Date of Birth
March 11, 1967
Birthplace
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Team / Academy
Renzo Gracie Academy (RGA), New York City — founder and head instructor
Belt
7th Degree Coral Belt (promoted January 2023 by Rickson Gracie)
Belt Lineage
Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie Sr. → Hélio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Carlos Gracie Jr. → Renzo Gracie
Family
Grandson of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu co-founder Carlos Gracie Sr.; son of 9th-degree black belt Robson Gracie; brother of Ralph and Ryan Gracie.
Short Bio
Renzo Gracie is a third-generation member of the Gracie family and one of the sport’s most recognized competitors, coaches, and ambassadors. A two-time ADCC World Champion (1998, 2000), he also built an extensive career in mixed martial arts, competing in the UFC, PRIDE, and other major organizations. He founded the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City, which became one of the most influential BJJ schools in North America, producing champions and coaches including John Danaher, Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, and Chris Weidman.
Full Bio
Renzo Gracie began training Jiu-Jitsu as a young child, as is customary within the Gracie family, receiving instruction from several family patriarchs including Rolls Gracie. He earned his black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr. By his early twenties he was already a multiple-time BJJ champion in Brazil, and at age 25 he made his official fighting debut in the Gracie Vale Tudo Challenge, submitting Luiz Augusto Alvareda by rear-naked choke.
Renzo went on to compete extensively in the Brazilian vale tudo circuit before moving to the United States, where he helped introduce Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to a wider American audience. He founded the Renzo Gracie Academy in midtown Manhattan, which grew into one of the most respected BJJ schools in the world. Notable students and black belts produced at the academy include John Danaher, Ricardo Almeida, Matt Serra, Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman, Rodrigo Gracie, and members of what later became known as the “Danaher Death Squad,” including Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon.
As a competitor, Renzo won the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 1998 and 2000. In mixed martial arts, he compiled a professional record of 14 wins and 7 losses across organizations including the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS, K-1, and the International Fight League, where he also served as head coach of the New York Pitbulls. He fought as recently as 2018, submitting Yuki Kondo at ONE Championship: Reign of Kings.
Beyond competition, Renzo has been a significant figure in the globalization of BJJ. In the late 1990s he introduced the art to Abu Dhabi, coaching Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who went on to found the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. Renzo also personally awarded Sheikh Tahnoon his black belt.
Renzo’s life and career were the subject of the 2008 documentary Renzo Gracie: Legacy. He was inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame in 2022, and in January 2023 he was presented with his coral belt — a rank recognizing over 30 years as a black belt — by Rickson Gracie in Abu Dhabi.
Achievements
- ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion — 1998, 2000
- ADCC Hall of Fame inductee (2022)
- Copa Atlântico Sul Champion — 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994
- Professional MMA record: 14–7 (UFC, PRIDE, RINGS, K-1, IFL)
- World Combat Championships 1 Tournament winner (1995)
- Coral Belt (7th degree), awarded 2023
Coaching Legacy
Founder and head instructor, Renzo Gracie Academy (New York City). Coached or produced black belts including John Danaher, Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, Ricardo Almeida, Rodrigo Gracie, Frankie Edgar, Roy Nelson, and — through his student John Danaher — the “Danaher Death Squad” lineage that includes Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon.
Publications
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (with Royler Gracie)
- Mastering Jujitsu (with John Danaher)