Renato Moicano, a highly ranker UFC lightweight and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, recently expressed his skepticism about the relevance of BJJ belts within MMA. In a conversation with Demetrious Johnson, Moicano reacted to Alex Pereira receiving a black belt post his UFC 300 victory. He argued that MMA and traditional Jiu-Jitsu are distinct disciplines and achieving proficiency in one does not necessarily translate to the other:
“Brother, let me tell you something, I don’t think a black belt means nothing in MMA. Demetrious Johnson, you’re doing Jiu-Jitsu right? So it’s a completely different sport right? It’s a completely different sport, I don’t think even makes sense,”
According to Moicano, the black belt should signify mastery in Jiu-Jitsu itself, rather than being seen as a marker of general combat prowess in the cage. “Belts don’t matter in MMA; what matters is winning,” Moicano explained, emphasizing that while Pereira’s achievements in the octagon are commendable, they should not automatically confer traditional grappling honors.
This stance by Moicano underscores an ongoing debate in the martial arts community about how traditional rankings should intersect with modern mixed martial arts competition.
“Maybe the coaches, they are giving black belts just so people can say ‘ah, he is my student’, you know, but it’s a different sport,”
