#3. Whether or not that takes place, the fact remains that Ryan beat the who is who of BJJ in a highly impressive fashion. Do Bronx is the current record holder for most submission wins in UFC history with 15 and counting. Now, she aims to open a BJJ academy and make champions. Contents 1 Best BJJ Fighters from the past 1.1 Royce Gracie 1.2 BJ Penn 1.3. Certainly, one of the very best BJJ fighters weve ever had the pleasure of watching. One of Jiu-Jitsus Athletes Of The Year. A ground game that he has put on full display the last few years. ULTRA HEAVYWEIGHT [PESADSSIMO] + 100kg / 221lbs She transitioned to MMA a few years ago and currently has a 6-3 record with 5 submission wins. Examples: Much of Gabrielis place on the ranking was due to her open-weight medals. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); BJJ World is created to provide Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners with useful information related to their Jiu-Jitsu training. I would still love to see him do some grappling super fights before he retires completely, though. He won the Pan American Championship in 2000 and Mundials in the same year. Moreover, this list is going to change, and sooner rather than later. The old veteran is still showing hes one of the worlds best fighters, but has stated he would be retiring soon. Check out a chapter by chapter review of the DVD right HERE. So, we had to turn to all our criteria once again. Theres a lot more to come from Lepri, given that he is barely 34 years old. At 31 years of age, hes joining the party late in his prime, and he has only a few good years of competing at the highest level ahead of him. TOP 5 RANKED LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHTS there were also plenty of upsets. MMA record: 20-3. Now that we have given homage to the best BJJ fighters from the past, lets move to the present. She was eager to learn and practice BJJ from a very young age. Also winning the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship with an incredibly sick guillotine win over Tim Sylva. The greatest American grappler of all time. Specializing in the disciplines of kickboxing, karate, MMA, and Jiu Jitsu. Your login session has expired. Chances are you've probably checked out Ryan Hall instructional video, so you know how skilled of a grappler he is. Create YOUR own ranking today. Israel Sousa (GF Team) Souza was a fantastic fighter that both MMA and BJJ fans enjoyed watching. Matheus Gabriel (Checkmat) #1 Competitor B 7pts And yet, the most impressive thing is taht this was his fourth super-fight victory in a row. All this in only his second year as a black belt. #5. Great champions are made by putting in endless hours of training and being patient. Marcelo has long since hanged his competition shorts, given taht he was far more attracted to No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu than Gi. Lucas Gualberto (Dream Art) The landscape of Brazilia nJIu-Jitsu at the very top is an ever-changing one. The current Bellator Featherweight Champion, A.J. Hes been nicely transitioning into MMA and could easily get on higher on the best BJJ fighters list in the future. Today, he is a 7th degree coral belt and runs his own school and affiliation. #3. Oh, and she was only 19 at the time. Top BJJ Fighters Today BJJ Heroes , 195.76K 56 PLEASE NOTE: This article belongs to January 2015, for updated results please check out our rankings page. But, Buchecha never relied on his strength for grappling. The 34-year-old McGregor is expected to face Chandler sometime after the season airs. Casual MMA fans may not know much about Aoki since hes fought mainly in Asia, but the diehards know him well. The Prodigy BJ Penn was one of the most dominant fighters ever in his prime. #3. 15 Best Wrestlers In UFC At The Moment (& History) - Way Of Martial Arts Demian Maia. More fondly referred to as Buchecha, a nickname given to him by Rodrigo Cavaca, Almeida owns six IBJJF world championship open weight titles, and holds the record of absolute gold medals at the Mundial, eclipsing Roger Gracie's previous record of three in 2016. Fighter on Fighter: Breaking Down Kara-France And Albazi! McKee is undefeated and during his run to the Bellator championship has shown incredible Jiu Jitsu skills. At 36, Salter will try to make one more run at Bellator gold. Finally, right before we get into the who is who of grappling, lets make it clear that not everyone will agree with our list. Updated 1 hour, 32 mins ago. Glover Teixeira has proved that age is just a number and that he is the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. Some of the best BJJ fighters from the past paved the way for