Felipe Pena, one of the most decorated athletes in jiu-jitsu, expressed his desire to see the gi side of the sport grow to match the popularity and financial opportunities currently available in no-gi competitions.
“I wish the gi could be as big as no-gi nowadays for professional athletes because I love the gi as well,” Pena stated during an appearance on The Grapplers Perspective Podcast. “After winning world titles, Brazilian titles, Europeans, I just try to go where there are more opportunities as an athlete.”
While Pena continues to compete at the highest level in both gi and no-gi formats, he acknowledges that the current landscape of professional jiu-jitsu has shifted heavily toward no-gi events, which tend to offer more lucrative opportunities for competitors. This trend has influenced his career decisions, leading him to focus more on no-gi competitions in recent years.
Pena believes that several factors contribute to the popularity gap between gi and no-gi. He notes that no-gi is more accessible to casual viewers, particularly those coming from an MMA background:
“The no-gi is way easier for who doesn’t train jiu-jitsu, maybe UFC fans or something like that, to watch. It’s more interesting, easier to understand, and sells more.”
However, Pena points out that gi jiu-jitsu actually has a larger participant base, with more practitioners worldwide training in the gi than without it. This creates what he sees as a missed opportunity for organizations like the IBJJF to capitalize on that existing audience.
“The gi could sell really good as well,” Pena explains. “The gi is very concentrated on IBJJF. In my opinion, the gi will only be as big as no-gi if IBJJF starts taking these steps.”
Specifically, Pena suggests that if major gi tournaments like Europeans, Pan Americans, Brazilian Nationals, and Worlds offered substantial prize money comparable to what’s available in prominent no-gi events like Who’s Number One, ADCC, One Championship, and UFC Invitational, it would transform the professional gi scene.
“If they do that for just five events a year, the athletes would train really hard in the gi, and they know they’ll get the prestige, but they also know that if they win, they can live on that,” Pena explained.
Pena remains hopeful that gi competitions will eventually offer the same professional opportunities that have made no-gi so attractive to top-level competitors. Until then, like many other elite grapplers, he’ll continue dividing his attention between both formats while focusing more on where the greatest professional opportunities exist.
