Purple Belt: Pound-for-Pound Top 15 Ranking
Purple Belt: Pound-for-Pound Top 15 Ranking
As we head into the 2018 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, it's time to assess who are the best purple belts in the game.
As we head into the 2018 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, it's time to assess who are the best purple belts in the game.
Purple belt is one of the deepest categories in jiu-jitsu, and always one of the most hard-fought. It’s no wonder why: purple belt light-featherweight has over 100 competitors signed up for Worlds this year!
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Sorting through the best purple belts to create a top-15 ranking was no easy task. We poured over results from the major tournaments of the year, analyzed methods of victory and cross-referenced results to check who’d beaten who.
Purple belt results are no guarantee of future success in the sport, but they are a very good indicator of potential. Generally, champions who are of the right age (late teens / early 20s) and are consistent with their results can go on to make excellent careers as black belt competitors, with some going on to win at the highest levels.
Here are our top 15 pound-for-pound ranked male purple belt competitors right now. Pay close attention to all of them as we head into the IBJJF 2018 Worlds on May 31.
FloGrappling Purple Belt Pound-For-Pound Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Team | Weight Class |
| 1 | Conner DeAngelis | USA | Atos | Heavy |
| 2 | Thalison Soares | BRA | PSLPB Cicero Costha | Rooster |
| 3 | Wilson Moreira | BRA | PSLPB Cicero Costha | Super-heavy |
| 4 | Ronaldo Junior | BRA | Atos | Middle |
| 5 | Cemil Karahan | SWE | Prana/Checkmat | Medium-heavy |
| 6 | Johnatha Alves | BRA | Atos | Light |
| 7 | Lucas Gualberto | BRA | Alliance | Middle |
| 8 | Wallace Costa | BRA | GF Team | Ultra-heavy |
| 9 | Guthierry Barbosa | BRA | Carlson Gracie | Light |
| 10 | Anderson Munis | BRA | Nova Uniao | Heavy |
| 11 | Pedro Machado | BRA | Gordo JJ | Medium-heavy |
| 12 | Diego Batista | BRA | ZR Team | Light-feather |
| 13 | Reda Mebtouche | FRA | Mako Team | Medium-heavy |
| 14 | Meyran Maquine | BRA | Guigo / TLI | Light-feather |
| 15 | Igor Tanabe | JAP | Brasa CTA | Medium-heavy |
Watch the 2018 World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship live
May 30* to June 3 | Long Beach, CA