Matheus Gabriel says jiu-jitsu opened doors for him that he never knew existed

Grappling sensation Matheus Gabriel never knew how sports could change a kid’s life until he took Brazilian jiu-jitsu seriously.

ONE's newly signed submission specialist has been thrown right into the deep. He'll challenge Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title at ONE on Prime Video 5 this Friday.

Ahead of his historic debut, Matheus Gabriel took a step back to look at what he's accomplished in the 17 years of training in the sport.

As an energetic kid who used to get into a lot of trouble in Brazil, jiu-jitsu quickly became his saving grace. Before Gabriel knew it, practicing the artform took him to places he never knew existed.

The 25-year-old black belt told ONE Championship:

“I fell in love with jiu-jitsu as I became more disciplined, as I learned more about respect and also when I started to travel. My first plane trip was because of jiu-jitsu. I kept thinking that I could travel all over Brazil. At that time, I didn't even dream that I could compete, much less live outside my country. I thought everything was really cool at that age, and over time I started to like jiu-jitsu more and more.”

Matheus Gabriel’s hard work eventually paid off and not without a stroke of good luck. He eventually found himself training under coach Kaiser Girao in the United States at Checkmat BJJ.

Representing his new gym, Gabriel won two IBJJF world championships before being promoted to black belt in June 2018.

With his reputation and career at stake, losing to Kade Ruotolo this Friday is not an option. Fans will no doubt be looking forward to his debut appearance with great anticipation.

North American audiences can catch all the action live and for free with an Amazon Prime Video subscription on Friday, December 2.

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Matheus Gabriel respects Kade Ruotolo’s fighting style

While many BJJ practitioners like to play it safe, Matheus Gabriel is grateful to face an opponent who likes to take risks.

Grappling wizard Kade Ruotolo needs no introduction. A 2022 ADCC gold medalist and the first ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion, Ruotolo will be Gabriel’s toughest challenge yet.

At the ONE on Prime Video 5 press conference, Gabriel only had good things to say about his rival:

“Kade is a guy who has a very aggressive game, who fights forward all the time. I like this game, it’s a style I like, always fighting forward. I really admire his style.”