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Pablo Popovitch

Pablo Popovitch beat Marcelo Garcia for ADCC gold in 2009 and helped develop Florida training groups and instructors, including Vagner Rocha.

Biography

Pablo Popovitch became an ADCC champion in 2009 by beating the opponent who had stopped him in two previous finals. Marcelo Garcia had won their meetings in 2005 and 2007 and arrived at the third with three successive titles in the under-77kg division. This time, Popovitch moved into side control late in the match, holding Garcia from beside his torso, and scored the lead that brought him the championship. The Brazilian's work in Florida also extended beyond his own matches: he trained with competitors from other academies and helped develop instructors within his family's school. Graciemag's contemporary interviews and reports document much of this period, including his explanations of his training choices and the pressure he felt to keep winning. ## From Rio to Florida Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1979, Popovitch began jiu-jitsu as a young child at the Barra Gracie school, where his instructors included members of the Machado family. His family moved to Florida in 1995. There he continued training with Carlson Gracie and encountered collegiate-style wrestling at high school. The biography prepared for the 2009 ADCC event describes offers to wrestle in college, but says he chose to concentrate on jiu-jitsu. His father, Jorge, opened the BJJ Centre in Fort Lauderdale around the time of the move. Jorge was an early training partner in Florida, as was Carlson on occasion. By 2005, Pablo held a black belt under his father, was part of American Top Team and was running an academy in the state. Popovitch later connected his ambition to win ADCC with the emphasis on no-gi training around Carlson and with Ricardo Arona's first victory at that tournament. No-gi competition dispenses with the traditional training jacket and trousers. In a 2010 interview, he explained that he preferred competing without the gi while still finding practice in it useful for his no-gi skills. A return to gi competition, he said, would require sustained preparation in the uniform and smaller tournaments first. ## A challenger and a training partner Even after the 2005 loss to Garcia, one of Popovitch's training partners thought he could win that matchup. Jeff Monson, speaking after that year's ADCC, regarded him as capable of beating Garcia but emphasized how complete a performance it would take. Monson also named Popovitch among the American Top Team partners who had helped improve his work on the ground. Popovitch earned a No-Gi world title in 2007, the year of his second ADCC final defeat. His favored techniques included the double-leg takedown, which attacks both legs to bring an opponent down, and guard passing: getting beyond the defending opponent's legs to establish control. Both became prominent in the accounts of his later championship matches. The 2009 ADCC victory came during a period of cooperation among Florida competitors. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu credited preparation with Popovitch when discussing his own run to an ADCC final that year. Popovitch also participated in Brotherhood BJJ, a coalition of Florida instructors that sought to share resources and help athletes enter competitions. By November 2010, Abreu was describing another shared project, The Avengers. In his account, he and Popovitch had brought their Florida training groups together after already practicing together full-time. Reporting that month described a room with roughly fifteen black belts, including Rodrigo Cavaca's Armory/CheckMat group, whose members joined them several times a week. The arrangement brought competitors from different schools into regular contact on the mats. ## Winning together That cooperation was visible in the 2010 tournament results. Popovitch took his weight division and the absolute at the No-Gi Pan, closing out the latter with Marcus Almeida. The absolute is the division in which athletes can meet regardless of weight; a team closeout settles the remaining places among teammates by agreement. At the No-Gi Worlds later that year, Popovitch won his divisional final against Daniel Moraes, 6–0. Describing the match afterward, he pointed to his takedowns, passes and control from the back. In the absolute, Popovitch, Almeida and Abreu agreed another team closeout, with Abreu taking the title. Popovitch's own assessment of this successful period included a reservation. He told Graciemag that the wish to preserve his unbeaten record could make him overly cautious in competition. Rather than attempting everything he believed he could do, he sometimes restricted his choices to protect the result. The same year brought public recognition: he entered the Grappling Hall of Fame through a NAGA-sponsored induction in February, and Graciemag readers chose him as their best jiu-jitsu competitor of 2010 in the magazine's year-end poll. ## Developing instructors In September 2010, Popovitch identified Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines as the locations of his schools. Vagner Rocha's progression shows what the Popovitch academy could offer beyond a place to prepare for tournaments. Jorge and Pablo guided Rocha through his belts, including the black belt awarded at the team's end-of-year gathering in December 2007. Rocha began coaching at the academy in 2008. As he moved away from construction work, he learned both how to teach and how to run a gym. He went on to establish his own association in 2011. His years at the school thus included the practical preparation for a working life as an instructor as well as his advancement as a grappler. ## More finals At ADCC in Nottingham in 2011, Popovitch competed in the under-88kg division and the absolute, winning bronze and silver respectively. André Galvão beat him in both campaigns. In the absolute, Popovitch reached the final through a points victory over Victor Estima and a decision against Xande Ribeiro, before Galvão finished their match with a footlock. Popovitch said the lengthy semifinal against Ribeiro had left him exhausted for the final. Galvão's comments after the event offered a view of his opponent away from those matches: having trained with him in Florida, he described Popovitch as a friend and as a teacher appreciated by his students. A further No-Gi world title followed in 2012. In the medium-heavyweight final in Long Beach, Popovitch got past Rômulo Barral's guard and won 3–0, adding that championship to his victories in 2007 and 2010. He was still appearing on international podiums in 2017, when he represented Team Popovitch at the European No-Gi Championship in Rome and finished second in the adult black-belt heavyweight division.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, Pablo Popovitch, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • Pablo Popovitch was born in 1979 in Rio de Janeiro.

