3-time Abu Dhabi World Pro champion at 85kg, Andre Galvao will return to the UAE once again but with his sights set on a bigger challenge. Atos co-founder Galvao will compete in the -94kg division alongside top names such as Jackson Sousa, Felipe Pena and Erberth Santos. 

Interview by Heather Raftery

So this is the fourth time doing the World Pro, what division are you fighting in and do you plan to do the Absolute? 

I have been to Abu Dhabi World Pro three times, and I won three times. Last year I didn’t compete because I was focusing on the ADCC, but I’m three times a champion of the 85 kilos, and this year I will be fighting the 94 kilos division. I will compete in the Absolute as well. 

Is there a difference in the strategy under the 6-minute time limit and UAEJJF rule set, versus the 10-minute time limit and the IBJJF rule set? Also, what does your division look like? 

It definitely changes a little bit the game. You have to be in a fast pace and be aware the whole time, because the fight is short. I believe it’s really important to start out winning the fight. I’m the shortest guy in that division, so I’ll be fighting a lot of tall guys, like Jackson Souza, Felipe Pena, Luiz Panza. There are a lot of tough guys, so my plan is to go there and win fight-by-fight.



What are your thoughts about the Abu Dhabi World Pro in general? 

It’s a very special tournament. Because the event is everywhere and they have such good media, I believe it’s great for sponsorships. I think this is what all the jiu-jitsu fighters need, you know, is the prestige of being in the event and to be treated as an important athlete. It’s a great prestige to be there.

As an academy owner, is it hard to take off the time to go across the world and compete like this? 

Yes, it’s very hard because I really like to be here [at the academy], but I know that it’s important for the academy, as well, for me to go there and fight. It’s important to motivate my students.

Do you have any plans to take in the sights afterward? 

So I plan to go there, see the pool and the hotel, haha, and then see the gymnasium, fight, and then go back, and see the plane and that’s it. I go there to fight, but maybe one day I’ll do something and relax a little bit, but not every day. I’d lose my focus.

Andre Galvao will compete at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, watch it here on FloGrappling 

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• The Time Andre Galvao Fought (And Submitted) A Giant 
  
• Galvao: I Never Stop Learning From Jiu-Jitsu
  
• Andre Galvao vs Leandro Lo, 2016 IBJJF Pans  
  
• Andre Galvao & BJJ In The Royal Marines