ Rank | 4th degree black beltunder Fabio Gurgel |
MMA Records (W-L-N/C) | 0-1-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 80 -11-0 |
Academy | Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu, New York, US |
Average Searches on Google | 18,100 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 410K+ Check exact on Insta |
Marcelo Garcia is one of the most famous coaches and skilled submission grapplers, guard players, his innovation in techniques like the “Marcelo guard”. He is a 4th-degree black belt in BJJ under Fabio Gurgel. In 2000, at the age of 21, he started training in BJJ and practiced hard.
After a few years of practicing, Marcelo began winning gold medals at IBJJF gi tournaments in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2017. He won an award for having the best fight in 2005. According to Wikipedia, he fought 91 times, won 80 matches, and lost 11.
In September 2008, Marcelo opened a BJJ school in Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA, and a year later, in September 2009, he opened another academy in Manhattan, New York, USA.
In 2021, he was inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame, becoming the third person to receive this honor because he won four gold medals (before him, only two others had been recognized). In November 2021, he decided to retire from competition.
Now, he runs several schools in California, USA. For more information, check their website, Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu.
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Romero Cavalcanti → Fabio Gurgel → Marcelo Garcia
Winning Matches:
- 12 gold medals in international BJJ competitions
- 5-time World Championship title holder in BJJ in the middleweight category
- 4-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship title holder
- Winner of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
7. Andre Galvao:
Full Name | André Luiz Leite Galvão |
Date of Birth | September 29, 1982 |
Place of Birth | São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil |
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
BJJ Rank | 4th degree black belt under Fernando “Tererê” Augusto |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 5-2-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 167-28-2 |
Active Years in Fight | 1996 – present |
Academy | San Diego, California. USA. Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ & Andre Galvao |
Average Searches on Google | 9,900 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 710K+ Check exact on Insta |
Andree Galvao is an important and well known BJJ and Mixed martial artist. He also has many successful businesses in Brazil and worldwide.
He started training of BJJ from 1996 (At the age of 14) and started his MMA career in 2008 and fought in a tournament in 2009. He won many international tournaments multiple times. He also wrote a book called Drill to Win: 12 Months to Better Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In 2022, he was inducted into two Halls of Fame: the IBJJF Hall of Fame in June and the ADCC Hall of Fame in September.
Winning Matches:
- 8 times winner of World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and won major other championships like the Brazilian National Championship and Pan American Championships multiple times.
- Won ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2011.
- Won ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in both his weight class and the absolute category in 2011.
- He has also won superfights (special one-on-one matches) at ADCC events from 2013 to 2019 against top competitors like Braulio Estima and Roberto Abreu.
8. Leandro Lo
Full Name | Leandro Pereira do Nascimento Lo |
Date of Birth | 11 May 1989 |
Place of Birth | São Paulo, Brazil |
Died | 7 August 2022 (aged 33) In São Paulo, Brazil |
Height | 1.82 m |
Weight | under 76 kg (168 lb) |
BJJ Rank | Black belt under Cicero Costha |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | No Fights |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 270-43-6 |
Website | leandrolo.com |
Average Searches on Google | 22,200 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 490K+ Check exact on Insta |
Leandro Lo is another top BJJ fighter who has fought many matches and won many of them. He is also famous for his numerous championship titles, started BJJ training in 2003 at the age of 14, and after just 2 years of practice as a blue belt, he won his first World Championship. In 2010, he was promoted to black belt under his coach Cicero Costha. In 2015, he created his own NS Brotherhood Jiu-Jitsu team.
Lo won 28 gold medals in international tournaments and won 8 IBJJF world championship titles In 5 different weight classes, achieving a record. He was famous for his guard passing, which means he was really good at getting past his opponent’s legs to get a better position. He was also known for his open guard game, where he used his legs to control his opponents and set up attacks.
In August 2022, at the age of 33, Lo sadly lost his life after being shot. On May 11, 2023, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) announced that they would honor him by adding him to their Hall of Fame after his death.
Winning Matches:
- In 2005, he won the World Championship.
- In 2006, he won the silver medal at the World Championship.
- In 2008, he won the CBJJE Brazilian Cup.
