Roger Gracie

Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes, September 26, 1981, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is widely considered the greatest competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner in the sport’s history. He is the son of Reila Gracie (daughter of Carlos Gracie, co-founder of BJJ) and Mauricio Gomes (a coral belt who received his black belt from the legendary Rolls Gracie). Roger holds a 5th-degree black belt, promoted by his father in July 2022. COMPETITIVE RECORD Roger’s IBJJF World Championship record is unmatched in the sport. At black belt, he won 10 World Championship gold medals: seven consecutive super-heavyweight titles (2004–2010) and three absolute (open weight) titles (2007, 2009, 2010). In both 2007 and 2010, he achieved the rare feat of winning both his weight division and the absolute at the same World Championship. He was the first competitor to win the open weight division three times. Before receiving his black belt from his uncle Carlos Gracie Jr. in 2003, Roger had already won World Championship gold at blue belt (2000), purple belt (2001), and brown belt in both his weight class and the open class (2002) — a total of 14 IBJJF World Championship gold medals across all belt levels. In submission grappling, Roger won both the weight class (−99 kg) and absolute divisions at the 2005 ADCC World Championship with a 100% submission rate, including defeating Ronaldo ‘Jacaré’ Souza twice. He won the ADCC Superfight Championship in 2007 against Jon Olav Einemo, giving him “triple crown” status in ADCC. He also won the 2006 Pan-American Championship absolute with a submission of Xande Ribeiro in under 30 seconds via triangle choke. He was the first inductee into the ADCC Hall of Fame (November 2021) and was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2014. His overall competitive grappling record stands at approximately 67–7–1. Remarkably, he was never submitted in 20 years of BJJ competition. THE ART OF SIMPLICITY What makes Roger’s dominance extraordinary is not the variety of his techniques but their simplicity. His signature sequence — achieving mount position and finishing with a cross-collar choke — is among the first techniques taught to white belts. His opponents knew exactly what was coming and still could not stop it. This approach elevated ‘fundamentals-first’ philosophy from a pedagogical cliché to a proven competitive strategy at the highest level. THE BUCHECHA RIVALRY Roger’s rivalry with Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is one of the great narratives in BJJ competition. Their 2012 match at the first Metamoris event ended in a 20-minute draw. In his final competitive match at Gracie Pro in July 2017, the 35-year-old Roger came out of retirement to face Buchecha — then considered the active GOAT — and submitted him with a lapel choke at 6:52, providing a definitive final chapter to his legacy. MMA CAREER Roger compiled an 8–2 professional MMA record across Strikeforce, the UFC, and ONE Championship. He became the inaugural ONE FC Light Heavyweight World Champion in May 2016 by submitting Michal Pasternak with an arm-triangle choke in round one. His MMA losses came against Muhammed Lawal (KO, Strikeforce, 2011) and Tim Kennedy (decision, UFC 162, 2013). He retired from MMA in October 2017. ACADEMY AND COACHING Roger established the Roger Gracie Academy in Ladbroke Grove, London, in 2004. Having grown up in London (his father Mauricio settled there), Roger became a bridge between the Gracie lineage and European BJJ. More recently, he has served as a team coach in the Professional Grappling Federation (2024). LEGACY Roger Gracie’s legacy rests on two pillars: an unmatched competitive record and the proof that mastery of fundamental techniques, executed at the highest level, can defeat any system. In a sport that increasingly values complex guard systems, leg locks, and berimbolos, Roger demonstrated that pressure, mount, and collar choke — the oldest tools in BJJ — remain the most effective. Sources: IBJJF official records; ADCC official records; ONE Championship records; UFC official records; Sherdog fight finder; Wikipedia (accessed April 2026). Roger’s exact IBJJF title count varies slightly across sources (10–14 depending on whether colored belt titles are included); the figure of 10 black belt World Championship golds is consistently reported.