Vagner Rocha - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion

Vagner Rocha

 

Birth Date: June 6th, 1982
Country of Origin: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Jiu Jitsu Lineage: Vagner Rocha Martial Arts
Weight: 181.5 lbs

Vagner Rocha is the owner and the head instructor of Vagner Rocha Martial Arts, located in Hollywood, FL. He is a highly active professional athlete in both MMA and Grappling, being ranked as the 2019 #2 Professional Grappler in the world in his weight division (77kgs).

Vagner has major MMA events on the curriculum, such as UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, among others. In Jiu-Jitsu, he makes his mark in several championships, specially ADCC, Polaris, Fight 2 Win, and KASAI Pro.

For Master Rocha, Jiu-Jitsu represents the best way to live life. He loves what he does, and it shows it through the way he teaches his students on and off the mats. Passionate about every single aspect of the sport, Vagner Rocha is an example of dedication and determination. With almost 20 years of experience, Rocha is to be compared to very few, as he holds prestigious accomplishments to be proud of.

Rocha’s journey started out young. His family moved to Florida, USA when he was just 5 years of age. He was introduced to Taekwondo at age 7, which he only practiced for 2 years, achieving the brown belt.

When he rediscovered martial arts, it was through Jiu Jitsu as an adult. He found this passion in Brazil on holiday with his cousin who had experience in the sport. This led him to sign up with a gym and train professionally.

Rocha started BJJ under the mentorship of Jorge Popovitch in 2001, but stepped back when his first child was born. He signed up for a construction job to provide for his family, but later rejoined grappling to pursue a professional career in martial arts.

The Popovitch family mentored Rocha throughout his career, helping him reach the black belt by 2007. In 2009, he was offered to coach BJJ at the Popovitch Academy. He made his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2011. The same year, his partnership with the Popovitch family ended and he established his own association, the ‘Vagner Rocha Martial Arts Academy’.

 

Achievements

  • Strikeforce & Bellator Veteran
  • UFC Veteran
  • EBI, Kasai, F2Win and Polaris Veteran
  • CJJ World Champion including first ever TKO via slaps
  • ADCC Silver Medalist & 4x ADCC Competitor
  • Ranked 2nd in the World at Lightweight Jiu Jitsu