Table of content
1. Matheus Diniz’s Details
Name | Matheus Oliveira Diniz |
Nickname | Gorilla, King Kong |
Born | Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Age | 29 years |
Date of Birth | 8th April 1993 |
Weight | 88 kg (194 lbs) |
Weight Division | Meio Pesado (88 kg-194 lbs) |
Last Weigh-in | 88 kg |
Height | 6’0’’ |
Foundational Style | BJJ |
Career Disclosed Earnings | N/A |
College University | N/A |
Rank | BJJ Black Belt |
Head Coach | Marcelo Garcia |
Last Fight | 2022 ADCC |
Favorite Technique | “Blitz” Style Guard Passing |
Lineage | Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Fabio Gurgel >Marcelo Garcia > Matheus Diniz |
Team Association | Alliance – Marcelo Garcia |
2. Matheus Diniz’s Biography
Matheus Diniz is one of the top Black Belts under Marcelo Garcia. He earned a name as a grappler who showcased his maximum potential in his Brown Belt division. He won major championships in his color belt career and was included to the list of top-class grapplers of his generation.
2.1. Take a Start with Capoeira
Born in the state of Minas Gerais on 8th April 1993, Matheus As a kid Diniz was a troublemaker as most of the brilliant kids usually are. They are hard to control and prone to do whatever they like and decide. He started his Martial Arts journey at the age of 10 in his school but Matheus was a mischievous kid and once he was expelled from school. After leaving his school, Matheus left his Capoeira classes.
2.2. First Introduction with Jiu-Jitsu
At the age of 15 when Matheus was in high school, he heard of a boy who wanted to fight with him. Matheus tracked that boy who used to live in his neighborhood. There was a catch, the boy was a Jiu-Jitsu student in a gym.
Matheus went to his gym and invited him to fight. But the coach at that gym, named Rodrigo Ranieri, did not allow them to fight in his gym. The coach addressed both boys,
“No one is fighting here, from now on you will train together and become friends”.
This was the time when Matheus was introduced to BJJ and his first coach, Rodrigo Ranieri.
2.3. Joined Paulo Rezende’s Academy
After a well-spent few years in Rodrigo’s gym, Matheus wanted to follow the footsteps of legendary Marcelo Garcia. He moved to Poços de Caldas to continue his BJJ journey at Paulo Rezende’s gym, 300 km away from his home. He stayed in Paulo’s gym and trained in Jiu-Jitsu with full devotion.
2.4. Invited by Marcelo Garcia
Throughout his journey from start to Brown Belt, Matheus was very much inspired by Marcelo Garcia. Both fighters belonged to Formiga and both trained under the same coach, Rezende. Marcelo Garcia saw the abilities of Matheus.
He invited Matheus to New York to join him and train in his academy. This was a golden opportunity for Matheus which he utilized. Under the great coaching of Garcia, Matheus’s BJJ skills potentially flourished.
2.5. Nicknamed King Kong and Gorilla
Matheus attained various nicknames but “Gorilla” stayed with him for a long time. This name suited him very well because of his Gorilla-like walking style. He was also nicknamed “King Kong.”
2.6. Matheus Diniz BJJ Pro Combat
Blue Belt, Purple, and Brown Belt Achievements
A few years after joining Rodrigo’s gym, Matheus was promoted to Blue Belt by Rodrigo Ranieri. After the Blue Belt promotion, he joined Paulo Rezende’s gym. At Paulo Rezende, Matheus achieved his Purple and Brown Belts.
Promoted to Black Belt
Matheus made an extraordinary journey in the Brown Belt division. He achieved big achievements like Pans, World No-Gi, and New York Spring Open as a Brown Belt. After these consecutive big achievements, Marcelo Gracia promoted him to Black Belt in April 2015.
Diniz’s Game Evolved under Marcelo Garcia
Under Marcelo Garcia’s coaching, Diniz improved his fighting style and made big achievements in the coming years. He won major championships like World and Pan under his legendary coaching.
