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Erik Wanderley

Gracie Barra heavyweight from Minas Gerais whose 2003 world final, by BJJ Heroes' account, led to the Tozi pass, and who faced Shogun Rua on four days' notice.

Biography

Erik Wanderley is a heavyweight jiu-jitsu black belt from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais who came up through Gracie Barra under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes. IBJJF records him as world champion at purple belt in 1998 and in the black-belt super-heavyweight division in 2003, a final that BJJ Heroes ties to the birth of a well-known guard pass. The same year he made his MMA debut against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on four days' notice. Early years His own website says his parents put him in judo to burn off energy; BJJ Heroes puts the start at age 10. He went on to try boxing, Muay Thai, karate and capoeira. Jiu-jitsu came through his older brother, who already trained: as the two sat watching television, the brother pinned him completely, and the next day took him to sign up at an academy. BJJ Heroes traces his line from Carlos Gracie Jr. through Draculino to Wanderley. In a 2019 interview Draculino counted Wanderley among his first world champions and used him as an example of a student who built a personal game on the full base he was given: in Wanderley's case a very strong half guard and heavy pressure. Through the belts The official IBJJF tables follow him up the ranks, always entered for Gracie Barra. At purple belt he won the heavy division at the 1998 World Championship ahead of Fabio Leopoldo, and was second in the medium-heavy division at the 1999 Pan. At brown belt he was third at the 1999 Worlds, behind Ricardo Arona and his teammate Leopoldo. At the 2000 Pan he won the brown-belt open class with Leopoldo second, while Leopoldo took the heavy division with Wanderley runner-up. At the 2001 Worlds the table lists him second in the heavy division behind another teammate, Cristiano Lazarini, and third in the open class. BJJ Heroes counts a 2001 brown-belt world title for him, explaining it as a closed bracket with a teammate. By 2002 he was competing at black belt, and he reached the world final at medium-heavy, finishing second to Saulo Ribeiro. In 2003 he won the super-heavy division, with Roberto Tozi second and Leopoldo and Pedro Galiza third. At the 2004 Brazilian Nationals he won super-heavy again, once more ahead of Tozi, and was third in the open class. The competition record on his own website adds open-class titles at the Copa Leao Dourado in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007, a 2004 Brazilian Teams title, and heavyweight and open no-gi titles at the first Submission Champions League in 2008. The Tozi pass BJJ Heroes traces the origin of the Tozi pass to the 2003 final. Wanderley held Tozi in his closed guard for most of the match, with an overhook on Tozi's right arm, and won on the referee's decision. Frustrated, Tozi afterwards drilled that exact position and developed from it the guard pass now called the Tozi pass or the São Paulo pass. Into MMA His MMA debut came on 6 September 2003 at IFC Global Domination in the United States, a one-night tournament in which Shogun Rua needed three wins. Graciemag reported that Rua's first opponent was Wanderley, then the reigning world super-heavyweight jiu-jitsu champion. By his own website's account he was a late replacement for Paulo Filho, called with four days to go and no specific preparation, and he spent more than 17 hours without food to make weight. Rua stopped him in the second round, at 2:54 according to Sherdog, and his site says the showing still brought him more invitations to fight. BJJ Heroes writes that after that loss he decided to build a career aimed at MMA, which he saw as better paid than coaching and competing in jiu-jitsu, and that he started entering boxing and Muay Thai events to gain striking experience. His own record lists a 2005 Minas Gerais Muay Thai title, a 2008 state boxing title and wins at the amateur Campo Inconfidencia boxing tournament in 2008 and 2009. His website adds that he tore his biceps in the final of the Minas Gerais state boxing championship, kept going and won. Sherdog lists six professional MMA fights, three won and three lost. After the Rua bout he lost a unanimous decision to Ebenezer Fontes Braga at Heat FC 2 in December 2003, then submitted Rodrigo Gripp de Sousa with an armbar at Storm Samurai 8 in July 2005. In 2010 he fought twice on Brasil Fight cards. Before the March event in Belo Horizonte, Graciemag presented him as a many-time jiu-jitsu champion and local fighter with a big following, in one of the headline bouts of a Belo Horizonte against Rio de Janeiro card; he won by heel hook. In August, at Brasil Fight 2, he stopped Eduardo Camaleao. His last recorded fight was a TKO loss to Carlos Eduardo at IFC in April 2011. Teaching His website says he turned to teaching after his competition titles and named Samuel Braga as an example of a student who took on his technique. The best documented case is Marcelo Gomide, who first tried jiu-jitsu at 18 with Wanderley as his first coach. BJJ Heroes credits Wanderley with bringing back Gomide's appetite for competition and with guiding him from white belt to black belt, a promotion given in June 2019 at the Gracie Barra Mangabeiras academy, where both taught; Graciemag also records that Wanderley promoted him. In 2019 Gomide won the black-belt open class at the IBJJF European No-Gi Open. Graciemag's listing for GB Cobre, a Gracie Barra school in the Cruzeiro district of Belo Horizonte, names Wanderley as a professor and partner there, alongside Gomide and Eder Ruffino.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, "Erik Wanderley" (fighter profile, undated).(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes gives his lineage as Carlos Gracie Jr. to Vinicius Magalhaes to Erik Wanderley, and lists his team/association as Gracie Barra.

