Dean Lister's Ground Breaking ADCC Triumph

By Riccardo Ammendolia 

In 2003, the ADCC worlds went down in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

The event featured not only some of the biggest break-out career moments in our sport, but was also a definitive event in which a new style of submission fighting gained respect – and for one athlete in particular.

Dean Lister – who had won the North American qualifiers to earn his ticket to ADCC – came to this event with a unique approach to the competition. Dean had a strong wrestling base but broke the taboos of the old school jiu-jitsu contingent and submitted multiple opponents with leg locks.

Having lost to Xande Ribeiro in his division, Dean was a last minute replacement for the Absolute.

Submitting two of his 3 opponents on the way to the finals, Dean was set to face off against one of Brazil’s top Luta Livre fighters: Alexandre Cacareco

The stocky and heavily-muscled Cacareco – who looked like a tanned Arnold Schwarzenegger, complete with Arnold’s famous gap between his teeth – was a deadly submission master with some of the best wrestling in Brazil. He was known for not only submitting his opponents, but doing so in a vicious manner that often left them hurt or injured. 

The final was set. They exchanged takedown attempts on the feet, and Dean shot in for a double leg that Cacareco quickly countered with one of his strong guillotine attacks. The choke was a staple submission utilized by Luta Livre grapplers and the 10 finger guillotine in particular was made famous by Cacareco’s team mate Alexandre Pequeno.

Lister resisted and was able to break free, ending up on top in Cacareco’s guard. 

It wasn’t long before Dean sat back and snagged one of Cacareco’s feet. The attack led to a Mexican stand-off where neither fighter would move, knowing that the slightest opening could lead to a finish. 

Cacareco drew first blood, repositioning for an attack of his own, but Dean quickly passed Cacareco’s leg to the opposite side of his body to set up a match-ending heel hook. 

With the submission in place Dean Lister tapped Cacareco to become the 2003 ADCC Open Weight champion.

Dean’s win at ADCC would help propel his MMA career and made him a household name in the grappling world. He returned to ADCC for two more big wins: he was Super Fight champion in 2005, and won the 99kg division in 2011. 

Long before the Danaher Death Squad became synonymous with a sophisticated leg lock system, Dean showed the world why leg attacks were an essential part of a grappler’s tool box.

After all, why WOULD you ignore 50% of the human body?