Former World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis captured gold at the ADCC US Open in San Diego on January 18, 2025. Competing in the +100kg beginner division, Licis secured his victory with two impressive submission wins over Michael Jimenez and Isaac Lopez.
This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the ongoing debate within combat sports about the effectiveness of technique versus raw strength. Licis, who claimed the World’s Strongest Man title during his strongman career, has shown that elite strength athletes can successfully adapt to the technical demands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Licis’s journey into BJJ has been supported by some of the sport’s most prominent figures. He received training from BJJ champion Gordon Ryan, who has been a vocal advocate for the effectiveness of technique against significantly larger opponents. Licis has also trained at Riga Grappling Club, connecting with his Latvian roots while developing his grappling skills.
This victory comes at an interesting time in the broader conversation about strength versus technique in combat sports. Recently, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen sparked debate by suggesting that elite BJJ practitioners would struggle against extremely strong opponents in real-world scenarios. Additionally, prominent BJJ black belt and sports scientist Dr. Mike Israetel had previously expressed concerns about professional strongmen entering the sport, citing their exceptional size and strength as potentially problematic for traditional BJJ practitioners.
However, Licis’s success appears to demonstrate a more nuanced reality: that elite strength athletes can not only learn but excel in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by combining their physical attributes with proper technique. This mirrors Gordon Ryan‘s recent experience with another former World’s Strongest Man, Thor Bjornsson, where Ryan demonstrated the effectiveness of technique even against one of the world’s strongest men.
Licis’s victory at the ADCC Open marks a significant milestone in his martial arts journey and adds another fascinating chapter to the ongoing discussion about the relationship between strength and technique in grappling sports. His success suggests that with proper training and dedication, athletes from various backgrounds can adapt and thrive in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
