AJ Sousa

Arthur Sousa III, commonly known as AJ Sousa, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Pablo Popovitch and head coach at the AJSBJJ academy. Sousa became known to jiu jitsu’s mainstream audience after participating in Lloyd Irvin‘s Kumite, a web series/tournament designed to find who the best brown belt in the sport was, back in 2013. Since then AJ Sousa has cemented his status as one of the top grappling competitors in the world, with wins at the Miami, Las Vegas, and Boca Raton IBJJF Opens, as well as a fantastic performance at the 2015 edition of the Abu Dhabi World Pro.

AJ Sousa Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Arthur Dominick Sousa III

Nickname: Following the Sousa tradition, AJ bears his father and grandfather’s name, much to his mother’s dismay, who decided to call him AJ due to her dislike for the name Arthur.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Crolin Gracie > Jorge Popovitch > Pablo Popovitch > AJ Sousa

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Dallas Open (2015)
• 1st Place IBJJF Miami Open (2015)
• 1st Place IBJJF Las Vegas Spring Open (2015)
• 1st Place IBJJF Boca Raton Open (2013 brown)
• 1st Place UAEJJF US Pro Nationals (2015**)
• 1st Place BJJ Library Challenge (2015)
• 4th Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2015)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2013 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Boca Raton Open (2013 brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Omoplata

Weight Division: Peso leve (76kg/168lbs), médio (82kg/181lbs)

Team/Association: AJ Sousa BJJ/GF Team

AJ Sousa Biography

AJ Sousa was born on July 30th, 1992 in the state of Florida – USA.

Martial arts entered AJ’s life through taekwondo when he was a child, an activity he dropped early on. He re-established his connection with combat sports (BJJ) when he was 16 years old.

Throughout school, AJ played (American) football, but being 5′ 7″ and 140 pounds by the end of his junior year, he realized he would struggle if he chose to pursue a career in the sport. For this reason, Sousa quit football before the end of the year.

Shortly after AJ quit the football team, a good friend, who was a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, convinced Sousa to visit Pablo Popovitch‘s BJJ Centre. Sousa enjoyed the experience and signed on to the team.

At the BJJ Centre, AJ was primarily taught by Vagner “Ceará” Rocha, who awarded Sousa his blue and purple belts. After the purple belt, the instruction was taken over by Popovitch.

Pablo awarded AJ his brown belt (early 2013), and one week later Sousa was called in by Lloyd Irvin to participate in the BJJ Kumite. The Kumite was a tournament developed with the intent of discovering the best brown belt in the sport at the time. The event was filmed and displayed in a series of YouTube episodes, earning many of the participants a well-deserved fan base.

AJ earned his black belt from Pablo Popovitch on the 21st of June, 2014. Sousa also earned the title of head coach of the BJJ Center when his instructor decided to relocate to Abu Dhabi. With time, and once established that Popovitch would not return to the US, the BJJ Center was taken over and re-branded as AJ Sousa BJJ.

AJ Sousa vs Michael Liera Jr.

AJ Sousa vs unknown