Erberth Santos IBJJF X FloGrappling GP Super Fight Interview
As a brown belt, Erberth Santos was one of the most promising young athletes in jiu-jitsu. He won Pan, Brazilian National, and World Championship gold and was promoted to black belt in late 2014. His success on the competition mats continued at black belt. Erberth has won every major title, taking gold at Europeans and Brazilian Nationals in 2015 and 2016 and Pan and Worlds gold in 2017. His style is based around explosive guard passing and submissions, often utilizing torreandos, back attacks, and kneebars. He’ll be competing at the IBJJF FloGrappling Grand Prix in a super fight on Friday August 12th in Austin, Texas. Erberth’s opponent will be current #1 ranked adult male black belt Fellipe Andrew.
2022 Season
Erberth’s first IBJJF tournament of 2022 was the San Diego Open where he won gold in the ultra-heavyweight division. He then competed at the World Championships, drawing Rafael Lovato Jr. in the first round. The match was one of the most anticipated first rounds matches at the Worlds, and it did not disappoint. Although he ended up losing the match via points, Erberth had many great moments, including a beautifully timed foot sweep and a near guard pass in the opening exchange. “ It was a very good fight, too bad I missed a lot more opportunities than my opponent,” said Erberth of the match.
GP Superfight Against Fellipe Andrew
As part of the IBJJF FloGrappling GP event, Erberth will square off against #1 ranked Fellipe Andrew in a super fight. It’s a match up jiu-jitsu fans can’t wait to see, as both athletes are always pushing the pace and looking for the submission finish. “I think it's cool that I'm facing the current #1 in the world for several years in a row. The pressure is all his. I'm going to do my best and come out with the victory.” Fellipe’s #1 ranking was further solidified by double gold performances at the Europeans and American Nationals in 2022, where he accumulated multiple wins by submission. “Yes, he has good finishing attacks, but his opponents are scared from what I see. I think it will be a good fight and the fans will be the winners!” Being a super fight, Erberth will come to the mats with a specific strategy for Fellipe. “I'll come up with a strategy and I'll follow it to the end of the fight with him!”
Grand Prix Brackets
The medium-heavy and female Grand Prix brackets include some of the sport’s top athletes and are sure to be action-packed. Leandro Lo, Ronaldo Jr., Andre Porfirio, and Mathias Luna make up the medium-heavy GP while Anna Rodrigues, Ffion Davies, Bianca Basilio, and Nathalie Ribeiro are the female GP athletes. “I think it's cool and important to have the male and female GP’s. It's well balanced and it will be great to see it up close! I want to thank IBJJF and FloGrappling for the opportunity to be at the event. I'm sure it's going to be a great show.”
Don’t miss any of the matches at the IBJJF FloGrappling GP, live on Friday August 12th on FloGrappling.