An unavoidable fact of jiu-jitsu competitions is sometimes somebody can get hurt. Usually, serious injuries in jiu-jitsu are rare: the ability to tap out keeps you safe and saves you from any real physical harm.

In the medium heavyweight semifinal match between Romulo Barral and Patrick Gaudio at the IBJJF World Championship on Sunday, we saw what happens when a high-level competitor refuses to tap.

Gaudio latched onto a toehold toward the end of the match at The Pyramid in Long Beach, CA. Cranking on it as time ran out, he fully dislocated Romulo Barral's foot with as the clock counted down to zero. Barral refused to tap, and medics ran onto the mat to attend to him.


As Gaudio and Barral were tied on points, the result hung in the air even as the medics worked to treat the injury.

Possibly high on adrenaline, Romulo waved them away for the official result and stood in the center of the mat to wait for the decision.

It went 2-1 in Gaudio's favor, denying Barral the opportunity to close out the division with Pena (who anyway lost in the semi to Galvao).



The grotesque sight of Barral's ankle was one of the gnarliest things we've seen in some time. It was tough to look at and shcoking but solidified Barral's rep as one of the most badass competitors of all time.

Here's hoping a speedy recovery to the Gracie Barra legend.