- In 2011-12, Lo won medals at the No-Gi Championships, IBJJF World Championship, Pan American Championship (Pan Am), UAEJJF World Pro Championship, and Abu Dhabi World Pro.
- In 2013, he won the World Lightweight Division.
- In 2019, he made history by winning the World Championships in five different weight classes.
- In June 2022, Lo won his eighth world championship.
9. Charles Oliveira
Full Name | Charles Oliveira da Silva |
Nickname | do Bronx |
Date of Birth | 17 October 1989 |
Place of Birth | Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) |
BJJ Rank | 4th degree black belt Under Ericson Cardoso & Jorge Macaco |
MMA Records (W-L-N/C) | 34-10-1 |
MMA Active Years in Fight | 2008 to now |
Average Searches on Google | 368,000 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 7.6 Million+ Check exact on Insta |
Charles Oliveira is another famous current MMA champion with a strong BJJ background, more than 7.6million followers on instagram. He started practicing BJJ in childhood and has won many championship titles. At the age of 7, he had a health problem called a heart murmur and rheumatic fever. The doctors said he could not play sports,
so his parents decided he would learn BJJ. Oliveira started training at the age of 12 under Roger Coelho for free because he was very poor, and his family supported him by selling snacks on the street. After just 2 months of practicing BJJ, Oliveira won a championship in São Paulo, Brazil.
In 2007, he started his MMA career and won many championship titles and set UFC records. He also won multiple fights in the same night.
In 2010, he earned a 4th-degree black belt in BJJ under Ericson Cardoso and Jorge Patino. According to Sherdog, he was the third most-watched Brazilian fighter in 2010.
Lineage: Kanō Jigorō → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Rickson Gracie → Marcelo Behring → Waldomiro Perez → Jorge Patino → Charles Oliveira
Winning Matches:
- Won the CBJJE World Championship
- In 2007 won the Predador FC 9 Lightweight Grand Prix by defeating Rui Machado and others.
- In 2012 won the CBJJE World Championship in BJJ and UFC.
- In 2021 won the UFC Lightweight Championship
10. Nick Rodriguez:
Full Name | Nicholas Pete Rodriguez |
Nickname | Nicky Rod & Black Belt Slayer |
Date of Birth | August 30, 1996 |
Place of Birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) |
BJJ Rank | BJJ Black belt |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 5-2-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 32-13-3 |
Training Time | Wrestling training from 6th grade andBJJ Training from 2018 to now |
Academy/Affiliated | Affiliated with B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, Austin, Texas, US |
Average Searches on Google | 3,600 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 365K+ Check exact on Insta |
Nick Rodriguez is one of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) rising star with a successful grappling career. He began wrestling in 6th grade and competed throughout high school. At the age of 22, he attended his first Jiu-Jitsu class on a friend’s advice to stay fit and quickly became skilled. After just 2 weeks of BJJ training, he won his first submission wrestling competition.
Nick is well-known for his submission grappling and is considered one of the best-looking fighters with a strong physique. He started training under the famous coach John Danaher in 2018 and quickly earned his blue belt. Today, he holds a black belt in BJJ.
His favorite techniques are the Body Lock Pass and Blitz Pass. Nick earned the nickname “Black Belt Slayer” because he defeated several high-level black belts early in his career, including Orlando Sanchez, Cyborg Abreu, and Mahamed Aly.
Winning Matches:
- Won silver at the ADCC World Championships in 2019 and 2022.
- ADCC US West Coast Trials champion (2019).
- EBI 20: The Absolute Champion (2022).
- 3rd place Kasai 7 HW Grand Prix (2020).
- 3rd place Third Coast Grappling 6 Grand Prix (2021).
- 3rd place KASAI Pro 7 (+99 kg) (2020).
- IBJJF World Championships No-Gi champion (2018, blue belt).
- High Rollerz Open: Pittsburgh (blue belt Absolute).
