Yuri Simoes is the only athlete to ever claim ADCC titles in two different weight classes. The -88kg (2015) and -99kg (2017) champ utilized his excellent stand-up game to effectively out-wrestle his opponents, and it was not simply shooting takedowns, but an excellent blend of defensive wrestling and strategy as well. 

Let's dive in and discover the varied game Yuri employed to get his success. 

Yuri Simoes Quick Facts

• Two-time ADCC champion (2015, 2017)
• Two-time World No-Gi champion (absolute division 2014, 2016)
• Only two-time World No-Gi Absolute champ
• Only ADCC champ in two weight divisions

Supercut: ADCC's Superior Wrestling Carries Him To ADCC Gold

Major Stats From From ADCC 2017 

Keys To Victory: Hustle & Creativity

As always, stats have a severely limited scope of what actually took place. Yes, his takedown accuracy was solid. Wrestling defense, even better. But it's the moments in between where Yuri controlled the pace and enacted his strategy where he really shined. 

The above GIF may seem relatively insignificant, but it actually points to Yuri's masterful strategy. 

The Brasa-CTA competitor only pulled guard once throughout the entire event, in this match versus Jackson Sousa. It was the first match of the second day of competition, the semifinal, and Yuri knew that he wanted to conserve energy for what could be a 40-minute final later that day. 

By playing guard for the opening minutes of the match, Yuri not only wears down Jackson but conserves his own energy expenditure. He kicked Jackson off exactly at the five-minute mark — the moment points come into play — and gets back to his feet, a position where he knows he can score.  

Sure enough, Yuri hit Jackson with a quick takedown and enacted his patented bodylock pressure-passing series to eventually claim the back position and earn three points. 

Yuri's Guard isn't his most offensive weapon, but make no mistake: It's a crucial ingredient to his success. His retention is excellent, and he's confident enough to kill time and regain crucial energy while playing guard. 

Creative attacks were also the order of the day, and while it may seem odd to leave one's comfort zone in an ADCC final, Simoes scored the only points of the match with a jump back take attempt that he turned into a successful takedown. 

Jumping back take leads to two points for the takedown that ultimately earned him the gold medal.

Takedown Defense  

This is an obvious one given that Yuri has 100 percent takedown defense efficiency, but worth pointing out all the same.

Yuri's style here is simple: control the distance, manage the unique scoring system at ADCC, and conserve energy. 

However, simple doesn't mean easy, and executing this gameplan against the best in the world shows just how dialed-in Yuri's strategy and planning had been leading up to the 2017 ADCC World Championships. 

Yuri is set to compete in his third weight class this year at ADCC, +99kg, which places him in a stacked division that includes Buchecha, Orlando Sanchez, Cyborg, Joao Gabriel Rocha, and others. Can he pull it off a third time? We'll find out in just three weeks. 

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