Among Brazilian Jiu Jitsu stylists making their way to MMA, few are more intriguing to long time grappling fans than Rodolfo Vieira—who makes his UFC debut this Saturday, August 10th, on ESPN+. While there have been many champion grapplers who have made the jump to cage fighting, few bring with them the sort of pedigree (5x world champion, ADCC gold medalist), raw athleticism, and takedown acumen that made Vieira a phenom from the moment he burst on the BJJ scene.
Rodolfo first made a name for himself as the ‘Black Belt Hunter’ in the late 2000s when, as a brown belt, he beat multiple time world and ADCC champion Braulio Estima—as well as several other high level black belts at the Abu Dhabi World Pro.