Matheus won IBJJF World No-Gi for continuous two years in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he also won IBJJF Pans under the weight and absolute categories. In 2014 he was runner-up in IBJJF World.
Early Black Belt Performances
After the fabulous performance in the Brown Belt and promotion to Black Belt, both Matheus and Marcelo came into the spotlight. Matheus was burdened with a lot of expectations that he had to achieve.
In the IBJJF New York, Matheus executed his best performance against the MGA team. Matheus defeated Neiman Gracie and Gilbert Burns (BJJ & UFC legend) in the 94 kg and absolute division finals respectively and won two gold medals. This was one of the first-ever victories of Matheus in his Black Belt division.
In 2015, he again came into the spotlight when he defeated Garry Tonon in the absolute weight division of No-Gi Pans. He submitted this legend with Wrist Lock and won the final.
At ADCC 2019
In 2019, Matheus was invited to fight at the ADCC World Championship. Matheus started his training with great effort. This was a great chance for him to attain the title of Champion in BJJ. Matheus was categorized in the 88 kg weight division and he had to fight big legends like Pedro Marinho, Craig Jones, Gabriel Arges, and Josh Hinger.
His first challenge at ADCC was Pedro Marinho, one of the great legends of Gracie Barra. He defeated this great legend with staggering points (5-0). In his second match, Matheus faced Gabriel Arges. He won the second match by the referee’s decision. In the semi-finals, Matheus faced the legendary Josh Hinger, from Atos and won the match by points.
In the final, Matheus faced Craig Jones who is famous for his leg-locking techniques. Matheus won his first-ever BJJ title by defeating Craig Jones in the final with points and became ADCC World Champion in the 88 kg weight category.
Coaching Career
Matheus Diniz is now a BJJ instructor at Marcelo Garcia’s Flagship Academy situated in New York. His online lecture series is also available on the internet.
Matheus Diniz’s Future in Jiu-Jitsu
After becoming ADCC champion, Matheus Diniz was aiming to fulfill his dream of becoming IBJJF World Champion. In 2020 and 2021, Matheus Diniz faced defeat by Kynan Duarte, Lucas Barbosa, Fordon Ryan, and Otivio Sousa in the IBJJF World Championship. Now in 2023, Matheus is training hard and looking for another chance to become a World Champion.
3. Matheus Diniz’s Historic Fights
3.1. Matheus Diniz Vs. Craig Jones
Matheus Diniz faced Craig Jones in the final of ADCC 2019. Matheus defeated various super fighters in the ADCC 2019 to reach the final of the championship. In the final, he was very energetic to take this championship title with him.
Matheus Diniz pulled the leg of Craig Jones and tried to mount him. Jones countered by applying full guard. He did not let Matheus mount him completely. Matheus successfully escaped from the full guard but secured top position. The next few minutes passed as Matheus tried to overcome Jones but Jones did not let him do so.
In the next few minutes, the audience saw different phases of head-to-head tussle, take down attempts, and again head-to-head. At the end of the match, Matheus was in the top position trying to overcome Jone when times up. After a 30 minute fight, Matheus won the match with 2 x 0 points and became the ADCC champion.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | ADCC | Craig Jones | Win | Pts: 2x0 | Final | 88kg |
3.2. Matheus Diniz Vs. Lucas Barbosa
Matheus Diniz faced Lucas Barbosa in the quarterfinal of the 2019 World Championship. Matheus Diniz was taken down by Lucas Barbosa at the start of the match but he did not let him score points.
Lucas tried his best to overcome Matheus but Matheus's energetic movements worked well. Matheus Diniz showed a fantastic comeback and not only escaped the mount but also pushed Lucas out of the boundary.
Next ten minutes passed in head-to-head tussle. Both competitors tried to take down each other. At the end of the match, Matheus Diniz found a chance to take down Lucas. Lucas countered by going for an arm lock but he could not submit Matheus as time was over. Matheus won the match with points 2x0.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | World Championship | Lucas Barbosa | Win | Pts: 2x0 | Quarterfinals | 88kg |
3.3. Matheus Diniz Vs. Joseph Watson
Matheus Diniz faced Joseph Watson in the final of the 2020 Atlanta Winter Open. Joseph Watson started the match with a pulling guard in which Matheus secured the top position. Matheus did not let him apply full guard.