MMA to become the sport it is today. Her medal haul at a plethora of BJJ World Championships is also tremendously impressive. The same goes for Abus Magomedov and Mayra Bueno Silva, both . Here are some of the most legendary BJJ fighters from the past. TOP 5 RANKED MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHTS He never goes out there looking to finish fights on the feet. Demian Maia has long been considered to have the best Jiu Jitsu game in MMA since his UFC debut. Never shy to test herself in the absolute, Nicolini is behind some of the most attractive matches in BJJ history. Are All UFC Fighters (BJJ) Black Belts? - Way Of Martial Arts So far, Ffion has only been a black belt for less than a year, and she is already an ADCC silver medalist. is the perhaps the division's best sprawl-and-brawl fighter, which seems to line up for a fun kickboxing battle. Or so they say. Arguably the best female MMA fighter in the world Valentina Schevchenko is more known for her deadly striking. The current UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas is more known for her striking ability, but does have a solid ground game. Everyone else below can just as easily be in second or in the final spot with just a couple of good or bad performances. Garry jumped into the ADCC a couple of weeks before the event, not having trained specifically for the event. The former UFC 170-pound title challenger, Demian Maia, is one of the best BJJ fighters to ever compete in MMA. We employed quite a few criteria in our search to pinpoint the best for now. The Current Best Pound-for-Pound MMA Fighters - Tapology #2. LIGHT FEATHERWEIGHT [PLUMA] 64kg / 141lbs The finer half of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu is as big a part of the sport as the males are, if not even bigger. . 7 World titles in the Gi. Everyone from Royce Gracie in UFC 1 to the world champions of today. Buchecha, of course, is fighting opponents well below his skill level in ONE Championship. Tony Fergusons best days may be behind him, but for the last decade he was a force in the lightweight division. To be honest, most analyses of this kind usually follow big events at a world level. She progressed to gain a 4th-degree black belt as well as becoming a 9 x world champion. Tonon was one of the best Jiu Jitsu athletes in the world and now is proving to be a top level MMA fighter. McKee is proving that he is one of the worlds best featherweights. Yet another name that we couldnt leave out, despite Dern having her head completely turned by MMA. His hallmark achievement of beating everyone at the Worlds via submission is still something no other grappler has managed to match. Yet, for some people, it seems almost effortless when it comes to dealing with the scariest grapplers alive. Also, he is a multiple-time EBI champion in different weight divisions, which is enough of a testament of his skills on its own. Bibiano Fernandes has been one of the best representatives for Jiu Jitsu in MMA for the last few decades. Career submission wins: 14. Another solid year for Batista of Atos HQ, who conquered the Pan and World Championship this year. Still, she will certainly be back on the mats before we even notice her missing. Instead, his successful MMA career turned him away from grappling for a while there. Cobrinha used to train 2 times a day with Tenere. If there was ever a time for that epic rematch between him and Felipe Pena it has to be now. Men's Core Black Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ Gi. He is at the end of his career, but hes still incredibly dangerous on the ground. Proving that he was the true champion of the division. So, he started to train for BJJ in an academy led by Mauro Pacifico. youre in the right place to make the best choice with our reviews. Galvao is certainly a polarizing figure- people love him or hate him. Dimitrius Souza (Alliance). If theres one thing that can really reshuffle the rankings it is the ADCC, and the 2019 edition certainly did not disappoint! This Marcelo Garcia black belt has strong claims to raise straight at the top of the best BJJ fighters list in the very near future! See our terms of use and privacy notice. founder Helio Gracie. This year we have returned to that same formula for a more complete explanation of the BJJ Heroes ranking method, please read below, otherwise, click on the desired weight class link: The BJJ Heroes method is simple, we gather data from the most respected tournaments on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu calendar and add up all the podium placers to create an unbiased shortlist of the top BJJ competitors. The lion killer, Garry Tonon has been making quite a splash since transitioning to MMA. 15 world titles (two in No-Gi) plus a double ADCC title, as well as a Pans Championship, place BUcvehca firmly in second. A 65% submission rate and one of the most aggressive and attractive styles to watch are just a couple of examples of why everyone loves Marcelo. Showing off his unorthodox striking and elite grappling ability with 8 of his 25 wins being by submission. Such is the landscape of the highest levels of Jiu-Jitsu, that I doubt we can crown one GOAT fro too long. