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Izaak Michell

Izaak Michell built his jiu-jitsu across Australia and major US rooms, winning ADCC trials at two weight classes and teaching his competition game.

Last updated: 12 September 2026

Biography

Izaak Michell arrived in jiu-jitsu after an unusually broad sporting childhood in Adelaide. He competed in surfing and skateboarding, trained in gymnastics, and played Australian rules football before briefly trying a self-defence and kickboxing gym. At Arruda BJJ, he initially focused on Muay Thai and attended jiu-jitsu intermittently. After about a year he committed to grappling, with Leo Arruda guiding him from white through purple belt. That foundation became a traveling education. Michell later described spending extended periods training in different academies, including Team Lloyd Irvin in Maryland and Renzo Gracie Academy in New York. In mid-2019 he moved to New York to train under John Danaher, formed a close training relationship with Craig Jones, and later followed Jones into B-Team. Jones had promoted him to brown belt by September 2021. That same year, Michell won the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship at brown belt. His results soon extended beyond the colored-belt circuit. Michell won the professional men’s under-98.9-kilogram division at the 2022 ADCC Oceania and Asian Trials, qualifying for the under-99-kilogram World Championship division. He also won the 2022 Who’s Next absolute tournament, where his recorded finishes included an inside heel hook against Jansen Gomes and an armbar against Kyle Chambers. Three years later, he won the first 2025 ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials at under 76.9 kilograms, qualifying for the 2026 World Championship at under 77 kilograms. Michell’s own account of his game emphasizes timing and deliberate shifts of intensity. Before his 2024 ONE title challenge, he described alternating tense physical pressure with looser movement, reacting to the match, and changing patterns to remain difficult to read. ONE’s preview also highlighted his takedowns and back takes. A report published on 5 March 2024 described Michell as having recently completed a two-day visit to Coffs Harbour. He first taught students at Cris Hisa BJJ, then led an open seminar attended by practitioners from five academies. Academy representative Cris Hisa said Michell taught elements drawn from his own competition game.

Sources for this profile

BJJ Heroes, “Izaak Michell” (full structured profile and biography; accessed 12 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
- Izaak Michell was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on 25 August 1998 and spent his childhood there.
  Where in the source: Biography — born
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- Before specializing in grappling, Michell competed in surfing and skateboarding, trained in gymnastics from eight to eleven, and played Australian rules football. At fifteen he briefly tried a self-defence and kickboxing gym.
  Where in the source: Biography — early sports
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- Michell joined Arruda BJJ after an earlier brief experience at a self-defence and kickboxing gym, initially training mainly in Muay Thai and attending jiu-jitsu intermittently. After about a year he committed to jiu-jitsu, and Leo Arruda coached him from white through purple belt.
  Where in the source: Biography — Arruda BJJ
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- In mid-2019 Michell moved to New York City to train under John Danaher. There he developed a close training relationship with Craig Jones and later followed Jones into the newly formed B-Team group.
  Where in the source: Biography — New York
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- BJJ Heroes lists Michell as the 2021 IBJJF World No-Gi champion at brown belt, the 2022 ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials winner, the 2022 Who’s Next absolute tournament winner, and recipient of ADCC’s 2022 Match of the Tournament award.
  Where in the source: Main achievements
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
CountFilms, “Craig Jones Promotes Izaak Michell to BJJ Brown Belt,” YouTube, 14 September 2021.(opens in a new tab)
- A CountFilms video page published on 14 September 2021 is titled “Craig Jones Promotes Izaak Michell to BJJ Brown Belt,” and the uploader description says Jones presented Michell with the brown belt.
  Where in the source: title and uploader description
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
Gold BJJ, “Izaak Michell: Jiu Jitsu Athlete Profile,” 19 August 2024.(opens in a new tab)
- Gold BJJ’s athlete profile summarizes the same broad sequence: Michell began jiu-jitsu under Leo Arruda, later moved to New York to train with John Danaher, worked closely with Craig Jones, and became independent after his B-Team period ended in early 2023.
  Where in the source: Biography
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
Ben Coate, “How Izaak Michell’s ‘Spiritual Journey’ Through The Jiu-Jitsu World Led To A ONE World Title Shot,” ONE Championship, 17 March 2024.(opens in a new tab)
- In a 2024 first-person account, Michell said that from about eighteen he combined jiu-jitsu with extensive travel, training for stretches at different academies. ONE documents stops including Team Lloyd Irvin in Maryland and Renzo Gracie Academy in New York.
  Where in the source: A True Nomad
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- ONE Championship identifies Michell as Australian and as an Adelaide native in its first-person 2024 profile.
  Where in the source: Finding Jiu-Jitsu — Adelaide
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
ADCC, “ADCC Oceania and Asian Trials 2022,” official results, 19 June 2022.(opens in a new tab)
- ADCC’s official results record Michell in first place in the professional men’s under-98.9-kilogram division at the 2022 Oceania and Asian Trials, representing B-Team and Australia, and qualifying for the under-99-kilogram division at the World Championship.
  Where in the source: OFFICIAL RESULTS — -98.9 KG
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
ADCC, “1st ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials 2025,” official results, 7 December 2025.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2025 first ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials, Michell placed first in the professional adult men’s under-76.9-kilogram division and qualified for the 2026 World Championship at under 77 kilograms. The official result lists Australia and Kingsway Jiu Jitsu for that event.
  Where in the source: OFFICIAL RESULTS — -76.9KG
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
Ben Coate, “‘It’s Going To Change My Life’ – Izaak Michell Aims To Seize The Moment,” ONE Championship, 26 March 2024.(opens in a new tab)
- Ahead of his April 2024 ONE title challenge, Michell described timing and deliberate changes of intensity as central strengths: he could alternate between tense physical pressure and looser movement, react to the match, and make his patterns difficult to read. ONE also highlighted big takedowns and back takes.
  Where in the source: style — timing and intensity
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
Digitsu, “Izaak Michell” (full profile and match record; accessed 12 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
- Digitsu’s match record lists Michell finishing Jansen Gomes with an inside heel hook at the 2022 Who’s Next absolute event and Kyle Chambers with an armbar at the 2022 Who’s Next Finale.
  Where in the source: Matchup History — 2022
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
- At the page snapshot accessed on 12 September 2026, Digitsu lists Michell’s team as unaffiliated. Its career section records a post-B-Team period at Kingsway headquarters and wrestling training at Penn State with Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf.
  Where in the source: Team; Advanced Training
  Accessed: 2026-09-12
David Wigley, “Jiu-jitsu world champion inspires students in Coffs Harbour,” News Of The Area, 5 March 2024.(opens in a new tab)
- A report published on 5 March 2024 says Michell had recently taught for two days in Coffs Harbour: a class for Cris Hisa BJJ students followed by an open seminar that drew participants from five academies. Academy representative Cris Hisa said Michell taught elements of his own competitive game.
  Where in the source: Cris Hisa — two days
  Accessed: 2026-09-12

Lineage

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Open lineage