Max Gimenis on leaving jiu-jitsu for MMA: “Don’t go”
The UFC heavyweight and GF Team black belt says jiu-jitsu already offers enough opportunities and that the switch only makes sense for those who truly want it
Max Gimenis went from jiu-jitsu to MMA and now fights in the UFC. Even so, the advice he gives to anyone thinking about the same path points the other way. In a video posted on Instagram, the black belt said jiu-jitsu already offers enough opportunities for an athlete to build a career without switching sports.
“The advice is: ‘Don’t go’ to MMA. There is so much opportunity in jiu-jitsu today… Unless it is something from your heart. But jiu-jitsu people today no longer need to move to MMA,” he said.
He knows both sides
A Rio de Janeiro native, Gimenis received his black belt in 2016 on the podium of the IBJJF World Championship, right after winning at brown belt. As a black belt, he won the Pan in 2020 and was the World Championship runner-up in 2021, at super-heavyweight. He made his professional MMA debut in 2022, and his first UFC fight, at heavyweight, came in November 2025.
More paths inside jiu-jitsu
His comment comes at a time when the professional grappling calendar has grown. In 2026, jiu-jitsu athletes compete for belts in UFC BJJ, fight in ONE Championship and go after $20,000 per division at the IBJJF’s The Crown.
Gimenis himself is adding to that list. He is the organizer of Brave Challenge II, this Saturday, October 10, in Maryland, with two Grand Prix brackets that pay $1,000 to each champion, and he has told VF Comunica he runs the event with the eyes of someone who still competes.
Do you agree with Max Gimenis? Is it still worth leaving jiu-jitsu for MMA? Leave your opinion in the comments.
