Atos jiu-jitsu black belt and Art of Jiu-Jitsu co-founder Rafael Mendes has announced that he will not compete at the 2017 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Long Beach, CA, next week.


The six-time world champion has decided to focus on his family and his coaching career after an intense and hyper-successful period of competition that has spanned all of his adult life.

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Rafael Mendes gets his hand raised in the final of the 2015 IBJJF World Championships.

"I've dedicated the past 16 years to jiu-jitsu. Because of this art, I had the opportunity to travel the world, meet people that I never thought I would meet, and compete against the previous champions that inspired me to push myself harder every day," Mendes said.

I've won the world championship six times, ADCC twice, and cemented myself as the greatest featherweight of all time. There's nothing left to prove.

Mendes's statement is firm and does not mention any further competition goals beyond the IBJJF Worlds, although there is no word whether this is a definitive retirement by the 27-year-old. 

Some may see this as an end, but for me it's the beginning of something new. The same dedication and passion that I put towards my competition career will now be refocused to other aspects of my life.

Among his many achievements, Mendes has won six gold medals as a black belt at the IBJJF World Championships, with world titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016. He is also a two-time ADC champion, victorious in 2009 and 2011.