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Daniel Moraes

Daniel Moraes beat his idol Márcio Feitosa for the 2003 lightweight world title, won it again in 2004, and later trained UFC fighter Alan Belcher.

Biography

Daniel Moraes is a jiu-jitsu black belt from Rio de Janeiro who won the black belt lightweight division at the IBJJF World Championship for Gracie Humaitá in 2003 and 2004, the first time by beating Márcio Feitosa, a fighter he called his idol. He later competed under Relson Gracie's name, winning the 2008 IBJJF World No-Gi title, led the Relson Gracie academy in Jacksonville, Florida, and trained MMA fighters, among them UFC middleweight Alan Belcher. Ilha do Governador and Gracie Humaitá Moraes was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1981 and grew up on Ilha do Governador, between Freguesia and the Iate Clube Jardim Guanabara. He began training at the club as a small child, taking up judo and jiu-jitsu with the encouragement of his parents and of his uncle and godfather, José Moraes, the club's commodore. Moraes is not the surname he was born with. BJJ Heroes gives his full name as Daniel Correia, and he told Ilha Notícias in 2016 that he took the name Moraes to honor his uncle as one of the people who started him in jiu-jitsu. Several of his IBJJF results are listed under his birth surname, spelled Correa or Correia. According to his own academy website, his teachers in Brazil were Royler Gracie and Marcelo Clemente, and IBJJF listed him for Gracie Humaitá. The World Championship results follow him up the belts. As a teenager he won the juvenile blue belt middleweight division in 1998. In 1999, by then a purple belt, he took bronze at featherweight, and in 2000 he won the purple belt lightweight division. In 2001 he was second at brown belt lightweight, behind Alex Oliveira of Nova União. Royler Gracie and Marcelo Clemente promoted him to black belt together in 2002. Black belt world champion At the 2003 World Championship Moraes won the black belt lightweight division for Gracie Humaitá. BJJ Heroes' fight record shows three wins on the way to a final against Márcio Feitosa of Gracie Barra, which Moraes took on advantages. Looking back in 2016, he named that final as the moment he remembers most from his time on the mats. He recalled having watched Feitosa beat his teacher Royler Gracie in 1996; seven years later he faced Feitosa himself and won after a hard fight. "I beat an idol," he said. Also in 2003, BJJ Heroes records him beating Fernando "Terere" on points in the quarterfinal and Marcelo Garcia on a penalty in the semifinal of the ADCC trials at 77 kg. He won the lightweight world title again in 2004, still listed for Gracie Humaitá, and that year also won the black belt lightweight division at the Pan Championship, where IBJJF entered him under "Relson Gracie / Caique". At the 2006 World Championship, now at middleweight and listed as Daniel Morais, he took bronze. The division went to Marcelo Garcia, whose recorded match list shows a win over Moraes by disqualification for stalling. Under Relson Gracie's name By his own account, Moraes moved to the United States with Relson Gracie in 2001 and taught jiu-jitsu there to the US Army and to SWAT police units. At the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, where he was listed for Relson Gracie, he was second at middleweight in 2007, behind Pablo Popovitch. In 2008 he won the division; according to BJJ Heroes, his final against Lucas Lepri of Alliance ended 0-0 and was decided on advantages. In 2010, at medium-heavy, he was again second to Popovitch. His website also listed a silver medal at the 2007 ADCC Brazil trials, where he lost the final to André Galvão on points. Between 2006 and 2008 he also fought under mixed martial arts rules, according to his website. Matt Brown's professional record includes one of those bouts: a loss to Moraes by first-round armbar at Gracie FC: Evolution in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 May 2007. In December 2010 Graciemag described Moraes as a Gracie Humaitá black belt known for his takedowns and reported that Division I wrestler Darrell Gholar had coached him. That month he taught a seminar at Roberto Traven's academy in the United States. A January 2011 profile in BJJ Legends called him a guard passer with strong wrestling and takedowns, and said he counted Royler Gracie, Relson Gracie, Marcelo Clemente and Gholar as the instructors who shaped him as a fighter and as a teacher. The same profile introduced him as a third-degree black belt under Royler Gracie and the leader of Relson Gracie Jacksonville, where his brown belt Ryan Brinkman managed the academy. Coaching MMA fighters His website at the time named Urijah Faber and Alan Belcher among the MMA fighters he was helping with their jiu-jitsu. In March 2012 his brother Diego told Ilha Notícias that Daniel was in the United States training MMA fighters. Back on Ilha do Governador, the two brothers ran the Team Moraes training center, where Daniel was listed as an MMA instructor. That year Graciemag identified Moraes as Belcher's trainer for the UFC middleweight's fight with Rousimar "Toquinho" at UFC on Fox 3. Moraes told the magazine that they spent close to three months studying the holds Toquinho relied on and drilling defenses against them, with help from Dean Lister and Davi Ramos, and that the plan had been to keep the fight on the feet. He was still in Belcher's corner in February 2014, when he and Diego, as the leaders of Team Moraes, accompanied their student at Copa Pódio. There Leandro Lo recognized him as the 2003 lightweight world champion. Lo said Moraes would surely pass his guard; Moraes answered that he would have to pin Lo down a great deal to get past it, if he could pass at all. Back in the gi Later in 2014 Graciemag reported that Moraes, after four years without competing and a spell in MMA, would return in the gi at the first Ilha Sport Show on Ilha do Governador on 1 November, against the much heavier Jonathan Valle. BJJ Heroes lists a 9-0 win on points. Copa Pódio then scheduled him against Gregor Gracie for 9 May 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, and BJJ Heroes records that he lost that match on points. In April 2016 Graciemag announced him for an Abu Dhabi Legends match against Vitor Shaolin on the last day of the Abu Dhabi World Pro, in place of Fredson Paixão. In August 2016 his Team Moraes academy was in Moneró, on Ilha do Governador, but he told Ilha Notícias that his bags were packed for Abu Dhabi, where he was to teach jiu-jitsu to the army, the police and the schools of the United Arab Emirates.