So Joseph tried to strangle his leg. In this struggle, Matheus succeeded to take the back of Joseph Watson. Later, Joseph freed his back but Matheus did not let him free completely and mounted him.
Finally, at the end of the match, Matheus mounted him completely and scored three points. Matheus won this match with 3x0 points.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Atlanta WO | Joseph Watson | Win | Pts: 3x0 | Finals | 88kg |
4. Matheus Diniz’s Main Achievements
4.1. Matheus Diniz’s Main Achievements in International Tournaments
Years | Events | Weight Division |
---|---|---|
2013 | IBJJF World NoGi Championship | Medium Heavy |
2014 | IBJJF World NoGi Championship | Medium Heavy |
2014 | New York Spring Open | Weight and Absolute |
2015 | IBJJF Pan Championship | Medium Heavy / Absolute |
2015 | IBJJF Pans Championship NoGi | 88 kg / Absolute |
2015 | IBJJF New York Summer Open | 88 kg / Absolute |
2015 | IBJJF New York No-Gi Summer Open | 94 kg / Absolute |
2018 | Kasai Pro 185 lbs Grand Prix | 84 kg |
2019 | ADCC World Championship | 88 kg |
2022 | IBJJF Pan Championship | 94kg / Absolute |
4.2. Matheus Diniz Main Achievements as Black Belt
Year | Event | Belt | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | IBJJF Pan Championship NoGi | Black Belt | 1st |
2015 | IBJJF New York Summer Open | Black Belt | 1st |
2015 | IBJJF New York No-Gi Summer Open | Black Belt | 1st |
2015 | IBJJF World Championship | Black Belt | 2nd |
2015 | IBJJF World Championship | Black Belt | 3rd |
2016 | IBJJF World Championship NoGi | Black Belt | 3rd |
2017 | IBJJF Pan Championship | Black Belt | 3rd |
2018 | Kasai Pro 185 lbs Grand Prix | Black Belt | 1st |
2018 | IBJJF World Championship NoGi | Black Belt | 3rd |
2018 | IBJJF World Championship NoGi | Black Belt | 3rd |
2019 | ADCC World Championship | Black Belt | 1st |
2019 | IBJJF World Championship | Black Belt | 3rd |
2022 | IBJJF Pan Championship | Black Belt | 1st |
4.3. Matheus Diniz Main Achievements as Color Belt
Year | Event | Belt | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | IBJJF World Championship | Purple Belt | 2nd |
2013 | IBJJF World No-Gi Championship | Brown Belt | 1st |
2014 | IBJJF World No-Gi Championship | Brown Belt | 1st |
2014 | IBJJF New York Spring Open | Brown Belt | 1st |
2014 | IBJJF World Championship | Brown Belt | 2nd |
2015 | IBJJF Pan Championship | Brown Belt | 1st |
5. Matheus Diniz’s Professional Record Breakdown
5.1. Matheus’s Professional Record Breakdown
115 Matches | 81 Wins | 33 Losses |
---|---|---|
By Points | 31 | 15 |
By Advantages | 5 | 4 |
By Submission | 37 | 7 |
By Decision | 7 | 6 |
Penalties | 0 | 0 |
EBI/ OT | 1 | 1 |
Draw | 1 |
5.2. Matheus’s Submission Method Breakdown
Method | 37 Wins | 7 Losses |
---|---|---|
Choke from Back | 8 | 1 |
RNC | 4 | 0 |
Face Mask Choke | 2 | 0 |
Inverted Triangle | 2 | 0 |
Flying Triangle | 1 | 0 |
Crucifix Choke | 1 | 0 |
Kimura | 1 | 0 |
Bread Slicer | 1 | 0 |
