JitsCast #33 features one of the top gi competitors in the world, Matheus Gabriel. Not only was Gabriel one of the top prospects of his generation during his run through the purple and brown belt levels, but he quickly established himself at the top of the sport too. Gabriel won the IBJJF World Championship at black belt on his very first attempt in 2019, but it took him 6 years to add a second world title to his collection. Gabriel won the most recent edition of the IBJJF World Championship in 2025 and completed an incredible comeback after a very tough period in his career.
Gabriel shared the incredible story of his journey from Manaus, Brazil, where his grandmother made him do Jiu-Jitsu as a child because of his behaviour at school. He explained why he didn’t actually enjoy the sport to begin with and what it was that led to him falling in love with Jiu-Jitsu. Gabriel also talked about his first major decision to leave Manaus at the age of 14 in order to train in Rio De Janeiro, along with what life was like living in the favela. Gabriel also talked about his second big move over to the United States and how he was able to do that with the help of those around him at the time.
Gabriel shared stories from several different major tournaments, including his black belt debut against Paulo Miyao and his rivalry with Kennedy Maciel. He also spoke about ADCC; from his debut at the event back in 2019 to whether or not he will be returning to it next year. One of the biggest things to happen to Gabriel recently was the knee injury that he suffered in 2023; and he talked openly about his difficult road back to full health after the resulting surgery.
JitsCast #33 with Matheus Gabriel is now available to watch on the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
