BJJ Stars 19: World Cup delivered on its football-themed hype at Vibra São Paulo, crowning Gregor Gracie as champion of the 16-man Masters absolute Grand Prix and watching UFC veteran Renato Moicano put an exclamation point on the night’s headline supermatch with a slick submission win over Patricky Pitbull.
Here’s a full breakdown of how the card played out.
Masters GP: Gregor Gracie Takes the Crown
The R$200,000 Masters GP was the backbone of the event, pulling together 16 of the biggest names in masters-division jiu-jitsu including Rafael Lovato Jr., Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa, Jaime Canuto, Horlando Monteiro, Sergio “Pichilinga” Rios, and Wellington Alemão.
Final:
- Gregor Gracie def. Horlando Monteiro by submission
Semifinals:
- Horlando Monteiro def. Leandro Maia by submission
- Gregor Gracie def. Wellington Alemão by submission
One of the tournament’s biggest storylines came earlier in the bracket, where Leandro Maia upset pre-event favorite Rafael Lovato Jr., edging the American legend 2–1 in rounds to advance, a result few had on their bingo card given the pre-fight buzz around Lovato as the “lone non-Brazilian” threat in a stacked field.
Gracie’s run to the title continued a strong year for the Gracie name in the masters ranks and further cements the division’s growing spotlight within the BJJ Stars product.
Main Event: Moicano Submits Patricky Pitbull
In the night’s premier crossover supermatch, Renato Moicano dominated fellow UFC standout Patricky Pitbull, finishing the match via kata gatame to claim the event’s “World Cup” trophy. Moicano was characteristically vocal afterward, calling out grappling star Mica Galvão in his post-fight interview.
Superfight Highlights
- James “Jay” Ortiz turned in one of the standout performances of the night, submitting Nicolas Vieira and also picking up a notable win over Gafanhoto — becoming the first non-Brazilian competitor to win a match at BJJ Stars since 2019.
- Lívia Parazzini (Dream Art) submitted Giovanna Carneiro via kata gatame in the event’s featured women’s superfight.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
