Roosevelt Sousa
BlackBiography
Roosevelt Sousa is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the most dominant athletes to emerge from the Fight Sports team. He is widely recognized as an important representative of the new generation of powerful, well-rounded super-heavyweights in modern grappling.
Roosevelt Sousa’s career includes major accomplishments such as winning the IBJJF World Championship in the gi. In 2023, he also captured both the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds and the IBJJF No-Gi Pans in the same year, firmly establishing himself as one of the most successful competitors in his division.
His technical style is built around exceptional physical strength, heavy top pressure, and strong guard passing. Roosevelt Sousa’s most common finishing attacks include the rear naked and teh armbar, both of which demonstrate his ability to combine power with precise positional control.
Personal
* Legend status is reserved for retired athletes with outstanding achievements and a lasting impact on the sport.
Rankings
Submissions Breakdown
| Submission | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Rear naked | 15 | 6 |
| Kneebar | 4 | 0 |
| Straight ankle lock | 3 | 0 |
| Inside heel hook | 3 | 2 |
| Armbar | 3 | 0 |
| Outside heel hook | 2 | 1 |
| Kimura | 2 | 0 |
| Calf slicer | 1 | 0 |
| Botinha | 1 | 0 |
| RNC | 1 | 0 |
| Smother | 1 | 0 |
| Toe hold | 1 | 0 |
| Poinst: 4-0 | 1 | 0 |
| Opponent | Result | Date | Event | Method | Weight | Round | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elder Cruz | Win | 12/13/2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | Absolute | Finals | 380 |
| Pawel Jaworski | Win | 12/13/2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 200 |
| Eli Braz | Win | 12/13/2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Unknown | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 80 |
| Adam Nabwy | Win | 12/13/2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | Absolute | 16 | 60 |
| Heikki Jussila | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | Ultra Heavyweight | Finals | 380 |
| Helder Jose | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Worlds | Kimura | Ultra Heavyweight | Semi-Finals | 200 |
| Patrick Gaudio | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | DQ | Absolute | Finals | 175 |
| Elder Cruz | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Advantage | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 100 |
| Inacio Santos | Win | 10/3/2025 | No-Gi Pans | Rear naked | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 35 |
| Thiago Saboia | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Rear naked | Absolute | 16 | 25 |
| Inacio Santos | Win | 10/3/2025 | No-Gi Pans | Poinst: 4-0 | +97KG | Semi-Finals | 100 |
| Helder Jose | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Points: 7-0 | 97KG | Finals | 175 |
| Inacio Santos | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Points: 4-0 | 97KG | Semi-Finals | 100 |
| Hiago Amaral | Win | 2025 | No-Gi Pans | Points: 13-0 | 97KG | Quarter-Finals | 35 |
| Igor Tanabe | Win | 7/25/2025 | WNO 29 | Toe hold | Heavyweight | — | 375 |
| Patrick Miller | Win | 2025 | MCJJ 7 | Rear naked | Unknown | — | 18 |
| Elder Cruz | Loss | 2024 | ADCC Open Orlando | Decision | Absolute | Finals | — |
| Daishi Goto | Win | 2024 | Karate Combat 51 | Rear naked | Absolute | — | 33 |
| Lucas Montalvao | Loss | 2024 | No-Gi Worlds | Advantage | 97KG | Semi-Finals | — |
| Victor Matheus | Win | 2024 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | 97KG | Quarter-Finals | 76 |
| Dory Aoun | Win | 2024 | JJ CON No-Gi | Rear naked | Absolute | Finals | 10 |
| Christiano Tayfour | Win | 2024 | JJ CON No-Gi | Smother | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 6 |
| Gabriel Berriel | Win | 2024 | JJ CON No-Gi | Armbar | O97KG | Finals | 10 |
| Christiano Tayfour | Win | 2024 | JJ CON No-Gi | Armbar | +97KG | Semi-Finals | 6 |
| Luke Griffith | Loss | 2024 | ADCC | Rear naked | +99KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Vince Pezzuto | Win | 2024 | ADCC | Points: 6-0 | +99KG | 16 | 309 |
| Alexandr Romanov | Win | 2024 | Karate Combat 48 | Inside heel hook | Unknown | — | 33 |
| Elder Cruz | Loss | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Referee Decision | Absolute | Finals | — |