Sources for this profile

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • Daniel Moraes, listed for Gracie Humaitá, won the adult male black belt lightweight division at the 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship; Marcio Feitosa (Gracie Barra) was second, with Marcos Pacheco and Bruno De Paula third.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT, place 1 of that block

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • Daniel Moraes, listed for Gracie Humaitá, won the adult male black belt lightweight division at the 2004 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship; Rodrigo Magalhaes (Gracie Barra) was second, with Alexandre Conciero and Bruno de Paula third.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT, place 1 of that block

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • Daniel Moraes won the adult male black belt lightweight division at the 2004 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, listed with the academy 'Relson Gracie / Caique'; Carlos Vieira (Cia Paulista) was second.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT, place 1 of that block

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1998 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 1998 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the juvenile male blue belt middleweight division was won by Daniel Correa of Gracie Humaitá, the birth surname under which Daniel Moraes is listed in several IBJJF results.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading JUVENILE / BLUE / MALE / MIDDLE, place 1: DANIEL CORREA

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2000 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2000 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Daniel Correa of Gracie Humaitá (Daniel Moraes) won the adult male purple belt lightweight division.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / PURPLE / MALE / LIGHT, place 1: Daniel Correa, Gracie Humaitá

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2001 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2001 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Daniel Correa of Gracie Humaitá (Daniel Moraes) was second in the adult male brown belt lightweight division, behind Alex Oliveira of Nova Uniao.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BROWN / MALE / LIGHT, place 2: Daniel Correa

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1999 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 1999 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Daniel Moraes of Gracie Humaitá placed third in the adult male purple belt featherweight division.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / PURPLE / MALE / FEATHER, second place-3 entry

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2006 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Daniel Moraes, listed as Daniel Morais of Gracie Humaitá, placed third in the adult male black belt middleweight division, won by Marcelo Garcia.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MIDDLE, second place-3 entry: Daniel Morais

      Accessed:

  • Wikipedia, 'Marcelo Garcia (grappler)', grappling record table(opens in a new tab)

    • Marcelo Garcia's recorded match list shows him beating Daniel Moraes by disqualification for stalling in the -82 kg division of the 2006 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

      Where in the source: Grappling record table, 2006 World Championship rows at -82 kg, opponent Daniel Moraes, method disqualification (stalling)

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2007 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2007 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, Daniel Correia of Relson Gracie (Daniel Moraes) was second in the adult male black belt middleweight division, behind Pablo Popovitch.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MIDDLE, place 2: Daniel Correia, Relson Gracie

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2008 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • Daniel Moraes, listed for Relson Gracie, won the adult male black belt middleweight division at the 2008 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship; Lucas Lepri (Alliance) was second.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MIDDLE, place 1: Daniel Moraes, Relson Gracie

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2010 — results(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2010 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, Daniel Moraes of Relson Gracie was second in the adult male black belt medium-heavy division, behind Pablo Popovitch.

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, heading ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MEDIUM HEAVY, place 2: Daniel Moraes, Relson Gracie

      Accessed:

  • Daniel Moraes BJJ (danielmoraesbjj.com), 'Instructors', archived by the Internet Archive on 4 August 2011(opens in a new tab)

    • Daniel Moraes's own academy website stated that he was born on 18 August 1981 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

      Where in the source: Instructors page, first paragraph under his name — Born on the 18th of August 1981

      Accessed:

    • Conflicting accounts

      According to his own website, he began training at the age of five at the Iate Clube Jardim Guanabara.

