Felipe Pena: A Run Down of His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey

Do you know the legendary grappler who not only beat the legendary Gordon Ryan once but twice? Allow me to introduce Felipe Pena, an outstanding competitor who has established his dominance in some of the world’s most important Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.

Felipe Pena is a famous jiu-jitsu contender who is known for his excellent skill in both Gi and No-Gi. Among his many accomplishments include victories in the World, Pans, ADCC, European Open, Abu Dhabi Pro, World Pro, and Brazilian National Championships.

If you’re interested in learning more about this incredible athlete’s journey, you’re in for a treat. In this article, we’ll go on a journey through Felipe Pena’s incredible life. We’ll talk also about some of his awe-inspiring bouts that graphically illustrate his amazing talents, from his modest origins to his astounding successes. Be prepared to be astounded!

When Was Felipe Pena Born? And Where?

felipe pena adcc

Felipe Pena was born on October 19, 1991, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a city known not just for its dynamic culture but also for its magnificent architecture and museums.

Pena’s extraordinary voyage takes off from Belo Horizonte (state of Minas Gerais), Brazil’s sixth most populated city.

As you may not know, the state of Minas Gerais has produced many Brazilian jiu-jitsu legends. Just like Carlos Terrinha, Romulo Barral, Lucas Lepri, and a slew of others who have made significant accomplishments in the sport of BJJ.

Felipe Pena Jiu-Jitsu Beginnings

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Felipe Pena, often called “preguiça,” which means “lazy”, may look deceptive at first glance. This nickname, however, dates back to his adolescence, when he began his jiu-jitsu training. But, Felipe is now well-known and respected in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world.

Felipe Pena started jiu-jitsu training at the age of 14 under the influence of his elder brother, Augusto Vieira Carsalade. He enrolled in the Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte BJJ kids program.

During this period, his promise came through, gaining the notice of adult team leaders Marcelo “Uirapuru” and Sérgio Benini. They took Pena under their wing, leading him through his growth to the blue belt after being impressed by his devotion and skill.

Felipe Pena trained diligently at Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte, competing in various events throughout the year, driven by his desire to achieve. His constant devotion, unwavering hard work, and natural brilliance swiftly pushed him to fame.

Therefore, He won large competitions at the purple and brown belt levels, amassing an outstanding collection of gold medals.

Pena’s desire for advancement drove him to leave the limits of Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte. He traveled to the United States on a regular basis to train with another Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu veteran, Romulo Barral, at Gracie Barra Northridge in California.

Felipe’s regular victories had won him the prized black belt by the end of 2012. Vinicius “Draculino,” the acclaimed head teacher of Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte, and Marcelo Azevedo awarded this distinction to him.

Related: Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena (An Epic Rivalry!)

What BJJ Belt Is Felipe Pena?

Felipe Pena is a well-known Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Marcelo Azevedo, who has a sizeable Brazilian jiu-jitsu experience as a competitor and an instructor.

Aside from that, he competes for the Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu team in competitions.

Felipe Pena’s BJJ Accomplishments

Felipe Pena’s accomplishments in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions are nothing short of incredible. His power has no boundaries.

Between 2010 and 2011, he won three major championships as a purple belt, including the World, Pan, and IBJJF South American Championships.

Pena’s success continued at the brown belt level, with wins at the IBJJF World Championship, Pan Championship, European Open, South American Championship, and CBJJ Brazilian Nationals.

Felipe Pena has won various notable competitions over his distinguished career. With a total of nine world championships in both Gi and No Gi.

Belt Rank Pena(s BJJ Accomplishments
Black Belt – ADCC World Champion (2017, Absolute)
– IBJJF World Champion ( 2018 / 2019)
– IBJJF World NOGI Champion (2015, Double Gold)
– IBJJF European Open Winner (2016, Absolute)
– BJJ Stars Heavyweight GP Champion (2021)
– AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2015 / 2016, absolute/ 2017 / 2018)
– AJP Grand Slam Champion, TYO (2016)
– AJP Grand Slam Champion, RJ (2016)
– Copa Podio HW Grand Prix Champion (2014 / 2015)
– Marianas Invitational Champion (2016 / 2017 (Double Gold) / 2018)
– CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Champion (2014, Double Gold)
– ADCC Brazilian RJ Trials Winner (2015)
Colored Belts – IBJJF World Champion (2011 Double Gold as a Purple Belt, 2012 as a Brown Belt)
– IBJJF World No-Gi Champion (2015, Double Gold)
– IBJJF Pan Champion (2011 purple, 2012 brown)
– IBJJF European Open Champion (2012 brown)
– IBJJF South American Champion (2011 Double Gold as a Brown Belt)
– CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Champion (2012 brown)

Who Helped Pena Achieve This Career?

Felipe Pena was influenced by a number of world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, including Mauro Gerald, Romulo Barral, Vinicius Magalhaes (Draculino), and Marcelo Azevedo.

They were present at the Gracie Barra Academy in Belo Horizonte when he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And since then, they have assisted him in developing into a ferocious fighter in major competitions.

Romulo Barral

Rumola is the head instructor at Gracie Barra Northridge. In the medium-heavy division, he has a 5x black belt world championships. And he is an ADCC and No-Gi World Champion, among other titles.

