Omar Salum

Omar Salum won the Worlds four years in a row, always at roosterweight and always for Gracie Humaitá: at purple belt in 1997, at brown belt in 1998 and at black belt in 1999 and 2000. With the back-to-back black belt titles he became the first man to win the lightest Worlds division twice, a mark only matched about a decade later by Bruno Malfacine.

Raised in Manaus, he started jiu-jitsu in 1993 and took his first class at Associação Monteiro with Fábio “Binho” Monteiro. He received his black belt from Royler Gracie in 1999, shortly before his first world title at the new rank.

A serious knee injury, which required several surgeries, cut his career short at its peak. He returned to competition in the masters divisions in 2005, opened an academy in Manaus and in 2017 won the World Master by beating fellow roosterweight world champion Marcos Norat in the final.

He moved to the United States in 2015 and runs Gracie Humaitá Hemet in California. In 2019, at 43, he signed up again for the adult black belt Worlds, 19 years after his last appearance. He still teaches seminars, including in Manaus.