Marcus Phelan

Marcus Phelan is a professional Irish grappler and a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Darragh O’Conaill, representing the East Coast Jiu-Jitsu team in the sport’s international circuit. Phelan became widely recognized as one of Europe’s top lightweights while competing in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) tour, where he conquered numerous important gold medals in events such as the Dublin, Berlin, and London Opens.

Marcus Phelan Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Marcus John Phelan

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Royler Gracie > Saulo Ribeiro > Darragh O’Conaill > Marcus Phelan

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Dublin Open (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF Berlin Open (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF London Fall NoGi Open (2019)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Rome Fall Open (2019)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF European Open NoGi (2017 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF British Nationals (2017 purple)
• 1st Place SBJJF Finnish Open (2018*** brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute
*** Black and brown mixed division.

Favorite Position/Technique: De La Riva Hook Guard

Weight Division: Peso Leve (76,00 kg / 168.0 lbs)

Team/Association: ECJJA

Marcus Phelan Biography

Marcus Phelan was born on May 12, 1992, in Dublin, Ireland, growing up in Ranelagh, a small town located on the outskirts of the country’s capital.

While growing up, Phelan was a big fan of sports, playing football (soccer) and rugby (union rules) from the ages of 7 to 16, while competing in local leagues and cups. During his teens, however, Marcus became a big fan of mixed martial arts (MMA) through his brother, having Demian Maia in common as their favorite athlete. This path would lead him to jiu-jitsu.

The love for grappling came from a common gathering between Marcus’ older brother and a few of his friends, who would have friendly matches at the Phelan house, where they tried to apply a few of the jiu-jitsu moves they observed in the cage fights they followed. During one of these sessions, Marcus joined the group and had a lot of fun, a sentiment that drove Marcus and his brother to book a class at a local BJJ gym.

The Phelans very first jiu-jitsu class was taught by none other than Darragh O’Conaill, one of Ireland’s grappling pioneers at the highest level in the sport and a coach who followed Marcus’ path from white to black belt. A rank he earned on August 9, 2019.

Marcus Phelan VS Jan Basso