BJJ Fighter Database

Hunter Ewald is a Hawaiian grappler of Brazilian descent who is widely regarded as one of the top jiu jitsu competitors of his generation. Having earned the rank of black belt from his father Bruno Xavier Ewald, Hunter earned his reputation as a top athlete in this sport while competing for Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu’s Fight Sports Academy in the lower belt divisions of the IBJJF circuit. There Ewald conquered important medals, including at the World (gi + no-gi) and Pan American (gi + no-gi) Championships.

Mauricio Pereira, commonly known as “Russo” is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Laerte Barcelos, and a former freestyle wrestling standout in his native state of Rio de Janeiro. A strong competitor in the Rio grappling circuit during the 1990’s, Russo is also known for his work as a jiu jitsu referee for both the IBJJF and the UAEJJF – the two biggest federations in this sport.

Darragh O’Conaill is an Irish born Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, being also one of the top middleweights in the European grappling circuit. One of the original competitors in the famous ‘Lloyd Irvin BJJ Kumite’ tournament (2013), O’Conaill is also an EBI veteran as well as an American and European No-Gi champion, additionally to him running the East Coast Jiu Jitsu Academy, one of the most successful jiu jitsu gyms in Dublin – Ireland.

Paulo Caruso is a judo black belt and a former student of Osvaldo Alves in Brazilian jiu jitsu, from whom he earned the rank of coral belt. Widely regarded as one of the top athletes in the sport during the 1980’s, Caruso is also known for his work as a coach, developing the ground games of Olympic judo athletes such as Flávio Canto (who earned his jiu jitsu black belt under Master Paulo) and Rafaela Silva.

André Ushirobira is an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Robson Moura, with wins in important tournaments such as the Master World Championship, Brazilian National Championship (Gi & No-Gi) and South American Championship. André is also the founder of the Ushirobira Jiu Jitsu academy from where he developed talented athletes such as Fellipe Trovo and Felipe Guria Brava.

Jan Buatim is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Leandro Lo, who’s also trained extensively with Pedro Mello. One of the rising stars of the ‘New School Brotherhood’ academy, Buatim became a respected competitor while battling in Brazil’s national grappling circuit, conquering medals in important tournaments such as the South Brazilian Championships, Floripa Open and Brazil National Pro.

Enrico Cocco is a jiu jitsu black belt under Marcos and David Avellan, who specialised in the no-gi facet of the sport, particularly in the American competitive circuit. Cocco was regarded as a grappling prodigy as a teenager, a reputation earned through his repeated victories in adult divisions of local and national tournaments. Enrico Cocco is also the head instructor and founder of Zen Jiu Jitsu, as well as a role model and active spokesperson for the benefits of plant based diets in our sport.

Manny Diaz is an accomplished jiu jitsu black belt under Caio Terra, who also trained extensively with Sandro “Batata” Santiago. Known as one of the top American grapplers of his generation, Manny Diaz’ first caught the attention of the sport’s mainstream media after a brilliant performance at the Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix of 2013, where he battled and defeated seasoned athletes while being ‘just’ a brown belt.

Diogo Almeida is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Everdan Olegário (Mestre Dan), being a product of the famous social project that developed many renowned grapplers such as Almeida, his brothers (Gustavo and Caio) as well as Sérgio Moraes and Guilherme Augusto to name a few. One of the strongest competitors in São Paulo (SP), Diogo is also the co-founder of Almeida JJ, a grappling association with strong ties and affiliates within the SP state.

Outi Järvilehto is an accomplished grappler from Finland, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Demian Maia. One of the top representatives of the Brasa Clube de Jiu Jitsu academy in Europe, Outi Järvilehto earned her reputation by winning important podium placements in tournaments such as the World, European and Finnish National championships.

Rodrigo Pinheiro is a jiu jitsu black belt under Ulisses Paixão, having also trained extensively with legendary coaches/competitors such as Saulo Ribeiro and Royler Gracie. One of the top athletes of his generation, Pinheiro would make a career also as a grappling coach from his San Antonio – TX academy Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ.

Tiago Pereira is one of the top Brazilian jiu jitsu competitors of his generation, particularly in the Master division, where he earned important titles such as the World Masters and the World No-Gi Championship. Pereira earned his black belt under the illustrious Admilson “Juquinha” Brites, having represented both Gracie Humaitá and the Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu associations throughout his career.

Tiago Bravo is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Muzio de Angelis. Known for his work as a coach in the United Arab Emirates Tiago Bravo is also one of the top featherweight competitors of his generation, having medalled in important tournaments such as the Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship, the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals as well as the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.

Breno Bittencourt is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Alan Moraes, and a representative of the Carlson Gracie lineage in the sport. A member of the AMBJJ association, one of the most fruitful branches of the Carlson Gracie Academy, Breno Bittencourt made a name for himself during his brown belt campaign, by conquering two Brazilian National titles, as well as a South American championship.

Fabricio Medeiros, commonly known as Fabricio “Bicudo” is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Renato Tavares and former member of teams such as Associação Oriente, Carlson Gracie Academy and Checkmat. Bicudo is also an accomplished athlete in other combat sports such as mixed martial arts (MMA) and freestyle wrestling.

Luiz Tosta, also known as Ceará is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Mario Reis and a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, known for his affiliation with the historic London Shootfighters team. Originally from Brazil, Tosta built his combat sports career in England, from where he earned important jiu jitsu titles such as European Open Champion (Gi + No-Gi) and London International Open Champion, while leading a successful MMA career.

Marcus Antelante is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa, and former student of André “Negão” Terêncio, who is known as one of the strongest middleweights of his generation. A representative of the Soul Fighters Academy, Marcus Antelante moved to the US in 2011 where he established himself as a top competitor in the Master division, winning titles such as the Pan American and No-Gi Worlds.

Muslim Patsarigov is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt of Chechen nationality, developed by coach Felipe “Gargamel” Mota from his academy in Sandnes – Norway. Known for his strong freestyle wrestling background, Patsarigov earned his reputation as one of the top super-heavyweights in the world through his performances in tournaments such as Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship, World No-Gi Championship and European Open Championship.

Talita Alencar is a jiu jitsu black belt under Theodoro Canal. An grappler who built her career in the lower belts of the sport, Talita competed extensively for GF Team before changing to the Alliance Academy in 2016, where she joined forces with Rubens Charles “Cobrinha”.

Wagner Mota is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Eduardo Telles and Fernando Tererê, being well known in the grappling circuit as Demian Maia’s coach during the fighter’s tremendous MMA career competing at UFC. Mota is also a historic figure for jiu jitsu in his home country – particularly in the state of São Paulo.