There are many great competitors in the world of BJJ, but not everyone can be the best. The likes of Marcelo Garcia, Gordon Ryan, and Roger Gracie are all thought of as some of the greatest competitors of all time, but it’s very difficult to remember who finished in 2nd place, often by a single point or advantage.
The difference between winning and losing in jiu-jitsu can either be gigantic or tiny, but the world will almost always only remember the result.
It’s fair to say then, that there are many great athletes who have won a variety of superfights against some of the toughest grapplers on the planet but couldn’t quite put together a winning run at worlds. Factors beyond their control such as injuries, referee decisions, and plain bad luck have separated them from earning a place in the history books of BJJ.
It should be noted that the list below displays competitors who have never won gold at black belt gi world championships. Granted, winning a world championship at brown belt is something 99.9% of people could never achieve, but it is not quite the same as black. In addition to this, some of the athletes on this list have achieved great feats by winning ADCC or other prestigious no-gi events. Once again, we are not taking anything away from this, but it is not a world championship gold in the traditional gi format.
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The Best BJJ Athletes To Never Win Gold At Gi Worlds
JT Torres
Perhaps a name that will shock people, since JT Torres pretty much wins everything he takes part in, it is very surprising to know that he has never managed a world championship title in the gi. Being on of the last few grapplers to dominate both the gi and no-gi formats, Torres has won ADCC twice, Pan Ams twice, World No-gi – yet has only finished 2nd in the gi.
Much like other elite competitors on this list, it has been other top level athletes keeping Torres away from the top spot. Lucas Lepri and Gilbert Burns are the main culprits, although Torres has stopped them from winning various other no-gi titles in retribution.
Keenan Cornelius
Without a doubt one of the greatest innovators of the modern gi game. Developing squid, worm, and various other lapel based guards alongside fellow black belt Andris Brunovskis, Cornelius has never quite had enough firepower to bring home the gold medal.
Having won gold medals multiple times at Europeans, as well as Pan Am’s. Cornelius also won worlds as both a brown and purple belt, so is one of the most surprising not to have won everything at black belt too.
When looking at the record of Cornelius, it has been the likes of a prime Leandro Lo and Buchecha that have kept him away from the number one spot in the past. However, due to serious back injuries, it looks like elite level competition may be a thing of the past for the Hawaiian-born grappler.
Murillo Santana
Murillo Santana is both a respected competitor and coach, having overseen the development of the likes of Devhonte Johnson, Diego Pato, and the Miyao brothers to name a just a few.
It is not so much the accolades of Santana, but the stories about him which make the fact he has not won worlds a little strange. Several elite grapplers such as Ryan Hall have stated that they were destroyed by Murillo Santana in training, despite him not even getting out of first gear.
Sadly for the Brazilian, this has not translated over to actual BJJ competition. Even though sparring can be extremely similar to competition at the highest level, it is not identical. Nobody knows the reason why Santana has not been able to perform in front of an audience, but due to his age his chance of ever winning worlds is seriously diminished.
Gianni Grippo
A grappler who is elite in both gi and no-gi, Gianni Gripp has an extensive list of titles to his name. These include 2 x world no-gi golds, 3 x Pan Am no-gi golds, and 3 Pan Am gi championships. In short, this is a hugely impressive record to dominate in both formats for such a long time.
The Marcelo Garcia black belt lost to the likes of Rafa Mendes at worlds, before becoming more of a no-gi specialist. Renowned for his heel hook ability, this is something that cannot translate over to the rules of gi, making the achievements of Grippo even more impressive.
There is still time left on the clock for Grippo to win a gold at worlds, however, this will largely depend on whether he focuses his training more on ADCC and no-gi events.
Victor Estima
Often overshadowed by the achievements of his older brother Braulio, Victor Estima was a highly regarded competitor in his own right. Having won worlds at no gi, Europeans in the gi and finishing 3rd at worlds 4 times, Victor Estima came very close on multiple occasions.
In all honesty, Victor Estima is mostly just a victim of being in the wrong weight category at the wrong time and place. Having to face against Marcelo Garcia and Leandro Lo at worlds pretty much means you cannot win gold unless they make a big mistake – and even still, it may not be enough.
Kron Gracie
One of the last of a dying breed, the traditional style of Kron Gracie is not something that is seen too often in modern competition. Moving over to MMA somewhat quickly, despite having a family name embedded in the sport, Kron Gracie only spent 5 years as a competitive BJJ black belt.
During this time he won Europeans and ADCC – submitting all 4 of his opponents but could only finish 2nd at worlds.
Considering his BJJ ability, Kron Gracie has achieved a lot, yet could have achieved so much more. This can be disappointing from a fans perspective since there could have been at least another 10 years of competition left in the tank.