Japanese Necktie | 1 | 0 |
Wrist Lock | 4 | 0 |
Armbar | 3 | 2 |
Triangle | 2 | 1 |
Violin Armlock | 2 | 0 |
Mata Leao | 1 | 0 |
Lapel Choke | 1 | 0 |
Kata Gatame | 1 | 0 |
Submission | 1 | 0 |
Bread Cutter Choke | 1 | 0 |
Calf Slicer | 0 | 1 |
Choke | 0 | 1 |
Inside Heel Lock | 0 | 1 |
6. Matheus Diniz Fight History
Year | Competition | Opponent | W/L | Method | Weight | Stage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Metamoris 5 | Vinny Magalhaes | D | --- | ABS | SPF |
2015 | Boca Raton Open | Diego Gamonal | W | Armbar | 88KG | SF |
2015 | Boca Raton Open | Murilo Santana | L | Pts: 7x4 | 88KG | F |
2015 | Boca Raton Open | Nathan Mendelsohn | W | Choke from back | ABS | 4F |
2015 | Boca Raton Open | Diego Gamonal | W | Triangle | ABS | SF |
2015 | Boca Raton Open | Ricardo Bastos | W | Wristlock | ABS | F |
2015 | Boston Spring Open | Jordan Lutsky | W | Armbar | 88KG | 4F |
2015 | Boston Spring Open | Murilo Santana | L | Armbar | 88KG | SF |
2015 | Boston Spring Open | Renan Borges | W | Inverted triangle | ABS | 4F |
2015 | Boston Spring Open | Murilo Santana | L | Armbar | ABS | SF |
2015 | World Champ. | Tarcisio Jardim | L | Pts: 0x0, Adv | ABS | R1 |
2015 | World Champ. | Leandro Lo | L | Pts: 4x0 | 88KG | 4F |
2015 | NY Summer Open | C. Haraszti | W | Flying triangle | 88KG | 4F |
2015 | NY Summer Open | Brian Beauty | W | Choke from back | 88KG | F |
2015 | NY Summer Open | Chris Haraszti | W | DQ | ABS | SF |
2015 | NY No Gi Open | Todd Brandon | W | Inverted triangle | 94KG | SF |
2015 | NY No Gi Open | Neiman Gracie | W | Pts: 2x0 | 94KG | F |
2015 | NY No Gi Open | Jason Lees | W | Pts: 40x0 | ABS | SF |
2015 | NY No Gi Open | Gilbert Burns | W | Pts: 8x2 | ABS | F |
2015 | NoGi Pan Ams | Thomas Loubersanes | W | Pts: 8x0 | 88KG | SF |
2015 | NoGi Pan Ams | David Raab | W | RNC | ABS | 4F |
2015 | NoGi Pan Ams | Gybson Sá | W | Pts: 4x0 | ABS | SF |
2015 | NoGi Pan Ams | Garry Tonon | W | Wristlock | ABS | F |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Pedro Mello | W | Pts: 6x0 | 85KG | 4F |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Lucas Barbosa | L | Pts: 4x2 | 85KG | SF |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Nicholas Liaskos | W | Mata leao | ABS | R1 |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Garry Tonon | W | Pts: 4x0 | ABS | R1 |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Steven Patterson | W | Crucifix Choke | ABS | 4F |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Mahamed Aly | W | RNC | ABS | SF |
2015 | NoGi Worlds | Felipe Pena | L | Pts: 10x2 | ABS | F |
2016 | Pan American | Diego Ramalho | W | Pts: 13x0 | 88KG | R1 |
2016 | Pan American | Murilo Santana | L | Choke | 88KG | 8F |
2016 | EBI 6 | Lucas Rocha | W | EBI/OT | ABS | R1 |
2016 | EBI 6 | Richie Martinez | W | Violin armlock | ABS | 4F |
2016 | EBI 6 | Rustam Chsiev | L | EBI/OT | ABS | SF |
2016 | World Champ. | Thiago Sa | W | Pts: 5x2 | 88KG | R1 |