      Where in the source: Instructors page, first paragraph — names the Iate Clube Jardim Guanabara

      Accessed:

    • His own website stated that Royler Gracie and Marcelo Clemente were his teachers for his whole jiu-jitsu career in Brazil and that the two of them awarded him his black belt in 2002.

      Where in the source: Instructors page, first paragraph — black belt by the pair in 2002

      Accessed:

    • His own website stated that he fought under mixed martial arts rules between 2006 and 2008, including a submission victory over Matt Brown, whom it described as a UFC veteran, and that he was providing jiu-jitsu training to MMA fighters including Urijah Faber and Alan Belcher.

      Where in the source: Instructors page, MMA paragraph naming Matt Brown, Urijah Faber and Alan Belcher

      Accessed:

  • Wikipedia, 'Matt Brown (fighter)', mixed martial arts record(opens in a new tab)

    • Matt Brown's professional MMA record lists a loss to Daniel Moraes by first-round armbar submission (2:32) at Gracie FC: Evolution in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 May 2007.

      Where in the source: Mixed martial arts record table, row: Loss, Daniel Moraes, Submission (armbar), Gracie FC: Evolution

      Accessed:

  • Daniel Moraes BJJ (danielmoraesbjj.com), 'Biography', archived by the Internet Archive on 22 March 2010(opens in a new tab)

    • Conflicting accounts

      His own website's competition list gave him gold at the 2003 ADCC Brazil trials, noting that he defeated Marcelo Garcia and Fernando 'Terere' there.

      Where in the source: Biography page, competition highlights, 2003 entries — Defeated Marcelo Garcia and Terrere

      Accessed:

    • His own website listed a silver medal at the 2007 ADCC Brazil trials, with the final lost to Andre Galvao on points.

      Where in the source: Biography page, competition highlights, 2007 ADCC Brazil Trials entry

      Accessed:

    • His own website billed him as a five-time world champion.

      Where in the source: Page header under the site name — Five Time World Champion

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Daniel Moraes' fighter page(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history for Daniel Moraes records 2003 ADCC Trials wins over Fernando Terere (2-0 on points, quarter-final) and Marcelo Garcia (on a penalty, semi-final) at 77 kg.

      Where in the source: Daniel Moraes fight history table, 2003 ADCC Trials rows against Fernando Terere and Marcelo Garcia

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes gives his full name as Daniel Correia and says 'Moraes' is not his actual surname but a name taken from his uncle Jose Moraes.

      Where in the source: Profile summary list, Full Name: Daniel Correia, and the nickname entry below it

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history records a points win (9-0) over Jonathan Valle at the 2014 Ilha event and a points loss to Gregor Gracie at Copa Podio in 2015.

      Where in the source: Daniel Moraes fight history table, rows for Jonathan Valle (2014) and Gregor Gracie (2015)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history records that Moraes won the 2008 No-Gi Worlds final against Lucas Lepri 0-0 on advantages.

      Where in the source: Daniel Moraes fight history table, NoGi Worlds 2008 final row against Lucas Lepri

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history records that Moraes beat Marcio Feitosa on advantages in the 2003 World Championship final at 76 kg, after wins over Pete deBeen, Frederico Ribeiro and Bruno de Paula.

      Where in the source: Daniel Moraes fight history table, World Champ. 2003 rows at 76KG

      Accessed:

  • Ilha Notícias, 'Daniel Moraes é um super campeão', Gente da Ilha, edition 1792, 4 August 2016(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2016 interview, Moraes named his first world title as the moment he remembers most: he beat his idol Marcio Feitosa, whom he had watched defeat Royler Gracie, one of his teachers, in 1996, and seven years later faced him and won after a hard fight.

      Where in the source: Interview section, quote on his most memorable moment — Derrotei um ídolo

      Accessed:

    • Raised between Freguesia and the Iate Clube Jardim Guanabara on Ilha do Governador, he started judo and jiu-jitsu at four, encouraged by his parents and by his uncle and godfather Jose Moraes, commodore of the club; he told Ilha Noticias he took the surname Moraes to honor him as one of the people who started him in jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Article body, second and third sentences — Coloquei o sobrenome Moraes

      Accessed:

    • According to the 2016 interview, he went to live in the United States in 2001 with master Relson Gracie, and during that period taught jiu-jitsu to the US Army and to SWAT police units.

