Derek Moneyberg has become one of the most polarizing figures in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, and his recent appearance on the Overdogs podcast with Mike Perry only added fuel to the fire.
The controversial fitness entrepreneur made headlines by openly discussing the millions he spent on private training to achieve his black belt.
During the podcast, Moneyberg didn’t shy away from the criticism surrounding his rapid ascent through the BJJ ranks. “I spent millions of dollars. I spent about $3 million paying for coaches,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I had the best damn coaching team in the world.”
This included working with UFC legends like Andrei Arlovski, Jake Shields, Paulie Malignaggi, and members of the renowned Gracie family, including Royce Gracie and Lyoto Machida.
Moneyberg received his black belt in approximately three and a half years, a timeline that raised eyebrows in a community where practitioners typically train for a decade or more to reach that level.
The 46-year-old businessman defended his approach with characteristic bluntness: “Would it be easier for me to bribe 50 professional fighters, 25 or so world champions. Would it be easier for me to bribe those people, to lie about me and say that I’m a black belt? Or would it be easier for me to just do training and get my black belt?”
The controversy intensified when comparisons were drawn to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has been training BJJ for a similar length of time but holds only a blue belt and has competed in tournaments.
When podcast co-host Mac challenged Moneyberg on this discrepancy, asking if Zuckerberg’s blue belt was “more valid” than his black belt, Moneyberg’s response was: “I don’t give a f**k what you think.”
This confrontational attitude has become Moneyberg’s trademark. He’s unapologetic about his path, explaining that his motivation was self-defense and fitness rather than competition or community approval.
“I know what I did and my coaches know what I did,” he said. “If I didn’t invite somebody over here to ask for their opinion, if I didn’t invite them to train with me, then I didn’t value their opinion too much.”
Moneyberg’s journey began in 2021 during the pandemic lockdowns when, despite having accumulated a net worth of over $50 million, he found himself overweight and out of shape. He made the decision to invest heavily in his physical transformation, ultimately spending approximately millions on private gyms and training.
His coaches have included some of the biggest names in combat sports, and he’s trained alongside current UFC fighters at elite facilities like Gordon Ryan’s gym in Texas and Glover Teixeira’s academy.
The beef with UFC star Sean Strickland has only amplified the controversy. Moneyberg has repeatedly challenged Strickland to a grappling match, but claims Strickland talks tough online while avoiding face-to-face confrontation.
“He says a lot of s**t on the internet but when I’m standing face to face with him he don’t want to have a conversation,” Moneyberg said.
Despite the backlash, Moneyberg maintains that his investment in training has been worthwhile and that criticism from anonymous internet commenters is meaningless. “Half of people have a below average IQ,” he said with typical bluntness. “If somebody on the internet wants to talk s**t, okay man, but they’re not invited to the gym.”
Whether Moneyberg’s black belt represents legitimate skill or simply the power of unlimited resources remains a contentious question in the BJJ community.
Moneyberg states: “I don’t give a f**k if the public for the rest of my life says you bought that black belt. You’ll never make the money in your lifetime that I spend to buy my black belt.”
