Pat Downey, a standout wrestler and rising grappling star, has set his sights on an ambitious goal: becoming the fastest American to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With a wrestling pedigree and a growing presence in the BJJ world, Downey is charting a rapid course through the sport’s ranks. This article delves into his journey, challenges, and vision for the future.
Aiming for the Fastest Black Belt
Downey, who recently earned his purple belt after just six months of full-time training, believes his background in wrestling provides a unique edge. “I just successfully did my first-ever submission,” Downey shared in an interview. “I’ve been a wrestler my whole life, so, you know, my vision is to become the fastest black belt ever. That would be great. Do you know what the record on that is?”
He continued, “I’ve heard from different people—I think the judo player Travis Stevens got it fastest. Judo Olympic champ, tough white dude from up North. I’ve never trained with him, but I’ve watched him. I think all my studies have led me to him being the fastest American black belt.”
Downey compared the timeline of others in the sport, noting, “Achilles Rocha just earned his black belt at 18, and it took him since he was four—he’s been doing it since he was four or five years old. So, it could be a life journey, or it could be maybe a year and a half, two years if you’ve got a background like me or some of these other guys. Maybe a two-year black belt would be hell of impressive. That’s what I’m thinking.”
Downey outlined his potential path: “I feel like it’s attainable. Not that I’ll compete at IBJJF Worlds again, but if, in theory, next year I could go in again and get brown, and then I could just do that again the year after—two years and have black. So, you know, maybe two years, two and a half years it could take, but that’s my plan. You know, we make plans and God laughs, so I’m just on the journey.”
Allegations of Racial Bias
Downey’s ambitious goals come amid controversy following his disqualification at the IBJJF World Championships. He alleged racial bias in the decision, which occurred after he performed a celebratory gesture following a submission victory. “Here’s how racist the IBJJF is… where did I learn this from? So many Brazilians after they submit the opponent,” Downey said. “I’m all I’m doing is emulating the gesture I’ve seen done at your Federation that you’ve never penalized.”
The disqualification, which occurred while Downey’s opponent was unconscious, sparked debates about consistency in rule enforcement. “I’ve never seen them penalize a Brazilian for doing this gesture,” Downey added. “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.”
 CJI
Downey has confirmed his participation in the CJI in 2025, with his sights set on claiming the $1 million prize. “I’ve gotten so much better from that; it was a great learning experience,” Downey stated about his previous CJI performance. “I’m definitely going to run that back and redeem myself and get that million.”
He also expressed a desire for clearer rules at such events: “I really hope they have a more clear defined rule set too, for the judges and the fans and the scoring—the ref scoring points. Maybe they add some points to make it a public scoring.”
