Rômulo Barral
Rômulo Claudio Barral · Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Five-time medium-heavyweight world champion. A member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame since 2014.
- world titles at black belt
- 5
- wins
- 107
- by submission, 57% of wins
- 61
- losses
- 41
Record in black belt competition.
World titles at black belt
IBJJF World Championship, 2007 to 2014. Weight class: medium-heavyweight.
- 2007 WeightGold OpenSilver
- 2009 WeightGold OpenSilver
- 2012 WeightGold
- 2013 WeightGold
- 2014 WeightGold
Who is Rômulo Barral
Rômulo Barral was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on May 3, 1982. He started with taekwondo at 8, earning a black belt in it, and took up Jiu-Jitsu at 15 at Gracie Barra BH, under coaches Cristiano Lazzarini and Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães. His first goal was to get ready for MMA, where he debuted in 2004, but he never gave up the gi and got his black belt from Draculino in December 2005.
He won the medium-heavyweight division at the IBJJF World Championship in 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and reached the open class final three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The 2014 gold was inherited: Barral and teammate Bráulio Estima closed out the final, and the title passed to him after Estima was disqualified over a failed drug test.
He was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2014.
Wins in finals and superfights
- 2013Rafael Lovato Jr.ADCC, under 88 kg (194 lb), final · points
- 2013Rodrigo FajardoEuropeans, medium-heavyweight, final · cross choke from mount
- 2012Diogo SampaioWorlds, medium-heavyweight, final · cross choke from mount
- 2009Társis HumphreysWorlds, medium-heavyweight, final · referee decision
- 2007Saulo RibeiroWorlds, medium-heavyweight, final · 6-0
- 2007Társis HumphreysPans, open class, final · 6-6, on advantages
- 2007Társis HumphreysPans, medium-heavyweight, final · 2-2, on advantages
- 2007Alexandre SouzaBrazilian Nationals, medium-heavyweight, final · referee decision
Most recent losses
- 2020Gabriel AlmeidaF2W 152, under 91 kg (201 lb), superfight · referee decision
- 2019Marcos TinocoKasai 5, under 79 kg (174 lb), superfight · 4-1
- 2018Lucas BarbosaACBJJ 14, under 85 kg (187 lb), superfight · points
- 2017Gordon RyanADCC, under 88 kg (194 lb), quarterfinal · rear-naked choke
- 2017Patrick GaudioWorlds, medium-heavyweight, semifinal · referee decision
- 2017Isaque BahiensePans, middleweight, semifinal · 4-2
- 2016Xande RibeiroAJP Rio Grand Slam, under 94 kg (207 lb), semifinal · 0-0, on advantages
- 2016Yuri SimõesBerkut 3, open class, superfight · referee decision
Other titles
2017
- IBJJF Worlds Bronze
2016
- IBJJF Worlds Medium-heavyweight Silver
- IBJJF Pans Silver
- IBJJF Europeans Weight class and open class Gold
- IBJJF Master Worlds Master 1 Gold
2013
- ADCC Under 88 kg (194 lb) Gold
- IBJJF Europeans Gold
2011
- IBJJF Worlds Medium-heavyweight Silver
2010
- IBJJF Worlds Medium-heavyweight and open class Silver
2009
- IBJJF No-Gi Worlds Gold
- IBJJF Pans Silver
2007
- IBJJF Pans Weight class and open class Gold
- Brazilian Nationals (CBJJ) Gold
2006
- IBJJF Worlds Bronze
- Brazilian Nationals (CBJJ) Gold