Alex Cabanes
Alex Cabanes progressed through Worlds finals at purple and brown belt to a black-belt Madrid title and adult European silver in 2016.
Biography
Sources for this profile
IBJJF, World Championship 2014 official results(opens in a new tab)
At the 2014 Worlds, Cabanes placed second in male adult brown-belt lightweight for Atos, behind Michael Liera Jr.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Brown / Light: complete podium.
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Comunidad BJJ, Ezekiel Zayas interview with Alex Cabanes, June 24, 2013(opens in a new tab)
Cabanes began BJJ at Rafael Haubert’s school in Barcelona around 2008 after a friend persuaded him to try a class. He had intended to take up boxing; his friend soon stopped, while Cabanes kept training.
Where in the source: Answer 1: first class.
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He remembered Haubert Team as a second home and credited teacher and friend Leo Araujo with helping him progress during his first three years. He also trained with Mathias Ribeiro’s team.
Where in the source: Answer 2: early Barcelona teachers.
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By 2013 he was dividing training between Claudio Calasans in Brazil and Carlson Gracie London, where he trained with Dickie Martin. He sought long stays in Brazil for sustained, intensive preparation.
Where in the source: Answer 2: Brazil and England.
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Cabanes valued Calasans as both a technical teacher and a source of confidence and persistence. His account also recognises the support of his family and his London training partners.
Where in the source: Answers 2 and 11: teaching and support.
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His 2013 account describes training as the organising activity of his day, from waking until the final evening session. He connected competitive dedication with enjoying the sport.
Where in the source: Answers 3 and 4: daily commitment.
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He considered confidence the product of preparation, and mental composure something built through experience. He emphasised returning to training after defeats with more knowledge.
Where in the source: Answer 4: competition mindset.
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Before major events he increased intensity rather than simply adding hours, using more sparring and faster technical practice. Away from competition he slowed positional work to study details.
Where in the source: Answer 5: preparation.
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For the 2013 Worlds he prepared with Calasans in Brazil, then spent the final three weeks at the Mendes brothers’ camp.
Where in the source: Answer 5: Worlds training camp.
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He remembered reaching the 2012 purple-belt lightweight Worlds final and arriving tired. In 2013 he reported winning three matches before losing a quarterfinal by an advantage, which he attributed to a costly error.
Where in the source: Answer 6: comparison of two Worlds campaigns.
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Three successive injuries kept him from training between January and April 2013. He described that enforced absence as particularly difficult for an athlete.
Where in the source: Answer 6: injury interruption.
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He described himself as comfortable both playing guard and working from the top. He identified takedowns as a weakness and planned to add wrestling to improve them.
Where in the source: Answer 7: game and intended improvement.
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Cabanes admired Calasans for combining judo, attacking guards and balanced passing, and Tereré for explosive, fast guard passing.
Where in the source: Answer 8: influences.
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In 2013 he saw Brazilian tradition and the number of American tournaments as practical advantages for athletes seeking professional preparation and sponsors. His own long-term aim was to win major events at black belt.
Where in the source: Answers 9 and 10: opportunities and ambitions.
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IBJJF, World Championship 2012 official results(opens in a new tab)
The 2012 Worlds official results place Alex Cabanes Gisbert second in male adult purple-belt lightweight, representing Mathias Ribeiro Team.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Purple / Light: complete four-place podium.
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MEON, Alex Cabanes black-belt promotion in São José dos Campos, June 26, 2014(opens in a new tab)
MEON reported that Cabanes received his BJJ black belt at the Calasans academy in São José dos Campos on June 24, 2014, after his Worlds silver.
Where in the source: Opening promotion report and publication date.
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Coach Calasans Camargo praised Cabanes for crossing the ocean to pursue his sporting ambition and joining the team’s training in Brazil.
Where in the source: Coach statement following promotion paragraph.
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Graciemag, Madrid Open adult black-belt report, November 25, 2014(opens in a new tab)
At the November 2014 Madrid Open, Cabanes won the adult black-belt lightweight final against Oliver Geddes by 6–4.
Where in the source: Lightweight final paragraphs.
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Graciemag described him jumping past Geddes’s guard pull into mount, then retaining the lead through later sweep exchanges. It reported this as his first gi black-belt title.
Where in the source: Same lightweight final report.
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IBJJF, European Championship 2016 official results(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF’s 2016 European results list Cabanes second in male adult black-belt lightweight for Atos, with Michael Liera Jr. first and Edwin Najmi and Sam Gibson third.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Black / Light: complete table.
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BJJ Eastern Europe, Ezekiel Zayas interview, March 1, 2016(opens in a new tab)
In March 2016, Ezekiel Zayas highlighted Cabanes as an example of the younger Spanish black belts reaching the adult elite, citing his European silver and semifinal win over Edwin Najmi.
Where in the source: Answers 3 and 4: next generation and recent Europeans.
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FloGrappling, Hywel Teague study of major finals, April 29, 2022(opens in a new tab)
Hywel Teague’s 2022 study lists Liera against Cabanes at the 2016 Europeans among finals in which teammates actually competed.
Where in the source: No Closeouts section, Atos-versus-Atos list.
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IBJJF, Venice Jesolo International Open 2026 official results(opens in a new tab)
Cabanes remained present in adult black-belt competition in 2026: IBJJF’s Venice Jesolo results list lightweight silver and open-class bronze for Calasans BJJ International.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Black / Light and Open Class complete podiums.
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage