Dan Faggella is a BJJ Academy Owner, No Gi Pan Am Champion at 130 pounds, and a Recognized Expert Analyst in the BJJ World. Dan writes or Jiu Jitsu Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style, MMA Sports Mag, and more – find more of his 2013 Worlds Breakdowns at http://microbjj.com/championbreakdown
The wonderful thing about the IBJFF World Championships is that is brings out the best in the competitors, and we get to see some truly world class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over-and-over again.
In the 2013 Worlds, in a semi-final showdown, the fans were blessed with a fantastic showdown between Andre Galvao an Braulio Estima.
Truly one of the best grapplers in the world today, Andre Galvao came in proudly representing Atos Jiu Jitsu. With countless accolades to his name, he had his eyes deadest on getting past Estima, and one step closer to gold.
Braulio is far from a push over, as he is one of the go-to grapplers for MMA fighters that are looking to enhance their skills. Having made the switch to training with The Blackzillians—home of MMA stars such as Rashad Evans, Antonio Silva and Thiago Silva—Estime is no stranger to high intensity situations.
Never Settling For A Poor Position
Right out of the gate, both men made it clear that they had zero interest in having a slow match. The energy on display was fantastic, as it fit the atmosphere of the World Championships perfectly. Almost instantly, Andre Galvao didn’t allow Estima a chance to establish his game.
Using his high intensity to his advantage, Andre set the bar. However, it was clear that Braulio was more than willing to match the physical output, and matched the intensity and at times, offered up more than what Galvao could offer.
Despite Galvao enjoying top position for most of the match, Estima was clearly at home working off of his back, and made it a point to attack the base of Galvao. Working wonderfully off of the mat, Estima continuously scored point-after-point, using the aggression Galvao displayed, against him.
As time ticked down, it became more evident that Estima was on his way to advancing to the finals. At the sound of the buzzer, Braulio raised his hands in triumph, having toppled the dominant Andre Galvao. In other news – Marcus Buchecha Almedia received the “Most Exciting Match” Award at the 2013 Worlds – theres a complete breakdown of two of his most hardcore matches called “Buchecha: Watch The Throne” that I wrote….But you better read this one first before you read that one!
The Clout That Comes With Braulio Estima
As I stated earlier, Estima is an extremely reputable name in the BJJ and MMA community. Training heavily with the Blackzillians in Florida, Estima is around some of the top flight MMA stars on a daily basis. Prior to his UFC 158 bout, UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre, called upon the talents of Braulio to help him prepare for his title defense against Nick Diaz – check out Braulio’s documentary “Road to ADCC E02 Featuring GSP” if you find that interesting
This was an intriguing event, as Estima was once scheduled to meet Diaz in a BJJ match, but Nick claimed Estima didn’t make weight, and chose not to show. It was documented that Estima did in fact make weight, so UFC 158 was a form of a payback.
Whether it’s GSP or Rashad Evans asking for help or if he’s beating Andre Galvao on the world stage, it’s clear why Braulio Estima is a top flight grappler.
Dan Faggella