11. Ricardo Arona
Full Name | Ricardo Arona |
Nickname/Other Name | The Brazilian Tiger |
Date of Birth | 17 July 1978 |
Place of Birth | Niteroi, Brazil |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) |
BJJ Rank | 4th degree black belt under Ricardo Libório |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 14-5-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 13-0-0 |
MMA Active Years in Fight | 2000–2009 |
Academy | No, academy or official affiliation |
Average Searches on Google | 9,900 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 100K+ Check exact on Insta |
Ricardo Arona is another top BJJ practitioner and professional MMA and submission grappling artist. He not only participates in BJJ competitions but also in various other events. In his childhood, he started training in Judo and Karate, and when he was 18, he began practicing BJJ with Carlson Gracie.
Arona was a member of the Brazilian Top Team (BTT), a well-known academy of BJJ and MMA specialists.
He won many fighting competitions in both MMA and submission grappling against famous fighters such as Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Mark Kerr, Kazushi Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva, Dean Lister, and others.
He is the only practitioner in ADCC who won all his matches without losing any, with 4 ADCC titles and a record of 13-0.
Arona also competed in Japanese MMA promotions, Fighting Network RINGS and PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he won several matches.
Winning Matches:
- World Champion
- Olympic Medalist
- 4-time World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Silver Medalist in Judo at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- 2nd Place at the IBJJF World Championship in 2000
- 2-time CBJJ World Champion (1998 as a purple belt and 1999 as a brown belt)
- 2-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Champion (2000 and 2001)
- RINGS Middleweight Champion in 2001
- ADCC Superfight Champion in 2003
- PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Runner-Up in 2005
12. Saulo Ribeiro
Full Name | Saulo Mendonça Ribeiro Filho |
Date of Birth | July 2, 1974 |
Place of Birth | Manaus, Brazil |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
BJJ Rank | 6th degree black belt |
MMA Records (W-L-D) | 2-1-0 |
Grappling Records (W-L-D) | 92-14-0 |
Average Searches on Google | 1,300 per month of last year |
Instagram Followers | 2k+ on Public Insta & 105K+ on Private Insta |
Saulo Ribeiro is another BJJ champion. At the age of 15, he started training in judo. After achieving a black belt in judo, he began training in BJJ under Royler Gracie in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ribeiro also wrote a book titled Jiu-Jitsu University in 2008. He also taught with his brother Xande at the University of Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego, California, which closed in 2020. Through the Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Association, he had over 2,000 students.
Lineage: Kanō Jigorō → Tomita Tsunejirō → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Helio Gracie → Royler Gracie → Saulo Ribeiro
Winning Matches:
- Saulo won his 1st MMA fight.
- Winner of 5 times World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
- Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship (multiple years)
- ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship (2003, 2005)
FAQs
Q: Who is the Richest BJJ fighter?
A: The richest BJJ fighters include Rener Gracie, Tom DeBlass, Gordon Ryan, Gui Mendes, and Mikey Musumeci. These athletes are often mentioned among the top earners in the sport. Source: @MMABJJChamps
Some research also shows that Renzo Gracie is the richest BJJ fighter. While there isn’t an official ranking, wealth can be influenced by factors beyond tournament winnings, such as business ventures, coaching fees, and sponsorship deals.
Q: Who are the Famous BJJ fighters?
A: Charles Oliveira is one of the most famous BJJ fighters, with almost 8 million followers on Instagram and many people searching for him online. The second most popular BJJ fighter is Gordon Ryan, who has over 1 million followers on Instagram and is also widely searched online.
Q: Which Country is Best at BJJ?
A: Brazil is considered the best country for BJJ because it was created there and popularized by the Gracie family. The second-best country is the US, as members of the Gracie family moved there and opened academies, helping to spread the sport. You can check the history of BJJ to see how it all started.
Q: Which Celebrities Practice BJJ?
A: Many celebrities practice BJJ, including Joe Rogan, Ed O’Neill, Demi Lovato, Guy Ritchie, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Hardy, Keanu Reeves, Maynard James Keenan, Margot Robbie, Nicholas Cage, Jim Carrey, Jason Statham, Scarlett Johansson, Mel Gibson, Henry Cavill, Kelly Slater, Wesley Snipes and much more.
You may also like the Gracie Family Tree article, where we explain the four generations of the Gracie family.
Also check the Most Important 10 Benefits of BJJ:
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