Black Belt Accomplishments

• 2X World Champion (2021, 2022), 2X Pan Champion (2021, 2022), 2X European Champion (2022, 2023)
• #1 ranked adult male middleweight, #2 ranked adult male overall
• Undefeated in IBJJF competition with a 51-0 overall record; 23-0 in major championships
• 70.5% overall submission rate; 60.9% major championship submission rate

Tainan Dalpra of AOJ was promoted to black belt by Professor Guilherme Mendes in the fall of 2020 following a brown belt Pan title. Since his promotion, Tainan has gone undefeated at black belt, winning the most prestigious titles in the sport in historically one of the toughest divisions. He made his black belt debut at the 2021 Dallas Open, taking gold after defeating several veteran black belts. He’d continue to compete in open tournaments throughout the U.S. prior to his black belt major championship debut at the 2021 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships. The following is a deep dive into Tainan’s black run in the major championships, just prior to the 2023 Pans. 

Tainan’s Major Championships By The Numbers

At the 2021 Pans, Tainan competed in the middleweight division, aiming for his first major black belt belt title. After four tough matches, he was crowned the 2021 Pan Champion. Since that gold medal, Tainan has gone on to compete in five other major events, keeping his undefeated record intact and continually improving his submission rate with each event. In major gi championships, which are widely recognized as the pinnacle of jiu-jitsu competition, Tainan has amassed a 23-0 overall record, with 14 of those wins coming via submission. Of Tainan’s 14 major championship submissions, half have come via choke from the back. In fact, the choke from the back was the only submission that he repeated, proving not only his ability to finish opponents, but also to do so in a number of different ways. 

Tainan’s most recent major championship was the 2023 Europeans, where he captured his second title at the event with a 100% submission rate. His focus for the event was to finish his opponents from the back, a goal he accomplished masterfully in each match. Tainan will look to add a seventh major title to his resume at the 2023 Pans. Should Tainan win another gold at Pans, he’ll be just two major titles behind Marcelo Garcia, who won nine major events as a black belt to become the most accomplished middleweight of all time. You won’t want to miss any of Tainan’s matches at the 2023 Pans. Tune in on flograppling.com as he pursues his seventh major title and looks to add to his submission tally.