BJJ can be a very strange sport. This is in part due to a complete lack of promotion criteria. While some affiliations of schools award promotion based on attendance, others can promote someone straight to a rank or use any criteria they’d like.
This has created a huge gap between what’s considered a black belt and even prompted some UFC stars to call out so called fake ‘black belts’.
In the latest edition of B team’s analysis, Craig Jones told a very interesting story pertaining to UFC middleweight Roman Doolidze.
Doolidze will be facing Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 this weekend. Doolidze has an MMA record consisting of 12 wins and 1 loss. This will be his 7th outing in the UFC.
34 year old Georgian is known as an excellent grappler and had previously won ADCC Asia & Oceania championships, and Grappling FILA world championship.
Apparently, Doolidze went to a high profile BJJ gym and was denied the opportunity to train with the other BJJ pro athletes there.
“I remember him telling me a story. I won’t name the gym because that gym probably going to get upset with me.”
“At this time, he was a white belt, I believe. He showed up at a high level gym in the United States.”
“And they wouldn’t let him do the pro class. And I remember he was training separate to the pro class with some of the pros.”
“And he heel hooks like a multiple time black belt world champion. And then just left and gave himself a blue belt.”
Roman Dolidze worked a nice finishing sequence from his back, stunning Hawes with elbows before transitioning into and armbar then a knee bar that blew out Hawes's knee.
That should have been the end, but Tan Dan wanted to see an execution instead. pic.twitter.com/lBA8HG187h
— Miguel Class (@MigClass) October 29, 2022
Dolidze was promoted to the rank of BJJ brown belt some time prior to 2018 in his home gym.
Dolidze lost in the first round of ADCC 2017 to winner Yuri Simoes on points.