      Where in the source: Infobox lines "Lineage:" and "Team/Association:"

      Accessed:

    • Erik Wanderley is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "black belt under Vinicius"

      Accessed:

    • He was born in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, and BJJ Heroes counts him among the best fighters to come out of that state.

      Where in the source: Biography, first sentence; opening paragraph on Minas Gerais

      Accessed:

    • As a very active child he was put into judo by his parents at age 10, and later added karate and Muay Thai.

      Where in the source: Biography, second sentence — "Judo practice"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes writes that after losing his MMA debut he decided to pursue an MMA-oriented career, seeing it as financially more viable than coaching and competing in jiu-jitsu, and began entering boxing and Muay Thai competitions for striking experience, winning the amateur Campo Inconfidencia boxing tournament three times.

      Where in the source: Biography, last paragraph — "money wise"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes counts his 2001 brown-belt world title as a closed bracket with a teammate.

      Where in the source: Main Achievements, first line — "closed bracket with team mate"

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, academy listing "GB Cobre" (undated).(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag's undated academy listing places him as a teacher at the GB Cobre academy in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

      Where in the source: Academy page "GB Cobre", first paragraph and address line

      Accessed:

    • Graciemag's academy listing for GB Cobre, a Gracie Barra school on Rua Cobre in the Cruzeiro district of Belo Horizonte, names Erik Wanderley as a professor and partner alongside Marcelo Gomide and Eder Ruffino, and says Gomide has been a black belt since 2019, promoted by Wanderley.

      Where in the source: Academy page "GB Cobre", subtitle and first two paragraphs — "professores e sócios"

      Accessed:

  • Erik Wanderley official website (erikwanderley.com), home page biography, Internet Archive capture of 23 September 2009.(opens in a new tab)

    • According to his own website, his parents put him in judo to burn off energy; he went on to practise boxing, Muay Thai, karate and capoeira. His first contact with jiu-jitsu came when his older brother, already a practitioner, pinned him completely while they were watching television, and the next day his brother took him to enrol at an academy.

      Where in the source: Home page biography, paragraphs 2-3 — "recebeu um golpe do irmão mais velho"

      Accessed:

    • His own website says that in the final of the Minas Gerais state boxing championship he ruptured his biceps, kept fighting and won the state title.

      Where in the source: Home page biography, boxing paragraph — "rompeu o bíceps"

      Accessed:

    • His own website says he began teaching after his competitive titles, and names Samuel Braga as an example of a student to whom he passed on his technique.

      Where in the source: Home page biography, teaching paragraph — "Um exemplo disso é Samuel Braga"

      Accessed:

    • According to his own website, he was invited to fight in the United States as a last-minute replacement for Paulo Filho, with only four days' notice and no specific preparation, against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua; he spent more than 17 hours without eating to make weight, lost by knockdown in the second round, and received further invitations on the strength of that performance.

      Where in the source: Home page biography, final paragraph — "apenas quatro dias de atencedência"

      Accessed:

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

    • At the 1998 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship he won the adult male purple-belt heavy division for Gracie Barra, ahead of Fabio Leopoldo (Gracie SP).

      Where in the source: Athletes results by category, ADULT / PURPLE / MALE / HEAVY — place 1 "ERICK WANDERLEY"

      Accessed:

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

    • At the 1999 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship he took second place in the adult male purple-belt medium-heavy division for Gracie Barra, behind Fernando Pontes.

      Where in the source: ADULT / PURPLE / MALE / MEDIUM HEAVY — place 2 "Erick Wanderley"

      Accessed:

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

    • At the 1999 World Championship he placed third in the adult male brown-belt heavy division for Gracie Barra; Ricardo Arona won and Gracie Barra teammate Fabio Leopoldo was second.

      Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / HEAVY — place 3 "Erick Wanderley"

      Accessed:

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

    • At the 2000 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship he won the adult male brown-belt open class (listed as "Erick Wanderly") and was second in the brown-belt heavy division; Gracie Barra teammate Fabio Leopoldo was on the other side of both finals.

      Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / OPEN CLASS place 1; ADULT / BROWN / MALE / HEAVY place 2

      Accessed:

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

    • At the 2001 World Championship he was second in the adult male brown-belt heavy division behind Gracie Barra teammate Cristiano Lazarini, and third in the brown-belt open class.

      Where in the source: ADULT / BROWN / MALE / HEAVY place 2; ADULT / BROWN / MALE / OPEN CLASS place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002 results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2002 World Championship, now at black belt, he reached the final of the adult male medium-heavy division and finished second to Saulo Ribeiro (Gracie Humaita).