2016 | World Champ. | Manny Diaz | W | Pts: 2x0 | 88KG | 8F |
2016 | World Champ. | Leandro Lo | L | Pts: 7x0 | 88KG | 4F |
2016 | NY Summer Open | Felipe Cesar | W | Lapel choke | ABS | SF |
2016 | NY Summer Open | Diego Ramos | W | Wristlock | 88KG | RR |
2016 | NY Summer Open | Diego Ramos | W | Violin armlock | 88KG | RR |
2016 | NY NoGi Open | Daniel Mehrkar | W | Triangle | ABS | 4F |
2016 | NY NoGi Open | Felipe Cesar | W | Pts: 8x0 | ABS | SF |
2016 | NY NoGi Open | Murilo Santana | W | Pts: 5x0 | ABS | F |
2016 | Boston SIO | Todd Mueckenheim | W | Points | 94KG | F |
2016 | Boston SIO | James Quinlan | W | Kimura | ABS | 4F |
2016 | Boston SIO | Lucas Valle | W | Choke from back | ABS | SF |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Kit Dale | W | RNC | 85KG | 4F |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Josh Hinger | L | Pts: 4x0 | 85KG | SF |
2017 | Pan American | Joseph Moku | W | Pts: 0x0, Adv | ABS | R1 |
2017 | Pan American | Erberth Santos | L | Pts: 6x2 | ABS | 8F |
2017 | Pan American | Roberto Torralbas | W | Pts: 5x0 | 94KG | 8F |
2017 | Pan American | Nick Schrock | W | Pts: 5x0 | 94KG | 4F |
2017 | Pan American | Leandro Lo | L | Pts: 2x0 | 94KG | SF |
2017 | NY Spring Open | Nicolas Penzer | W | Kata Gatame | 94KG | SF |
2017 | NY Spring Open | Romulo Azevedo | W | Choke from back | 94KG | F |
2017 | World Champ. | Viking Wong | W | Pts: 6x0 | ABS | R1 |
2017 | World Champ. | Mahamed Aly | L | Pts: 7x0 | ABS | 8F |
2017 | World Champ. | Arnaldo Maidana | W | Referee Decision | 94KG | 8F |
2017 | World Champ. | Leandro Lo | L | Referee Decision | 94KG | 4F |
2017 | FIVE Super League | Keenan Cornelius | L | Referee Decision | 94KG | SPF |
2018 | Atlanta W. Open | Igor Paiva | W | Bread slicer | 88KG | SF |
2018 | Atlanta W. Open | Charles Mcguire | W | Wristlock | ABS | 4F |
2018 | Atlanta W. Open | Joshua Bacallao | W | Armbar | ABS | SF |
2018 | Continental Pro | Olivier Kee-Seng | W | Pts: 11x0 | 85KG | 4F |
2018 | Continental Pro | Murilo Santana | W | Referee Decision | 85KG | SF |
2018 | Continental Pro | Nick Calvanese | W | Submission | 85KG | F |
2018 | Pan American | Max Gimenis | W | Choke from back | ABS | R1 |
2018 | Pan American | Tim Spriggs | L | Pts: 7x0 | ABS | R2 |
2018 | Pan American | Diogo Sampaio | W | Pts: 0x0, Adv | 88KG | 4F |
2018 | Pan American | Lucas Barbosa | L | Pts: 2x2, Adv | 88KG | SF |
2018 | Kasai Pro 2 | Richie Martinez | W | Pts: 7x0 | 84KG | RR |
2018 | Kasai Pro 2 | Felipe Mota | W | Pts: 2x0 | 84KG | RR |
2018 | Kasai Pro 2 | Pierre Leclerc | W | Japanese necktie | 84KG | RR |
2018 | Kasai Pro 2 | Michael Perez | W | Pts: 2x0 | 84KG | F |
2018 | World Champ. | Diogo Almeida | W | Bread cutter choke | 88KG | R1 |
2018 | World Champ. | C. Negromonte | W | Pts: 2x2, Adv | 88KG | 8F |
2018 | World Champ. | Lucas Barbosa | L | Choke from back | 88KG | 4F |