Vinicius Magalhaes “Draculino”

Magalhaes is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the instruction of Carlos Gracie Junior. Among his many accomplishments are three Pan American Championships (1995, 1996, 1998), a Brazilian National Championship, and several other titles (1996)

On the other hand, Vinicius is a well-known BJJ instructor who has worked with grapplers such as Romulo Barral, Samuel Braga, and Marcelo Azevedo to level up their performance.

Marcelo Azevedo “Uirapuru”

Azevedo is a well-known Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trained under the legendary Vinicius Draculino.

Marcelo has achieved numerous achievements in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, including being crowned World Champion No-Gi (2008 ), World Master & Seniors Champion (2012), and CBJJ Brazilian National Teams Champion (2004), among others.

On the other hand, Azevedo was serving as head coach of the Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte headquarters when Vinicius Magalhaes (Draculino) moved to the United States.

What Is Felipe Pena’s Weight Class?

Throughout his career, Felipe Pena competed in various weight classes, including Meio Pesado (medium-heavyweight – 88kg/194 lbs).

As well as being his typical weight class for the ADCC championship. It is conceivable that he was competing in this weight class when he first began competing in Jiu-Jitsu Gi and No-Gi competitions.

The heavyweight division (-99kg) is where Felipe is now competing, even though this has never been his natural weight because his usual body weight is between 91 and 92 kg.

As a result, he has put in a lot of effort and consumed many calories to achieve this weight classification.

Moreover, he has developed a training routine that includes squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and other conditioning tactics, all of which will aid him in accomplishing his goals.

Currently, Felipe Pena is competing in the heavyweight class (-99kg) in Jiu-jitsu competitions. The result will be him up against a diverse range of opponents he has never faced before in an event; will he have what it takes to succeed over them?

Felipe Pena’s Favorite Jiu-Jitsu Techniques

Felipe Pena has taken his abilities to an extreme level since he was a purple belt. He possessed exceptional skills in the open guard, back attacks, leglocks, and various other techniques and submissions.

Apart from that, Felipe Pena has an excellent record in BJJ championships, with nearly half of his victories coming via submission.

The following are some of Felipe Pena’s favorite techniques that he has used to win major tournaments throughout his professional career. Have fun!

BJJ Chokes

During his career, Felipe Fepa had submitted several opponents, including Giovanni Deallema (in the world championship in 2014), using BJJ chokes, particularly from the back position. As well as D. Souza, Igor Schneider, Adam Wardzinski (In the World Pro 2017), and many more.

Even in the most competitive tournament situations in the world of BJJ, chokes are considered to be among the most solid and practical weapons for submitting your opponent to the ground.

Armbars

Several opponents, including Patrick Gaudio (at the No-Gi World 2015), Josh Jerome (at the Marianas Open 2018), Y. Ozawa (at the ADCC World 2017), and others, have been defeated with Felipe’s armbar technique.

Furthermore, the armbar is one of the most compelling submissions you should learn to use effectively. Therefore, it is especially beneficial if you are looking to improve your jiu-jitsu abilities.

Amongst other things, Felipe Pena employs various techniques and submissions, including guard passing and retentions techniques (especially from the X guardsingle-leg X, etc.), cross choke, kneebarguillotine, toe hold, darce choke, and more.

Felipe Pena Jiu Jitsu Academy

Felipe Pena began his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training in Brazil at the Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte. In addition, he competes in tournaments for the Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu team.

The Gracie Barra school in Belo Horizonte is one of many GB schools located throughout the globe.

Gracie Barra, on the other hand, is one of the best jiu-jitsu schools in the world. Besides, It has affiliates worldwide with a strong philosophy well-known throughout the martial arts community. 

You may not be aware that Felipe Pena has his BJJ academy team, which goes by “Felipe Preguiça Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.” Moreover, the story begins when Felipe Preguiça is still a purple belt and has just begun to teach private classes.

The Felipe Preguiça Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school first opened its doors in 2012. Moreover, because Felipe Pena’s distinctive teaching philosophy was considered a reference in the combat sports field, more people began enrolling in the classes.

What is the Net Worth of Felipe Pena Preguiça?

Based on our research and other sources, we projected Felipe Pena’s net worth in 2021 to be between 1 and 5 million dollars.

As a result of his multiple victories, including the World Championships several times and the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, the BJJ Stars Heavyweight Grand Prix, and numerous other triumphs, he has made his principal source of income.

Aside from that, he owns and operates his school, Felipe Preguiça Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Additionally, he has produced several BJJ courses (DVDs).

Felipe Pena Top BJJ Matches

  • Felipe Pena Vs Renato Cardoso (World Championship 2017, Quarterfinal)
source: IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation)
  • Felipe Preguiça Vs Matheus Diniz (World Championship 2019, Semifinal)
source: IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation)
  • Felipe Pena Vs Erberth Santos (European Open 2016, Final, Absolute)
source: IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation)
Source: FloGrappling

Conclusion

Felipe Pena is one of the most accomplished competitors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ADCC. Many years ago, he began martial arts training at the Gracie Barra in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

He has been training in BJJ since he was fourteen years old and has continued to do so.

Beyond being a well-known Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Marcelo Azevedo, Felipe Pena brings a wealth of experience to the sport, having competed in it and taught it for over a decade.

Felipe has achieved a lot in the most prestigious tournaments in Gi and No-Gi disciplines. He has won multiple IBJJF World Championships, the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, the BJJ Stars Heavyweight Grand Prix, and many other prestigious titles.

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