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Everything About The Gentle Art, The Best BJJ DVD and Digital Instructionals in 2021. MEDIUM HEAVY-WEIGHT [MEIO PESADO] 88kg / 194lbs Producing some of the best fighters and coaches out of his academy in New York City. in 1991. She is the ultimate heavyweight female world champion, holding a staggering 4 ADCC titles which is a historical feat. The City Of God phenom did have a rough start of the year, losing the Brazilian Nationals (weight class) to Yara Soares, but managed to overcome that in the following events. Being recognized as a great BJJ athlete is the biggest dream of every BJJ fighter. He is tied with Sakura for the most submissions in Pride history with eleven. Aldo, who is widely regarded as one of the best featherweights of all time, announced his UFC retirement back in September 2022. In his last fight, Mix submitted Irish fighter James Gallagher in front of Gallaghers fans in Dublin, Ireland. He d. didnt need to work extra hard in mastering his skills at BJJ. Seeing his abilities, his coach Fabiano de Souza motivated him to give BJJ a try. Seeing the immense potential in Bea, her coach advised her to train with Mrs. He is focused on his MMA career at the moment, with a flawless pro-MMA record so far. In his young MMA career, Tonon has only had 7 MMA fights and has gone 6-1 overall. Marcelo is also known for his fancy Gi, during any BJJ competition he stands out from competitors because of his Gi. But to defend Marcus Almeida, there arent many in the world that are at his skill level. He bounced back after the loss, but then lost his second match to Chris Curtis. Including beating Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title at 42 years old. At 33, Charles still has a lot more time in the fight game to add to his legacy. Before transitioning to MMA, Garry Tonon was one of the best No-Gi grapplers in the world. Yuri Hendrex (PSLPB) & Livio Ribeiro (Ares JJ) Although Mikey spent the majority of the year focussing on a transition to no-gi, his one appearance in the gi this year, was enough to get him the #1 position of a highly contested weight class. despite one bout remaining on his current contract. ONE Championship recently signed Brazilian legend Andre Galvao, who joins rival Gordon Ryan in the Asian promotion. She got off to a hot start, winning her first seven MMA fights. His grappling skills are the stuff of legends, and if we still had bards, they wouldve already had plenty of songs ready for Maia. Cobrinha to train with him in his academy. The mixed martial arts (MMA) gods provided one of the rarest finishes you will ever see earlier today (Sat., June 3, 2023) at KSW 83 from inside PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland, when former . He has provided one of the utmost defensive concepts in the game. In his childhood, he played. #3. While she certainly has done more than enough to earn a spot among the best BJJ fighters of all time, she is someone we hope to see back on the mats sooner rather than later. Leo Saggioro (BTT) Aokis schtick is predictable. It is also a look at some of the most exciting potential matchups that could happen in the future. Cobrinha is yet another one who could just as easily be in second place on this list. But it has taken a little time for fans to come around on Sterling. Especially in his last bout putting the former champion Patricio Pitbull to sleep with a guillotine choke. Gilbert Burns has proven to be one of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. With a litany of accomplishments in BJJ, one would have to wonder what Almeida would stand to gain from a transition to MMA. During his current 6 fight win streak, 4 of the wins have been by submission. Why? Still, the fact remains that Demian has been submitting the best of the best from all martial arts backgrounds for close to two decades now. Take his last two wins against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje by RNC. Throughout an exceptional grappling career, Dern has reached incredible heights in the sport. