Paulo Miyao and Gianni Grippo are two of the best competitors to step on the mats over the last decade and these two men have engaged in a rivalry that was the focal point of the lighter weightclasses or quite some time. The pair first met in 2015 where Miyao managed to win all three of their encounters on the IBJJF circuit but was unable to secure a submission in any one, winning on advantages, points, and a referee decision.
In 2018 they crossed paths three times again, with Miyao winning on advantages the first time round. Their fifth meeting would finally go Grippo’s way however as he managed to secure his first victory over his toughest opponent by winning on points at the AJP Tour Abu Dhabi Grand Slam LA. He managed to repeat that feat again at Kasai Pro 4 when he won on points once again, taking the score between these two to 4-2.
Since then, Grippo has moved up in weight and the two no longer cross paths regularly. They both competed at the IBJJF no gi Pan-Ams this year and took gold in their respective weightclasses, proving that they’re still at the very top level of the sport. With Paulo Miyao and Gianni Grippo turning 30 and 29 respectively this year, they don’t have long before the youth of today can outpace them and they sat down to discuss what it feels like to take a back-seat in the competition world in order to start teaching the next generation full-time. The below video was uploaded to the official YouTube channel for Gripp Tape:
