Robert Lewis Drysdale[1] (born October 5, 1981) is a Brazilian-American Brazilian jiu-jitsu 4th degree black belt under Léo Vieira, a retired mixed martial artist and an instructor at his own BJJ academy, "Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu". Having won multiple World Championships, he was referred to by Vice magazine as "America's jiu-jitsu superhero",[2] regarded by BJJ Heroes as "the most accomplished American grappler of his generation"[3] and as the best Submission Wrestler in the World by Gracie Magazine.[4]
Drysdale is one of only two Americans (with Rafael Lovato Jr.) to have won Mundials in the gi at 94 kg and up.
Drysdale is one of only four Americans to have won the ADCC absolute division; at the 2007 ADCC he submitted grappling legend Marcelo Garcia in just over two minutes.[5] That same year he was named the best submission wrestler in the world by Gracie Magazine.[4]
Born in Utah, the United States to a Brazilian mother and American father, he moved to Brazil with his family in 1987 at the age of six. Robert Drysdale spent much of his childhood in Brazil.
He was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu during his late teens (17) at the Quatro Tempos Academy in the city of Itú, state of São Paulo, Brazil in 1998. As a white belt, Drysdale moved back to the US to pursue his academic studies in Las Vegas, in 2008. He continued training with instructor Steve da Silva until with his instructor’s encouragement, Robert decided to move back to Brazil where the sport was gaining popularity and had more competition opportunities.
Beginning in the early 1990s, jiu-jitsu began growing in popularity worldwide and Brazil was quickly becoming the Mecca for jiu-jitsu. Robert returned to Brazil in 2002 to dedicate himself entirely to training and competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Over the years he has trained continually, initially with Maromba Club and eventually team Brasa Jiu-Jitsu Club in São Paulo, Brazil.
While training and competing for Brasa Club he received his Black Belt in 2004 from the famed Léo Vieira.
In Brazil, he went on to win multiple national and world titles, becoming the 2nd US national to win an IBJJF black belt World title (2005), after BJ Penn.
In early 2008, he returned to the US where he trained with former UFC Champion, Randy Couture and former Pride Champion Wanderlei Silva. That same year he opened Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas, still in operation today.
He has competed and taught in various countries around the world, including Germany, Denmark, Poland, France, Sweden, Finland, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Norway, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Greece, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Russia, England, Scotland, Japan, Bulgaria and Austria; while teaching and hosting seminars in cities across the United States.
In 2012 Drysdale joined forces with Rodrigo Cavaca to form a new grappling team – Zenith BJJ, which became a big player in the sport.
Mixed martial arts
Robert Drysdale made his amateur MMA debut with Tuff-N-Uff in 2008, winning his fight.[6] In 2010 Drysdale made a successful professional MMA debut defeating Bastien Huveneers via arm triangle choke.[7] In his next fight, Drysdale faced Clay Davidson, a King of the Cage veteran who entered the contest riding a six-fight win streak. Drysdale won via armbar in the first round.[8]
It was announced on February 16, 2012 that Drysdale has signed a multi-fight deal with Legacy Fighting Championship.[9] Drysdale eventually made his debut at Legacy Fighting Championships 12 and went on to defeat Isaac Villanueva, Chris Reed and D.J. Linderman under the Legacy FC banner all by submission in the first round.[10]
UFC 2013
Drysdale’s rampant MMA career brought him to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2013.
Drysdale was expected to make his promotional debut against Ednaldo Oliveira on August 3, 2013 at UFC 163.[11] However, Drysdale pulled out of the bout in mid-July citing a lingering staph infection.[12]
Drysdale eventually made his debut on July 6, 2014 against promotion newcomer Keith Berish at The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale.[14] He won the fight via submission in the first round. However, the win was later overturned and changed to a no contest, after it was reveled that Drysdale had failed a post-fight drug test for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. After failing his second drug test, Drysdale was released by the UFC.[15]
He was introduced on Countdown to UFC 101 as the BJJ coach of former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.
In 2008 Drysdale was brought in as an assistant coach to Frank Mir at The Ultimate Fighter Season 8. Again in 2013 as assistant coach to team Miesha Tate Season 18. was invited to be an assistant coach to Joe Benavidez on The Ultimate Fighter Season 24 and again as the grappling coach for Joanna Jędrzejczyk's team on The Ultimate Fighter season 23.
In June 2020, Drysdale elicited controversy after he refused to call off a fight involving his fighter Max Rohskopf vs. Austin Hubbard at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov on June 20, despite Rohskopf telling him nine times between the second and third rounds to "call it." Eventually, a Nevada State Athletic Commission official intervened and called in the referee and doctor to check on Rohskopf, at which point the fight was stopped after Rohskopf expressed his unwillingness to continue.
NSAC executive director Bob Bennett indicated that Drysdale may face disciplinary action. "That's something we will take a look at," Bennett told ESPN. "We might want to take disciplinary action on them. That doesn't sound like they are looking out for a fighter. Obviously, he didn't want to come out."
Drysdale defended his actions, stating that "He wasn't seriously hurt." "I know he was not in harm's way. He was just frustrated. I was trying to give him a push so he overcame that frustration. I still believe he could have won the fight."[17] After the fight, Rohskopf was cut from the UFC.[18]
Drysdale has also worked for PFL/DAZN, FloSports and ACBJJ and FloGrappling.com in both English and Portuguese.
Film
In March 2018, Drysdale announced that he was involved in a documentary production titled "Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil". The film is primarily about the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Vale-Tudo (later rebranded "MMA") from Japanese immigrants to the Amazonian Jungle and from there to the world.
The film will explain how the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu developed from the first Japanese immigrants onward. According to Drysdale, the goal of the film was to tell a complete account about how Brazilian jiu-jitsu drifted away from its Kodokan roots and became such a unique art. Additionally, the purpose of the film is to give credit to many forgotten names that made Brazilian jiu-jitsu possible, as well as acknowledge other already accredited names. The film, currently in production, has no release date yet.
In September 2020 Drysdale published the book "Opening Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil: The Story behind the Film", in which he describes the process that led up to and the production of the documentary, including full transcripts of the interviews conducted in the process of filming the documentary. The book includes interviews with many luminaries of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including Carlos Gracie, Jr., João Alberto Barreto, Robson Gracie, Hélio Fadda, Armando Wriedt, Flávio Behring, Royce Gracie, the Valente Brothers, and others. The book was a #1 Amazon best-seller, and has been translated into Polish and Portuguese.[19]
Alongside his experience as a producer, Drysdale also gave a TEDTalk at TedXTenayaPaseo, entitled "What is the point of winning?"[20]
Grappling credentials
2007 (Black Belt)
1st place in the Abu-Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships – Open Division (ADCC)
3rd place in the Abu-Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships – -99 kg Division (ADCC)
2nd place in the BJJ World Championships (IBJJF/CBJJ)
3rd place in the BJJ World Championships – Open Division (IBJJF/CB)
2005 (Black Belt)
3x times BJJ World Champion (IBJJF/CBJJ)
1st place Black Belt World Championships (CBJJO)
2004 (Brown/Black Belt)
2x National Brazilian National Champion (IBJJF/CBJJ)
1st place in the Brazilian National Championship open division (IBJJF/CBJJ)
3rd place World Championship (IBJJf/CBJJ)
1st place in the Scandinavian open
1st place in the Scandinavian open absolute division
United States
