Fans might be getting something amazing in 2024, as BJJ legend Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles has just announced his desire to return to competition. It’s been quite a while since anyone has seen him competing but just like many other retired legends, Cobrinha has never stopped training at a level far beyond that of most people on the planet. He might be 43 years old but he’s still in incredible shape and even intends to take at least 6 months preparing for his return to competition as well. He’s clearly confident in his athletic abilities too, as he’s expressed his desire for a no time-limit match instead of a traditional 5 or 10 minute round.
While there’s no news on what promotion he might be competing for in his return to professional grappling, he’ll have no shortage of options. Realistically, any promoter on the planet would jump at the chance to book a major event like Cobrinha’s return to competition. He hasn’t challenged any specific BJJ black belt for the match either, but similarly there wouldn’t be anyone in his weight class who would dream of turning down the opportunity for a match with him.
The last time anyone saw Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles competing was all the way back at ADCC 2017, when he won his third consecutive gold medal in the 66kg division. He ruled over that weight class with an iron fist for 4 straight years but there has been two new champions since he decided to retire. Augusto ‘Tanquinho’ Mendes won the division in 2019 before also retiring from competition and Diogo Reis is the reigning champion after his victory at ADCC 2022. A match with Tanquinho might be a fun battle between two legends, but Cobrinha has already had 7 matches with him and is currently leading the series at 4-3. The most interesting match available would undoubtedly be one against the reigning champion Reis, who made a huge statement with a fantastic performance at ADCC 2022.
Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles announced his desire to return to BJJ competition in 2024 in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