      Where in the source: Biographical section, opening sentence; anchor: '1979'.

      Accessed:

    • His father Jorge opened the BJJ Centre in Fort Lauderdale around the period of the family's move to Florida; Pablo's early Florida training partners included his father and, occasionally, Carlson Gracie.

      Where in the source: Last biography paragraph before the fight record; anchor: 'BJJ Centre'.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists Popovitch as a No-Gi world champion in 2007, 2010 and 2012, and identifies the double-leg takedown and guard passing as favoured techniques.

      Where in the source: Title list and technique field; anchors: 'World Nogi Champion', 'Double Leg Takedown'.

      Accessed:

  • ADCC Barcelona event blog, Pablo Popovich, 28 July 2009.(opens in a new tab)

    • Popovitch began jiu-jitsu as a young child in Rio, studying at the Barra Gracie school with Machado-family instructors.

      Where in the source: Narrative after the competition list; anchor: 'Barra Gracie School'.

      Accessed:

    • His family relocated to Florida in 1995, when he was fifteen. He continued training with Carlson Gracie and encountered collegiate-style wrestling at high school.

      Where in the source: Final biographical paragraph; anchor: '1995'.

      Accessed:

    • The event biography reports that Popovitch received college wrestling offers but chose to concentrate on jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Final two sentences of the biography; anchor: 'colleges'.

      Accessed:

  • Keith Mills, ADCC News, Post ADCC Interview with Pablo Popovitch (plus gallery)!, 7 July 2005.(opens in a new tab)

    • By 2005 Popovitch was a black belt under Jorge Popovitch, belonged to American Top Team and ran an academy in Florida.

      Where in the source: Introductory paragraph before the truncated interview; anchor: 'under Jorge Popovitch'.

      Accessed:

  • Keith Mills, ADCC News, Dramatic Popovitch/Garcia -77kg finals steals show at ADCC Worlds, 29 September 2009.(opens in a new tab)

    • Marcelo Garcia defeated Popovitch in the 2005 and 2007 ADCC finals. Garcia entered their 2009 under-77kg final with three consecutive titles in that division.

      Where in the source: Second article paragraph; anchor: 'pastthree'.

      Accessed:

    • Popovitch won the 2009 ADCC under-77kg final against Garcia after securing side control late in the match and taking the lead.

      Where in the source: Match narrative, final scoring sequence; anchor: 'side control'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Popovitch: The gi helps my no-gi game, 2 September 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2010 Popovitch said the emphasis on no-gi training around Carlson Gracie, and Ricardo Arona's first ADCC victory, had helped make winning ADCC his own ambition.

      Where in the source: Answer to the question about preferring no-gi; anchor: 'Arona'.

      Accessed:

    • Although he preferred competing without the gi, Popovitch said training in the gi improved his no-gi game. He described a possible return to gi competition as requiring sustained gi practice and smaller preparatory tournaments.

      Where in the source: End of the answer about no-gi preference; anchor: 'three months'.

      Accessed:

    • Popovitch identified schools in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines as his teaching bases in September 2010.

      Where in the source: Closing invitation to visit his schools; anchor: 'Pembroke Pines'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Undefeated since 2007, Weapon X wants gi win in 2011, 10 November 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2010 Popovitch won his weight division and the absolute at the No-Gi Pan, closing the open division with teammate Marcus Almeida.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph; anchor: 'Pan-American'.

      Accessed:

    • Popovitch said that protecting his unbeaten record sometimes made him compete cautiously instead of attempting everything he felt capable of doing.

      Where in the source: Mid-article discussion of competitive restraint; anchor: 'play it safe'.

      Accessed:

    • At the 2010 No-Gi Worlds, Popovitch beat Daniel Moraes 6–0 in their divisional final. He described using takedowns, passing and back control during the match.

      Where in the source: Paragraph on the final against Moraes; anchor: '6-0'.

      Accessed:

    • In the same tournament's absolute division, Popovitch, Marcus Almeida and Roberto Abreu agreed a team closeout, with Abreu receiving the title.

      Where in the source: Paragraphs on the absolute closeout; anchor: 'Cyborg took the title'.

      Accessed:

    • The Avengers' training group brought together roughly fifteen black belts in 2010, including Rodrigo Cavaca's Armory/CheckMat contingent, which trained with them several times weekly.

      Where in the source: Paragraph introducing the training group; anchor: 'fifteen'.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Legends, interview by Micael Sergi, Interview with Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling Legend: Roberto Cyborg Abreu, 16 November 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • Roberto Abreu credited his preparation with Popovitch when discussing his run to the 2009 ADCC final.

      Where in the source: Question about the 2009 ADCC; anchor: 'with Pablo Popovitch'.

      Accessed:

    • In November 2010 Abreu described The Avengers as a team he and Popovitch had formed by joining their Florida training groups, which were already practising together full-time.

      Where in the source: Answers about future plans and The Avengers; anchor: 'train together full-time'.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, Vagner Rocha, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • Jorge and Pablo Popovitch guided Vagner Rocha through his belts, including his black-belt promotion at the team's December 2007 year-end gathering.

      Where in the source: Biographical paragraph on Rocha's promotions; anchor: 'December 2007'.

      Accessed:

    • In 2008 Rocha began coaching at the Popovitch academy, where he learned teaching and gym management while moving away from construction work. He founded his own association in 2011.

      Where in the source: Following biographical paragraphs on coaching and VRMA; anchors: 'In 2008', '2011'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Popovitch: invencibility lost, but head in right place, 21 October 2011.(opens in a new tab)

    • Popovitch is described as Brazilian in contemporary reporting on his teaching and competition career.

      Where in the source: Opening account after the Victor Estima photo caption; anchor: 'the Brazilian'.

      Accessed:

    • At ADCC 2011 in Nottingham, Popovitch took bronze at under 88kg and silver in the absolute, losing to André Galvão in both campaigns.

      Where in the source: Opening two paragraphs; anchor: 'bronze'.

      Accessed:

    • Popovitch said that his long absolute semifinal against Xande Ribeiro left him exhausted for the final. Galvão, who had trained with him in Florida, described Popovitch as a friend and a teacher valued by his students.

      Where in the source: Interview passages near the article's end; anchors: 'over a half hour', 'great friend'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Meet the black belt No-Gi world champions, 4 November 2012.(opens in a new tab)

    • Popovitch won the medium-heavyweight final at the 2012 No-Gi Worlds in Long Beach, passing Rômulo Barral's guard in a 3–0 victory.

      Where in the source: Division section; anchor: 'MEDIUM HEAVYWEIGHT'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, ADCC 2011: André Galvão wins weight and absolute, Sperry outpoints Renzo, 25 September 2011.(opens in a new tab)

    • In the 2011 ADCC absolute, Popovitch beat Victor Estima on points and Xande Ribeiro by decision before Galvão submitted him with a footlock in the final.

      Where in the source: Absolute bracket narrative following the Galvão photo; anchor: 'won a decision'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, With over one thousand votes, readers elect the best of the year, 15 December 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag readers selected Popovitch as their best jiu-jitsu competitor of 2010 in the publication's year-end poll.

      Where in the source: First named poll category; anchor: 'Best Jiu-Jitsu competitor of 2010'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Popovitch makes Grappling Hall of Fame, 22 February 2010.(opens in a new tab)

    • Popovitch entered the Grappling Hall of Fame through a NAGA-sponsored induction on 13 February 2010.

      Where in the source: Short article's induction paragraph; anchor: 'February 13th'.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Aly e Monique Carvalho faturam peso e absoluto no Europeu Sem Kimono, 3 April 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 European No-Gi Championship in Rome, Popovitch finished second in the adult male black-belt heavyweight division, representing Team Popovitch.

      Where in the source: Complete division beneath the results introduction; anchor: 'BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy'.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Legends, New Florida Based BJJ Team Brotherhood BJJ Wins Big, 5 December 2009.(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2009 Popovitch was among the Florida instructors participating in Brotherhood BJJ, a coalition intended to pool resources and help its athletes compete.

      Where in the source: Opening description and Timoteo's explanation of the coalition; anchor: 'Pablo Popovitch'.

      Accessed:

  • ADCC News, interview by Denis Martins, Interview with ADCC 2005 champion Jeff Snowman Monson, 19 July 2005.(opens in a new tab)

    • After ADCC 2005, Jeff Monson credited training with Popovitch among the American Top Team partners who had improved his ground game. He also regarded Popovitch as capable of beating Garcia, while stressing how complete a performance that would require.

      Where in the source: Monson's answers about Garcia and improved ground work; anchor: 'Pablo Popovitch'.

      Accessed:

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
YearEventResultDivision
2013ADCC 2013Source: adcombat.com-88 kgNo-giVerified4th place-88 kgNo-giVerified
2011ADCC 2011Source: adcombat.comAbsoluteNo-giVerified2nd placeAbsoluteNo-giVerified
2011ADCC 2011Source: adcombat.com-88 kgNo-giVerified3rd place-88 kgNo-giVerified
2009ADCC 2009Source: adcombat.com-77 kgNo-giVerified1st place-77 kgNo-giVerified
2007ADCC 2007Source: adcombat.com-77 kgNo-giVerified2nd place-77 kgNo-giVerified
2005ADCC 2005Source: adcombat.com-77 kgNo-giVerified2nd place-77 kgNo-giVerified

Lineage

View in lineage tree

Students1