Catriel Rodrigues has just revealed that he has left GF Team and from now on he will be representing Checkmat in competition instead. Rodrigues has established himself as one of the top gi grapplers in the heavyweight divisions over the years since he was promoted to black belt in 2021 and he has even occasionally ventured into no gi competition with just as much success. He has managed to rack up some wins over big names in the heavier weight classes over the last few years and has even won the Abu Dhabi World Pro, making him a huge boost to the Checkmat roster.
Rodrigues is a lifelong martial artist who started from very humble beginnings, and he actually found his way to BJJ after an initial introduction to Judo as a child. He progressed through the children’s ranks and needed an environment that could push him to the very limit of his potential, so he quickly outgrew his first training room. That’s what led him to find GF Team and it was there that he developed from a promising young prospect into the top contender in the black belt divisions that he is today.
In fact, Catriel Rodrigues expressed a ton of gratitude to GF Team when he announced his decision to leave them for Checkmat. This might be a fantastic move for his career though, as there are a ton of elite-level training partners available to him under the Checkmat banner. Elder Cruz has risen to the highest levels of the sport as a Checkmat competitor and he’s the ideal training partner for someone Rodrigues’ size, especially if he’s looking to take more no gi matches in the future. He isn’t alone in moving teams either, as another top contender in the heavier weight classes, Francisco Lo, also joined Checkmat at the end of last year.
Catriel Rodrigues announced the news that he was going to be leaving GF Team in order to represent Checkmat in competition in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
