Pat Downey has ignited a controversy with allegations of racial discrimination following his disqualification for a celebratory gesture.
Downey was recently promoted to purple belt despite his inability to medal at IBJJF Nogi Worlds due to a DQ. Downey claims the IBJJF unfairly penalized him for a gesture commonly seen in competitions.
“Here’s how racist the IBJJF is… where did I learn this from? So many Brazilians after they submit the opponent,” Downey stated in an interview. “I’m all I’m doing is emulating the gesture I’ve seen done at your Federation that you’ve never penalized.”
The controversy occurred after Downey submitted opponent, only to find himself disqualified while his opponent lay unconscious. According to Downey, officials began discussing his disqualification during the match. “I’ve never seen them penalized a Brazilian for doing this gesture,” he said. “Oh coincidentally the Gringo who just ran through your bracket who’s about to do the same at the absolute now I can’t get on the podium and collect my medal.”
Despite the disqualification, Shamil Murtazaliev later received a two-year ban for post-match misconduct. Downey’s disqualification stood, however, fueling accusations of bias and inconsistencies in rule enforcement. The IBJJF has yet to comment publicly on the matter.
Criticism of the IBJJF’s Scoring and Judging Standards
Downey’s experience has led him to call for reforms within the IBJJF, specifically around judging and scoring criteria. “I really hope they have a more clear defined rule set for the judges and the fans and the scoring,” Downey emphasized. “Maybe they add some points to make it a public scoring so we know who’s winning and losing, it’s not just opinionated.”
Ambitious Plans for a Fast-Track to Black Belt
Amid the controversy, Downey remains focused on his personal goals in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As a newcomer to full-time BJJ training—only six months as of his recent purple belt promotion—Downey aims to become the fastest American black belt in history. “My vision is to become the fastest black belt ever,” he stated, citing Olympic judoka Travis Stevens as his benchmark. Stevens received a BJJ black belt in just 18 months under John Danaher. Stevens is an Olympic silver medalist in Judo.
Downey’s rapid rise is underpinned by his elite wrestling background and commitment to intense training. His schedule is packed with competitions, including upcoming matches against Andre Petroski at Fury Grappling and plans for monthly appearances throughout 2024.
Redemption at CJI
Downey also has his sights set on the CJI in 2025, where he hopes to claim the $1 million prize. “I’ve gotten so much better from that, it was a great learning experience,” Downey reflected on his previous CJI appearance. “I’m definitely going to run that back and redeem myself and get that million.”
