Three of the Best BJJ Competitors of All Time

The recipient of a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baldwin Wallace College, Thomas Cutura was a four-year letterman on the school’s football team. Passionate about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Thomas Cutura trains on a regular basis and won a bronze medal in the masters division at the 2013 World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

BJJ is among the most popular forms of martial arts and is considered one of the most effective MMA fighting styles. Below are three of the premier BJJ practitioners in the world:

1. Marcelo Garcia — The owner of the renowned Marcelo Garcia Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York City, Garcia is a five-time IBJJF World Champion who has overcome his relatively small size to defeat opponents like Andre Galvao, Demian Maia, and Robert Drysdale. He is particularly known for his arm drag and north-south chokes.

2. Roger Gracie — A dominant force in BJJ for two decades, Gracie is a 14-time IBJJF World Champion and has never been submitted. Moreover, he has defeated world-class black belt opponents such as Xande Ribeiro, Ronaldo Jacare, and Buchecha.

3. Rubens Charles — Regarded as the best featherweight BJJ competitor of all-time, Charles won the IBJJF World Championship for his weight class four consecutive years from 2006 to 2009, and won again in 2017 at the age of 37.