| CJ Murdock | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Kimura | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 17 |
| Tyler Marcus | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Unknown | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 4 |
| J. Cox | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | RNC | Absolute | 16 | 2 |
| Kohl Drake | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Points: 5-0 | +100KG | Finals | 30 |
| Chris Leiva | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Botinha | +100KG | Semi-Finals | 17 |
| Leo Anillo | Win | 2024 | ADCC Open - Orlando | Kneebar | +100KG | Quarter-Finals | 4 |
| Victor Hugo | Loss | 2024 | UFC FPI 6 | Rear naked | Absolute | — | — |
| Pedro Rocha | Loss | 2024 | IBJJF No-Gi Grand Prix | Advantage | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Luke Griffith | Loss | 2023 | WNO 21 | Inside heel hook | Absolute | — | — |
| Roberto Jimenez | Loss | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | Absolute | Finals | — |
| Elder Cruz | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Outside heel hook | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 170 |
| Felipe Costa | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 2-0 | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 68 |
| Austin Oranday | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Straight ankle lock | Absolute | 16 | 51 |
| Heikki Jussila | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | 97KG | Finals | 323 |
| Daniel Conceicao | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Decision | 97KG | Semi-Finals | 170 |
| Austin Baker | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Worlds | Armbar | 97KG | Quarter-Finals | 68 |
| Roberto Jimenez | Loss | 2023 | Blue Collar | Rear naked | Absolute | Semi-Finals | — |
| Devhonte Johnson | Win | 2023 | Blue Collar | Rear naked | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 1 |
| Roberto Jimenez | Loss | 2023 | Miami No-Gi | Rear naked | Absolute | Semi-Finals | — |
| Inacio Santos | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Pans | Outside heel hook | 97KG | Finals | 149 |
| Igor Schneider | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Pans | Kneebar | 97KG | Semi-Finals | 85 |
| Breylor Grout | Win | 2023 | No-Gi Pans | Points: 9-0 | 97KG | Quarter-Finals | 30 |
| Kyle Boehm | Loss | 10/23/2022 | EBI 20 | Inside heel hook | Absolute | 6 | — |
| Angel Lugo | Win | 10/23/2022 | EBI 20 | Kneebar | Absolute | 16 | 51 |
| Henrique Cardoso | Loss | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Decision | Absolute | Semi-Finals | — |
| Francisco Lo | Win | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 8-0 | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 68 |
| Helton Jose | Win | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 6-0 | Absolute | 16 | 51 |
| Eliot Kelly | Win | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 5-0 | Absolute | 32 | 43 |
| Victor Hugo | Loss | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Decision | 97KG | Semi-Finals | — |
| Antonio Assef | Win | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Points: 5-0 | 97KG | 16 | 51 |
| Helton Jose | Win | 2022 | No-Gi Worlds | Rear naked | 97KG | 32 | 43 |
| Francisco Cuneo | Win | 2022 | Nashville No-Gi | Rear naked | Absolute | Finals | 9 |
| Rafael Anjos | Win | 2022 | Nashville No-Gi | Rear naked | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 5 |
| Joseph Watson | Win | 2022 | Nashville No-Gi | Straight ankle lock | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 1 |
| Justin Fabac | Win | 2022 | Nashville No-Gi | Rear naked | Absolute | 16 | 1 |
| Haisam Rida | Win | 2022 | ADCC | Points: 2-0 | +99KG | Quarter-Finals | 319 |
| Joao Gabriel Rocha | Win | 2022 | ADCC | Kneebar | +99KG | 16 | 276 |
| Gordon Ryan | Loss | 2022 | ADCC | Outside heel hook | 99KG | Semi-Finals | — |
| Yuri Simoes | Win | 2022 | F2W 207 | Decision | 94KG | — | 30 |
| Pedro Alex | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - South America | Calf slicer | +99KG | Finals | 298 |
| Victor Doria | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - South America | Inside heel hook | +99KG | Semi-Finals | 170 |
| William Classen | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - South America | Inside heel hook | +99KG | Quarter-Finals | 30 |
| Henrique Eyroff | Win | 2022 | ADCC Trials - South America | Straight ankle lock | +99KG | 16 | 21 |