Manuel Diaz, commonly known as "Manny" is an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Caio Terra, who also trained extensively with Sandro "Batata" Santiago. Known as one of the top American grapplers of his generation, Manny Diaz first caught the attention of the sport's mainstream media after a brilliant performance at the Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix (2013), where he battled and defeated seasoned athletes while being 'just' a brown belt.