Joe Rogan is a renowned podcaster and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
He has been known for his love of the sport and its various intricacies.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Rogan was seen reminiscing about one of the greatest grappling bouts he had ever witnessed, involving two legendary names in the sport – Marcelo Garcia and Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro.
Episode 1962 of JRE saw chef Eddie Huang join Rogan on his podcast, where the topic of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came up in their conversation. Rogan praised the intelligence and thoughtfulness of BJJ athletes, citing his late friend Anthony Bourdain as an example.
The conversation then turned towards a classic BJJ match-up, where Eddie Bravo defeated Royler Gracie back in 2003, and Rogan recalled another match that took place during the same event – Marcelo Garcia vs Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro.
Rogan described how he was left in awe by Garcia’s performance. He praised the beautiful back take technique that Garcia used to eventually submit Shaolin. Calling it one of the “wildest transitions” he had ever seen, Rogan claimed it was “jiu-jitsu at its highest level”. What made this move even more impressive was that it was executed against a top-level black belt like Vitor Ribeiro.
Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro is a legendary BJJ competitor from team Nova Uniao, who started training under Andre Pederneiras at age 14. Ribeiro won his first Jiu Jitsu world title at purple belt and was promoted to brown belt.
He won gold at the 1997 Pan-American Championship and placed second at the 1998 World Championship before turning 18. Ribeiro earned his black belt after just four years of training and went on to compete in MMA, achieving a record of 20 wins and 5 losses.
Garcia is not just known for his impressive grappling skills but also his kind-hearted nature. Rogan described him as an extremely thoughtful and friendly person who also happens to be a “straight-up assassin” on the mat.
His meteoric rise in 2003, where he defeated multiple legends in the sport, cemented his place as a living legend in the BJJ community.
For those who are starting their journey in BJJ, watching the Garcia vs Ribeiro match is highly recommended. It not only showcases the beauty and intricacy of the sport but also introduces fans to one of the greatest BJJ practitioners of all time.
