Andre Galvao won his weight and the absolute in ADCC 2011 in the UK. He will be fighting Braulio Estima in a superfight in Beijing at ADCC 2013. He shared his road to the championship which was full of hardships, including running a small gym by himself, getting deported from the UK etc:

From Galvao’s facebook page:

“It is already past but is good to remember this day. God gave me that titles and I really thank Him for that. Of corse I worked hard for it. But He gave me power and health and energy to be every single day on the mat working hard. Also God got a lot of people like my wife, students, friends and family to help me reach my Dream. My school was so little, I had to train, answer the phone calls, teach the kids, help the Adults, talk with people, clean the gym and set up the waivers for the visitors, and train hard, I said: hard. I was doing it every single day. My academy had no wall protections, the mat space was so little, and only one bathroom. I thank my first students so much for the help  also @brunofrazatto @daviramosjj @denilsonatosbjj and @ronaldocandidomma they were the only ones from Brazil with me in that journey. I really was training without knowing if i will be there because i was in my GreenCard process and I didn’t have my travel permission with me, but in about 3 weeks before the ADCC 2011 I got it. The US immigration government sent me that. Thanks God!!! And not just that, also I got deported from UK in 2009. They didn’t let me get in and sent me back to Brazil at that time.

I remember some times during the sessions I was training so hard and sweating so much but inside my mind I was thinking: “why I’m doing all this. They will never let me inn there again or maybe I can’t even go there” but I believe God just didn’t let me stop and I just canceled those thoughts in my mind and kept going almost crying. When I was in the plane ready to arrive in UK I just thought: “OMG I will be kick out of this place again, what I’m doing here” but not. As soon as I get there I had a kind of hard time to get inn but they got me inn for just 4 days permission and the day back home was my birthday September 29th. i can’t forget it anymore never. So as soon as I got my bags I said: “I wanna fight so hard now. I wanna win it”. Then I got back home with 2 trophies and the award of best fighter and best fight (vs palhares). My students were all waiting for me in a big party  inside our academy. I just cried and gave thanks to MyLord! If you don’t believe God exist. I do!!! I don’t need to say nothing. This is the resume of my 2011 ADCC championship. “When you are loyal , God is Loyal and whatever I do I will do for Him. Because He is my power and my strength” I know I will never may have a moment like that again. This is just one of my great experiences with Jesus. Rm 11:36

PS: it went my first year going back to the Bjj world since I was fighting mma for a couple years. First year in US. ”