In a recent interview with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson on the MightyCast, Renato Moicano, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and UFC lightweight contender, shared his thoughts on Alex Pereira receiving his black belt in Jiu-Jitsu after his knockout victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
Moicano made a bold statement, declaring that Jiu-Jitsu belts hold no significance in the realm of mixed martial arts. Despite Pereira’s impressive striking performance, which secured him the light heavyweight title, Moicano questioned the decision to award him a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu without any grappling involved.
“Brother, let me tell you something, I don’t think a black belt means nothing in MMA. Demetrious Johnson, you’re doing Jiu-Jitsu right? So it’s a completely different sport right? It’s a completely different sport, I don’t think even makes sense,” Moicano said.
Moicano’s stance stems from the belief that the disciplines of Jiu-Jitsu and MMA are distinct and should not be conflated. He suggested that Jiu-Jitsu belts should be earned through dedicated training in the art itself, rather than through MMA competitions where grappling may not be utilized.
“Maybe the coaches, they are giving black belts just so people can say ‘ah, he is my student’, you know, but it’s a different sport,” Moicano added.
While acknowledging Pereira’s outstanding achievements in the octagon, Moicano emphasized that belts in Jiu-Jitsu should not be awarded solely based on MMA performances. “I don’t think you should get a black belt if you only fight MMA, you should train in Jiu-Jitsu. But at the end of the day, belts don’t matter, what matters is winning and Alex Pereira is doing great, he’s proving everybody wrong including me,” he said.
Moicano’s comments have reignited the ongoing debate surrounding the relationship between traditional martial arts and MMA, as well as the criteria for awarding belts and ranks in disciplines that are integrated into the mixed martial arts realm.
Alex Pereira Through the Years
