Nolan Stuart

Nolan Patrick Braga Stuart was born on July 14, 2002, in La Mirada, California, to an American father and a mother of Brazilian descent. He started Jiu-Jitsu at age 10 in the first kids class at Brea Jiu-Jitsu, Dan Lukehart’s academy in Southern California, and has never changed teams. At 13 he moved up to the adult classes, and he also wrestled in school.

At the colored belts, he won the Pans at blue belt in 2020, in his first adult appearance, and the American Nationals at purple belt in 2022. At brown belt, he won the Pans and took silver at the 2023 Worlds. He received his black belt from Dan Lukehart in June 2023, at 20.

The 2025 season put him among the top super-heavyweights. He won the Pans, beating Paulo Merlin 2-0 in the final, and took silver at the Brazilian Nationals and Worlds, losing both finals to Erich Munis. In November, he entered The Crown as an underdog at heavyweight: he beat Robson Chaves 8-2, got past Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa on a referee decision and, in the final, submitted Adam Wardzinski, a two-time world champion and the 2024 Crown champion, with an omoplata.

In 2026, he took bronze at the Europeans at heavyweight and went back to super-heavyweight to win the Pans for the second time, beating Vinicius Liberati 6-4 in the final. Liberati evened the score in May, in the Brazilian Nationals semifinal, and at Worlds Stuart lost a decision to Windson Torres. In October, he won ultra-heavyweight at the Sacramento Fall Open, beating Thierry Felipe in the semifinal and closing out the final with his training partner Francisco Papasidero.

His game starts from guard, and the omoplata has become his trademark: he has seven black belt wins with it, the most famous being the one that won him the Crown. The armbar is the submission he hits most often.

At The Crown on November 8, he returns to heavyweight to defend his title and try to become the division’s first two-time champion. “I’m feeling good for the final goal that is The Crown!” he wrote after his win in Sacramento.