When it comes to legendary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in the modern era, André Galvão is at the top of the list. Galvão is the founder and head coach of Atos Jiu Jitsu, and coaches out of the Atos headquarters in San Diego.
Galvão is both a decorated athlete himself and coach to numerous world champions. He is currently a 4th degree blackbelt under Luis Dagmar and trained extensively with the legendary Fernando Terere Augusto. He also holds a black belt in Judo.
André Galvão Biography
Galvão was born in 1982 in Sao Paulo Brazil. Having started BJJ in his teens, it was quickly apparent that Galvão was an exceptional grappler, and his first instructor, Luis Dagmar, advised him to train with Fernando Terere, who was one of the best pound-for-pound BJJ fighters at the time.
Galvão was undefeated at Purple Belt and was the first purple belt to win the IBJJF World Championship, Pan American Championship, and Brazilian Nationals – known as the ‘IBJJF Grand Slam.’
Galvão won his first IBJJF world black belt world title in 2005, and again in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Far from ‘just a grappler,’ Galvão had a brief but successful career as a mixed martial artist, competing the Dream and Strikeforce promotions between 2008 and 2010, and retiring with solid record of 5 wins and 2 losses.
André Galvão Stats
Height: 5 foot 11 inches
Weight class: Welterweight
Stance: Southpaw
Favorite Style: Guard Passing
André Galvão Record
André Galvão boasts an impressive grappling record with a total of 157 wins and only 27 losses in BJJ. Victories include 73 submission wins with nearly every major submission in BJJ.
André Galvão’s MMA record is also impressive, with 1 victory by TKO knockout and 3 by armbar submission.
Galvão announced his retirement from BJJ competition in 2018, but continues to coach his team of world class athletes.
Full black belt title awards:
- 5 time World Champion IBJJF (2017, 2016, 2014, 2008 & 2005);
- 5 time ADCC World Champion (2011 weight & absolute, 2013, 2015 & 2017 super fight champion);
- 10 time Pan American Champion IBJJF (2005, 2008 weight/absolute, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014 weight/absolute, 2016, 2017);
- 3 times World Pro Cup Champion (2012, 2013, 2014 UAEJJ)
- World Cup CBJJO Champion (2006)
- 2 time European IBJJF Champion (2015 weight/absolute)
- Worlds CBJJE Champion (2008)
- Ultimate Absolute NYC – No Gi Champion (2011)
- Metamoris 4 – Super Fight Champ Main Event (Galvao vs Sonnen)
- Metamoris 2 – Super Fight Champ (Galvao vs Lovato Jr)
- Fight2WinPro Super Fight Main Event Champ (Galvao vs Bastos)
- Berkut 2 Moscow Super Fight Main Event Champ (Galvao vs Barral)
(Source: atosjiujitsuhq.com/team/andre-galvao)
Notable Victories
André Galvão boasts a number of high profile wins of world-recognized names in grappling. These include a heel hook victory over Rafael dos Anjos and a rear naked choke victory over Chael Sonnen in grappling.
Notable Students
André Galvão is not only a world-class competitor. He also boasts some of the greatest BJJ athletes under his tutelage including names such as Keenan Cornelius, Mike Perez, and Luiza Monteiro.
UFC Champion Israel Adesanya also trains with Galvão, and received his purple belt from Galvão in December 2020.
André Galvão Feuds and Controversies
As with any high-profile BJJ name, Galvão has had notable rivalries with big names such as Ricardo Abreu and Tarsis Humphreys during his early black belt competitive career.
In recent news, a high profile video emerged of Gordon Ryan slapping Galvão during an altercation the recent WNO: Craig Jones vs Ronaldo Junior.
Following the release of the video, Galvão issued a heartfelt statement on Instagram apologizing for his role in the altercation and saying his overall involvement in the drama was a mistake:
André Galvão: the bottom line
André Galvão is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend with an impressive career as a competitor and coach. Galvão has proven himself to be a world-class BJJ fighter, a respectable MMA fighter, and a leader in the BJJ world.
André Galvão will undoubtedly be a household BJJ name for many decades to come.
Looking for more breakdowns on the Top Fighters in BJJ? Check out this article!
Sources:
BJJ Heroes André Galvão:
https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/andre-galvao-bjj-and-mma-fighter-wiki
Atos Headquarters Website:
https://atosjiujitsuhq.com/team/andre-galvao/