Gabriel Brod is living the biggest moment of his Jiu-Jitsu career. A Felipe Pena black belt from Pelotas, in southern Brazil, he is confirmed for ADCC in Poland, where he will compete for the first time in the main event of the world’s biggest grappling competition. Fresh off winning the Brazilian no-gi title, he arrives motivated to chase a first title in the under-88kg division.
Before dedicating himself to Jiu-Jitsu, Brod raced motocross, trained Muay Thai, served in the Army and studied Nutrition. It was during his military career that he discovered the Gentle Art. Of all those experiences, he highlights the humanitarian mission in Haiti as the one that shaped him the most, especially through the lessons in resilience, discipline and determination learned alongside members of the Special Forces.
According to the athlete, the ADCC invitation confirms a goal he has nurtured for years. “I always believed I could be among the best athletes in my weight class, and getting this invitation was the realization of what I had believed for a long time,” he said.
ALONGSIDE HIS COACH, GABRIEL BROD TAKES ON ONE OF THE EVENT’S MOST COMPETITIVE DIVISIONS
The campaign takes on special meaning because it is shared with Felipe Pena. Gabriel’s coach and the reigning over-99kg champion, ‘Preguiça’ will also be in action in Poland. While Pena defends his title, his student will try to win his first gold medal at the event. For Brod, sharing this moment with the person who was decisive in his growth in the sport is a unique opportunity.
The under-88kg division lost two-time champion Giancarlo Bodoni, but it remains one of the toughest in the tournament. Pedro Marinho, Gustavo Batista, Pawel Jaworski and Nathan Haddad are among the top podium contenders. Even in such a competitive field, Brod believes his aggression and intensity can make the difference against any opponent on equal terms.
On top of his ADCC preparation, the athlete arrives on a roll after winning the Brazilian No Gi Championship, a competition that highlighted the growing international presence in grappling.
In Brod’s view, the performance of foreign athletes shows that no-gi Jiu-Jitsu is going through a global expansion. For him, the sport is no longer concentrated in a few countries and now brings together high-level competitors from different parts of the world, raising the difficulty of the major competitions and making the field more and more balanced.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