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman locked in for UFC 294 on October 21 per source, Ex-UFC star Nate Diaz casts doubt on Jake Paul fight after being denied marijuana exemption, Ex-UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy dropped twice, brutally KOd in latest boxing match, 2022 Panini Prizm UFC BLASTER box (6 pks/bx). Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA have gone hand-in-hand since the very beginning, with the grappling arts emerging as one of the major pillars of the sport we know and love. Moreover, the GOAT doesnt have to be an active competitor, nor a legendary but retired one, for that matter. Collecting titles since the early 2000s she has a total of 9 world titles (two of which No-Gi) as well as a few Pans championships. For those whore looking to start, make sure that youre prepared. Similarly to Roger Gracie, the fact that he has retired works against him in this ranking, Still, I doubt any kind of BJJ GOAT ranking is not going to feature the enigmatic Brazilian. While he has yet to . LowKick MMA has been the heart of the MMA community since 2003 (cc: World Clock). Marcus Buchecha Almeida is only 4-0 in his young mma career, but hes one of the greatest grapplers ever. That makes it easy to deal with just about anyone that stands across from her on the mats. While he had some missteps in the past, opting to rely more on striking, after he dropped down to welterweight . She was a pioneer and is a deserving hall of famer. Many fans questioned the legitimacy of Sterling as the champion since he won by disqualification. He developed and worked on getting in control of the situation. One criterion we had to take into account, obviously, was the number and type of titles grapplers have. Who is the best BJJ practicioner ever in MMA? : r/MMA - Reddit A best BJJ fighters list cannot be complete without the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira. There she is. Lots more to come from Tammy, thats for certain! Throughout the history of MMA, there have been a handful of elite BJJ fighters who have made their mark in the cage. Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC have come a long way since the days of no-holds-bar matches and the days where that skinny guy by the name of Royce Gracie was submitting every opponent he faced. Yuri Simes - 3rd-Degree BJJ Black Belt World Champion, Rodrigo Cavaca - 4th-Degree BJJ Black Belt, 1st place IBJJF World championship (2012-2019), 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-GI (2010-2011), 1st Place ADCC World Championship (2013-2017), 1st Place IBJJF Pro League Grand Prix (2016), 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2012 - 2015), 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2011), 6 times Pan American Champion (2010-2013), 2 times Pan American champion No GI (2010), 1st place ADCC World Championship (2003,2007,2011), World Champion (2004,2006,2009,2010,2011), 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2006-2009), 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2007,2008,2011,2012), 1st Place ADCC World Championship (2007-2009), 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2017), 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2013, 2017), 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2004-2010), Runner Up IBJJF World Championship (2003-2008), 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2014 - 2019), 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2014 - 2016), 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janeiro (2017), Runner Up IBJJF World Championship (2016 - 2017). Andrey was closely followed by TLIs Jamil Hil-Taylor, who only suffered one loss this year. And, after the successive wins at Pan America, Scandinavian Open, So Paulo, and Mundial, Buchemia was awarded the black belt. Just take a look at any Mundials for example. Kaynan Duarte (Atos) You knew that Gabis name was going to come up at a certain point in time. #1. Below we have organized the current best BJJ fighters in the world by their weight classes. None bigger than the highly impressive Victor Hugo. Lets hope that th stars align and we get to see a matchup between Lvoato Jr. and Demian Maia in the future. That being said, they do deserve a mention. However, she only has one loss so far at the black belt level, which is one of the main reasons she is featured here. One of the favorites of the Gracie family and all time great BJJ and MMA competitor is Renzo Gracie. Abu Dhabi, European, and Brazilian Nationals gold medals are also a part of her trophy collection. She is a black belt who holds several ADCC and IBJJF titles. Benson Henderson is also in the twilight of his career, but was one of the best BJJ fighters of his era. Check