# Roger Gracie

> Ten-time IBJJF World Champion and ADCC double-gold legend, widely regarded as the greatest gi grappler of all time.

- **Canonical page:** https://ossmeta.com/athletes/roger-gracie
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- **Source site:** Ossmeta (https://ossmeta.com)
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-15

## Identity

- **Name:** Roger Gracie
- **Full name:** Roger Gracie Gomes
- **Belt:** black belt
- **Team:** Roger Gracie Academy / Gracie Barra
- **Nationality:** Brazil
- **Born:** 1981-09-26
- **Birthplace:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- **Weight class:** Super-Pesado / Super-Heavyweight (~100 kg)
- **Height:** 6'4" (1.93 m)

## Biography

Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes on September 26, 1981, in Rio de Janeiro) is a fifth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, retired submission grappler, and former professional mixed martial artist. He is the son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes—himself a black belt under Rolls Gracie—and Reila Gracie, daughter of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie. Carrying both the Gracie name and Gomes coaching lineage, he is widely considered one of the greatest competitors in the history of the sport, famous for simple, high-percentage jiu-jitsu and an unmatched commitment to finishing fights.

Though he trained from childhood, Roger only fully committed to competition in his late teens after time with his uncle Rilion Gracie in southern Brazil. He won IBJJF World titles as a blue belt (2000), purple belt (2001), and brown belt (2002, weight and absolute), while also training under his father in the United Kingdom and with uncle Carlos Gracie Jr at Gracie Barra in Rio. He received his black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr in 2003 and almost immediately became a fixture at the Mundials and ADCC.

As a black belt he won an IBJJF World Championship title every year from 2004 through 2010—ten golds across super-heavyweight, ultra-heavyweight, and absolute, including three open-weight titles, a first at black belt. His signature sequence was pressure passing into mount and finishing with the cross choke; at the 2009 Worlds he submitted every opponent with that mount cross choke en route to double gold. In no-gi, his 2005 ADCC remains historic: he took both −99 kg and absolute by submitting all eight opponents, including Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza in the absolute final. He later won an ADCC superfight over Jon Olav Einemo in 2007, becoming the first ADCC triple-crown winner. Across two decades of elite competition he was never submitted.

Parallel to his grappling peak he built an MMA career, debuting in 2006 and competing in Strikeforce, the UFC, and ONE Championship. Wins included submissions of Ron Waterman, Yuki Kondo, and Anthony Smith; losses came against Muhammed Lawal (KO) and Tim Kennedy (decision). In 2016 he became ONE’s inaugural Light Heavyweight World Champion by technical submission (arm-triangle) over Michal Pasternak. After a legendary 2012 Metamoris draw with Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, he closed his jiu-jitsu career in 2017 by submitting Buchecha at Gracie Pro in Rio, then retired from MMA later that year with an 8–2 pro record.

Based in London, he leads the Roger Gracie Academy (established 2003 with his father), one of Europe’s most influential BJJ networks, and continues to teach classic pressure-based Gracie Barra jiu-jitsu worldwide. He is a member of both the IBJJF Hall of Fame and the ADCC Hall of Fame (first ADCC inductee, 2021), and received his fifth black-belt degree in 2022.

## Lineage

Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Roger Gracie

## Instructors

- Carlos Gracie Jr
- Mauricio Gomes
- Rilion Gracie
- Renzo Gracie

## Signature techniques / game

- Cross choke from mount
- Choke from the back / rear naked choke
- Armbar
- Pressure passing and mount control
- Ezekiel choke
- Triangle choke

## Major achievements

- 10× IBJJF World Champion — black belt (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 weight & absolute, 2008, 2009 weight & absolute, 2010 weight & absolute)
- First black belt to win IBJJF open weight three times (2007, 2009, 2010)
- ADCC World Championship gold — −99 kg and Absolute, all 8 wins by submission (2005)
- ADCC Superfight Champion vs. Jon Olav Einemo (2007); first ADCC triple-crown winner
- IBJJF European Open Champion — ultra-heavyweight and Absolute (2005)
- IBJJF Pan American Champion — Absolute (2006)
- IBJJF Hall of Fame inductee (2014)
- First inductee into the ADCC Hall of Fame (2021)
- ONE Championship inaugural Light Heavyweight World Champion (2016)
- Professional MMA record 8–2 (Strikeforce, UFC, ONE); retired 2017
- Submitted Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida at Gracie Pro, then retired from BJJ competition (2017)
- Never submitted in elite BJJ/submission wrestling competition

## Colored belt highlights

- IBJJF World Champion — blue belt (2000)
- IBJJF World Champion — purple belt (2001)
- IBJJF World Champion — brown belt weight and Absolute (2002)
- Brazilian National Champion — blue belt (1999); brown belt (2001)
- 3rd Place ADCC World Championship −99 kg as a brown belt (2003)

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogergracie/
- Website: https://rogergracie.com/

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes — Roger Gracie](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/roger-gracie-bio)
- [Wikipedia — Roger Gracie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Gracie)
- [FloGrappling — Roger Gracie](https://www.flograppling.com/people/5951469-roger-gracie)
- [Roger Gracie Academy](https://rogergracie.com/)
- [ONE Championship — Roger Gracie](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/roger-gracie/)

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