2018 | Grapple Fest | Craig Jones | L | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2018 | GrappleFest 3 | Daniel Strauss | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Vegard Randeberg | W | DQ | 85KG | R2 |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Mauricio Oliveira | W | Referee Decision | 85KG | 4F |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Josh Hinger | L | Pts: 8x5 | 85KG | SF |
2019 | Spyder Inv. | Hyungcheul Kim | W | Pts: 13x0 | 100KG | 4F |
2019 | Spyder Inv. | Tim Spriggs | L | Pts: 3x0 | 100KG | SF |
2019 | Spyder Inv. | A. Munis | L | Referee Decision | 100KG | 3RD |
2019 | Pan American | Esdras Barbosa | W | Choke from back | 88KG | 8F |
2019 | Pan American | Murilo Santana | W | Pts: 4x2 | 88KG | 4F |
2019 | Pan American | Lucas Barbosa | L | Pts: 0x0, Adv | 88KG | SF |
2019 | F2W 111 | Gustavo Batista | W | Referee Decision | 85KG | SPF |
2019 | F2W 112 | Gabriel Arges | L | Referee Decision | 88KG | SPF |
2019 | World Champ. | Tarsis Humphreys | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | R2 |
2019 | World Champ. | Lucas Barbosa | W | Pts: 2x0 | 88KG | 4F |
2019 | World Champ. | Felipe Pena | L | Pts: 2x0 | 88KG | SF |
2019 | Third Coast | Craig Jones | W | Points | 85KG | SPF |
2019 | Kasai Pro 6 | Josh Hinger | W | RNC | 86KG | SPF |
2019 | ADCC | Pedro Marinho | W | Pts: 5x0 | 88KG | R1 |
2019 | ADCC | Gabriel Arges | W | Referee Decision | 88KG | 4F |
2019 | ADCC | Josh Hinger | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | SF |
2019 | ADCC | Craig Jones | W | Pts: 2x0 | 88KG | F |
2020 | Atlanta WO | Angelo Claiborne | W | Choke from back | 88KG | SF |
2020 | Atlanta WO | Joseph Watson | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | F |
2020 | WNO 4 | Gordon Ryan | L | Inside heel hook | ABS | SPF |
2020 | BJJ Stars 4 | Otavio Sousa | L | Pts: 0x0, Adv | 86KG | 4F |
2021 | BJJ Stars | Lucas Barbosa | L | Pts: 2x0 | 94KG | SPF |
2021 | Road to ADCC | Kaynan Duarte | L | Calf slicer | ABS | SPF |
2021 | Grapple Temple | David Garmo | W | Face mask choke | N/A | SPF |
2021 | World Champ. | Juan Cleber | W | Face mask choke | 88KG | R1 |
2021 | World Champ. | Otavio Sousa | L | Referee Decision | 88KG | 8F |
2022 | Charleston Open | Jeferson Guaresi | W | Referee Decision | 94KG | SF |
2022 | Charleston Open | Lucas Lisboa | W | Pts: 0x0, Adv | 94KG | F |
2022 | Pan American | Lucas Lisboa | W | Choke from back | 94KG | R1 |
2022 | Pan American | Adam Wardzinski | W | Pts: 3x0 | 94KG | 4F |
2022 | Pan American | Pedro Machado | W | Pts: 0x0, Adv | 94KG | SF |
2022 | World Champ. | Rider Zuchi | L | Pts: 4x2 | 94KG | 4F |
2022 | ADCC | Rodrigo Dib | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | R1 |
2022 | ADCC | Giancarlo Bodoni | L | Triangle | 88KG | 4F |
7. Matheus Diniz’s Top Fights Links
Craig Jones vs Matheus Diniz - 2019 ADCC World Championships
Matheus Diniz v Adam Wardziński / Pan Championship 2022
Matheus Diniz v Lucas Lisboa / Charleston Open 2022
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