Derek “Moneyberg” defended his rapid advancement while disclosing that his coach Jake Shields actually delayed the promotion by four months due to concerns about the timeline.
“Jake held my belt for four more months because he thought it was ridiculous to promote me that fast,” Moneyberg revealed during a recent interview. “So, he held my belt for four months. I really did it in four in three and a quarter years. Three and a quarter years, not three years and seven months, but officially three years and seven months.”
This disclosure comes amid intense scrutiny from the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community where critics like ADCC veteran Vinny Magalhaes have questioned the legitimacy of such rapid advancement. Magalhaes suggested financial incentives played a role, writing,
“loyalty is loyalty… especially when it’s to someone’s Zelle account.”
Moneyberg, who started training in November 2021 weighing 300 pounds, has consistently defended his promotion by highlighting his access to elite coaching and training partners. His facility has hosted world-class athletes including Gordon Ryan, whom he calls “maybe the best in history,” along with MMA stars like Frank Mir, Glover Teixeira and Lyoto Machida.
“I have the best coaching team in the world. I built my own facilities. I showed up every day and worked my a– off,” Moneyberg stated, addressing critics directly. “You might be too dumb. You might be too lazy. But don’t let your low-level efforts and low-level intellect reflect to say that I can’t do that in three and a half years.”
His training partner Gilbert Burns, a former MMA title challenger, supported these claims, noting dramatic improvements during his visits every three to four months.
“Every time I came back, I was just like, ‘Wow, who was here? You got so much better,'”
Burns recalled, citing the presence of elite grapplers like Gordon Ryan, Jake Shields, and others.
The controversy highlights broader debates about promotion standards in BJJ where the average practitioner takes 7-10 years to reach black belt. However, historical precedents exist for rapid advancement including BJ Penn‘s three-year journey and Travis Stevens‘ 18-month promotion leveraging his Olympic Judo background.
Despite the four-month delay by Shields—suggesting even his own coach had reservations about the timeline—critics remain unconvinced. The BJJ community’s overwhelmingly negative reaction centers on concerns about commercialization and the potential dilution of traditional standards with many questioning whether private lessons and elite training partners can substitute for competitive validation and years of mat time against diverse opponents.