us out for the latest MMA News, UFC News, Bellator News, Rizin News, Boxing News, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts from around the globe. #3. From legends to brand new stars and even a few up-and-comers, enjoy our selection fo the best BJJ fighters of all times! In fact, he is not just one of the best BJJ fighters out there, but also one of the most active issuers of digital instructionals nowadays. Melissa Cueto(Alliance) = Pans Silver (3) + Worlds Gold (6) = 9 Over time, Roger becomes interested in the sport of MMA. Still, a couple of other world titles, multiple Pan titles, No-Gi Pans and Europeans pretty much cement his legacy as one of the best BJJ fighters ever. Most notably, hes been a force at the Mundial and the prestigious ADCC, in addition to his many accolades at Grapplers Quest. Plus he has one of the nastiest guard games anyone in BJJ has ever seen, particularly with the GI. he had a total of 7, Roger defeated some legends in MMA, such as Ron Waterman, Kevin, Rogers victory in MMA by defeating such legends is proof that he has, Beatriz Mesquita, mostly known by the name Bea Mesquita was born in Brazil. #1. Until such time, well be looking closely at how she bounces back from her first defeat in the UFC. Moreover, were grateful for the chance to have access to them all in a digital format. MMA has also been tricky for Dern, with difficulties making the strawweight limit for some of her fights. Id have to give the second spot to none other than the legendary Buchecha. Garry Tonon is one of the best BJJ fighters in MMA right now (Photo courtesy of ONE Championship) Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA have gone hand-in-hand since the very beginning, with the. Similar to Bianca Basilio, she is still young at only 24 and has a stellar career in front of her. The Best Black Fighters In UFC History - Ranker It has certainly been a while since weve seen her compete, and I doubt we ever wil again. #1. He makes elite level grapplers look like they are Jiu Jitsu white belts. Any best BJJ fighters list must include BJ Penn. Their exploits on the mats have been fantastic to watch, especially for hardcore MMA fans who love to witness the technicality of ground fighting. Regaining the title he lost would be the feather in his cap on a long and illustrious career. Worlds Silver (4) Leandro Lo (NS Brotherhood) & Jaime Canuto (GF Team). The protege of Rener Gracie and currently one of the best featherweights in the world is Brian Ortega. Due to the smaller size of the female divisions, we have opted to do an overall take on the Top 10 female athletes, combining all weight classes, while taking into account solely medal placements and removing 1-on-1 match-ups. The second generation MMA fighter, AJ Mckee has marked his place as one of the top fighters in Bellator MMA. Whats up with that? No one will argue against Demetrious Johnson being on any best of fighter list. At only 23 years of age and a black belt since 2017, Bianca is certainly going to stay on this list for years to come. Then after beating former champ TJ Dillashaw, nobody is doubting Aljamain Sterling anymore. For those who do not know Yatan yet, best read up on the big man from Gois, he has a brilliant future ahead (BJJ Heroes profile here). Now, Leticia is the true OG in the ranks of the best BJJ Fighters among the finer half. TOP 5 RANKED FEATHERWEIGHTS Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida Roger Gracie Paulo Miyao Marcelo Garcia Demian Maia Rafel Lovato Jr. Lucas Lepri Rubens "Cobrinha" Charles Ffion Davies Gabi Garcia Mackenzie Dern Michelle Nicolini Gezary Matuda Luiza Monteiro Dominyka Obelenyte When it comes to the finer half of BJJ, Beatriz Mesquita is one of the toughest competitors to ever grace the mats. In the same year of 2007, he also won the No-Gi World Championship. Victor Hugo (6 Blades) Luan Azevedo (PSLPB) When he started training in jiu-jitsu, he was overweight. The following are the records that make him one of the best BJJ fighters in UFC. Shinya currently has 30 career submission wins and will look to add to that as he continues to fight. His Jiu Jitsu game led him to fight Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator Middleweight Championship just last year. MIDDLEWEIGHT [MDIO] 82kg/181lbs TOP 5 RANKED ULTRA-HEAVYWEIGHTS Ben Askren: Conor McGregor needs to prove he's still an elite fighter That's why we want to give you our list of. He started to train BJJ 3 times a week. back when the crazy inverted guard games and Berimbolos were the order of the day, there was nobody better than Rafa Mendes. But this title could be achieved only by a handful of people in their lifetime.