      Where in the source: Article body, sentence on the move — foi morar nos Estados Unidos em 2001

      Accessed:

    • In August 2016 he told Ilha Noticias his bags were packed for Abu Dhabi, where he was to teach jiu-jitsu to the army, police and schools of the United Arab Emirates; his Team Moraes academy was then in Monero on Ilha do Governador.

      Where in the source: Article body, closing part — embarco para Abu Dhabi; academy named Academia Team Moraes

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Copa Pódio confirma Gregor Gracie x Daniel Moraes e transmissão de graça', 28 March 2015(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported in March 2015 that Copa Podio had scheduled a no-gi middleweight title match between Gregor Gracie and Daniel Moraes for 9 May 2015 in Rio de Janeiro.

      Where in the source: Sixth paragraph, the two no-gi title matches for 9 May

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Legends, Adam T Glass, 'The New Old School: Daniel Moraes', 28 January 2011(opens in a new tab)

    • In January 2011, BJJ Legends described him as a third-degree black belt under Royler Gracie and the leader of Relson Gracie Jacksonville, whose academy in Jacksonville, Florida, was managed by his brown belt Ryan Brinkman.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraphs and the paragraph on his Jacksonville academy — leader of Relson Gracie Jacksonville

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Legends reported that Moraes named four instructors, Royler Gracie, Relson Gracie, Marcelo Clemente and Darrel Gholar, as key to his growth as both competitor and teacher, and called him a guard passer with strong wrestling and takedowns.

      Where in the source: Paragraph on his instructors, list beginning with Royler Gracie

      Accessed:

  • Ilha Notícias, 'Centro Team Moraes atrai lutadores', edition 1563, 16 March 2012(opens in a new tab)

    • In March 2012 Ilha Noticias reported that the brothers Diego and Daniel Moraes ran the Team Moraes training center on Ilha do Governador, with Daniel listed as an MMA instructor; Diego said Daniel was then in the United States training MMA fighters.

      Where in the source: Article body, list of instructors and Diego's quote about his brother in the US

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Daniel Moraes ensina a aplicar a baiana com segurança', 13 December 2010(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported in December 2010 that Moraes, a Gracie Humaitá black belt known for his takedowns, had been coached by Division I wrestler Darrell Gholar, and that he taught a seminar at Roberto Traven's academy in the United States on 3 December 2010.

      Where in the source: Second and third paragraphs — wrestler divisão 1 Darrell Gholar

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Daniel Moraes's breakdown of Alan Belcher neutralizing Toquinho's Jiu-Jitsu', 11 May 2012(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag identified Moraes as UFC middleweight Alan Belcher's trainer for his fight with Rousimar Toquinho at UFC on Fox 3 in 2012. Moraes said they spent nearly three months studying Toquinho's holds and drilling defenses, with help from Dean Lister and Davi Ramos, and that the plan had been to keep the fight standing.

      Where in the source: Interview answers one to three — nearly three months of prep work

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Campeões mundiais peso leve, Daniel Moraes e Leandro Lo trocam elogios', 6 February 2014(opens in a new tab)

    • At Copa Podio on 1 February 2014, where Daniel and Diego Moraes, leaders of Team Moraes, were accompanying their student Alan Belcher, Leandro Lo recognized Moraes as the 2003 lightweight world champion; Lo said Moraes would surely pass his guard, and Moraes replied that he would have to hold Lo down a great deal to pass, if he could at all.

      Where in the source: Article body, backstage exchange — Você é o Daniel, campeão em 2003?

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Bicampeão mundial de Jiu-Jitsu, Daniel Moraes volta aos tatames no sábado', 28 October 2014(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported in October 2014 that Moraes, after four years without competing and a spell in MMA, would return in the gi for a match against Jonathan Valle, a much heavier opponent, at the first Ilha Sport Show on Ilha do Governador on 1 November 2014.

      Where in the source: Article body, first to fourth paragraphs — Estou sem competir há quatro anos

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Pé de Pano x Comprido, Robinho x Soca e Shaolin x Daniel Moraes em Abu Dhabi', 5 April 2016(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported in April 2016 that Moraes was booked to face Vitor Shaolin in an Abu Dhabi Legends match on 23 April 2016, the final day of the Abu Dhabi World Pro, replacing Fredson Paixao.

      Where in the source: Second and third paragraphs — Vitor Shaolin contra Daniel Moraes

      Accessed:

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
YearEventResultDivision
2004IBJJF World ChampionshipSource: ibjjf.com-76 kgGiVerified1st place-76 kgGiVerified
2003IBJJF World ChampionshipSource: ibjjf.com-76 kgGiVerified1st place-76 kgGiVerified

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