      Where in the source: ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MEDIUM HEAVY — place 2 "Eric Wanderlei"

      Accessed:

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

    • He won the adult male black-belt super-heavy division at the 2003 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship for Gracie Barra, with Roberto Tozi (Godoi JJ Club) second and Fabio Leopoldo and Pedro Galiza third.

      Where in the source: ADULT / BLACK / MALE / SUPER HEAVY — place 1 "Eric Wanderley"

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "The Tozi Guard Pass" (technique article, undated).(opens in a new tab)

    • According to BJJ Heroes, Wanderley beat Roberto Tozi by referee decision in the 2003 world super-heavyweight final after holding Tozi in his closed guard with an overhook on Tozi's right arm for most of the match; the frustrated Tozi drilled that exact situation afterwards and developed the guard pass now known as the Tozi or São Paulo pass.

      Where in the source: Section "A Brief History of the Tozi Guard Pass in Jiu Jitsu", paragraphs 2-3 — "by a referee decision"

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2004 results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2004 Brazilian National Championship he won the adult male black-belt super-heavy division for Gracie Barra, again ahead of Roberto Tozi, and placed third in the black-belt open class.

      Where in the source: ADULT / BLACK / MALE / SUPER HEAVY place 1 and OPEN CLASS place 3 — "Eric Vanderlei"

      Accessed:

  • Erik Wanderley official website (erikwanderley.com), "Curriculo" page, Internet Archive capture of 23 September 2009.(opens in a new tab)

    • His own website's competition record (2009) lists black-belt open-class titles at the Copa Leao Dourado in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007, a 2004 Brazilian Teams title, no-gi heavy and open titles at the first Submission Champions League in 2008, a 2005 Minas Gerais Muay Thai title, a 2008 Minas Gerais boxing title and Campo Inconfidencia boxing tournament wins in 2008 and 2009.

      Where in the source: Curriculo page, sections "Copas", "Submission (Sem Kimono)", "Muay Thay", "Boxe"

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, "Do baú: um Shogun quase famoso", 20 March 2010 (reprint of GRACIEMAG #81, 2003).(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported that IFC Global Domination in 2003 was a one-night tournament in which Mauricio "Shogun" Rua had to beat three opponents; his first was Erik Wanderley, the 2003 world super-heavyweight jiu-jitsu champion making his MMA debut, whom Rua stopped by technical knockout in the second round.

      Where in the source: Paragraph beginning "Um mês depois da luta" — "A pedreira inicial chamava-se Erik Wanderley"

      Accessed:

  • Sherdog, "Erick Wanderley" fighter profile.(opens in a new tab)

    • Sherdog records his professional MMA career as three wins and three losses: a debut TKO loss to Mauricio Rua at IFC Global Domination on 6 September 2003 (round 2, 2:54); a unanimous-decision loss to Ebenezer Fontes Braga at Heat FC 2 in December 2003; an armbar win over Rodrigo Gripp de Sousa at Storm Samurai 8 in July 2005; a heel-hook win at Brasil Fight in March 2010 and a TKO win over Eduardo Camaleao at Brasil Fight 2 in August 2010; and a TKO loss to Carlos Eduardo at IFC in April 2011.

      Where in the source: Fight history table (six rows), and record header

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, "Brasil Fight chega com força em Belo Horizonte", 11 March 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • Ahead of the Brasil Fight event in Belo Horizonte on 13 March 2010, Graciemag described him as a many-time jiu-jitsu champion and local athlete with a large home following, fighting in one of the main bouts of a Belo Horizonte versus Rio de Janeiro card.

      Where in the source: Paragraph under photo caption — "várias vezes campeão de Jiu-Jitsu e atleta da cidade"

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, "Assista à finalização de Titi no MMA, no sábado", 16 March 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag's results for Brasil Fight on 13 March 2010 record that Wanderley won his bout by submission.

      Where in the source: Results list "Superlutas" — "Erick Wanderley finalizou"

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Eastern Europe (BJJEE), "World Class Coach Vinicius 'Draculino' On The Most Effective Way To Improve in Jiu-Jitsu", 15 August 2019.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2019 interview, Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes named Erik Wanderley as one of his first world champions, describing a very strong half guard and heavy pressure, as an example of students who built their own game on the complete foundation he taught.

      Where in the source: Answer on teaching method, paragraph naming Samuel Braga and Romulo Barral — "one of my first World Champions"

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "Marcelo Gomide" (fighter profile, undated).(opens in a new tab)

    • Marcelo Gomide tried jiu-jitsu at 18 and had Erik Wanderley as his first coach; BJJ Heroes credits Wanderley with rekindling Gomide's drive to compete and following him from white to black belt, promoting him in June 2019 at the Gracie Barra Mangabeiras academy, where both taught. Gomide went on to win the open class at the 2019 IBJJF European No-Gi Open at black belt.

      Where in the source: Biography, paragraphs on first coach and promotion — "reignited in Marcelo the fire"

      Accessed:

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
YearEventResultDivision
2003IBJJF World ChampionshipSource: en.wikipedia.org-100 kgGiVerified1st place-100 kgGiVerified

Lineage

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