As a fourth-degree black belt, Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa has seen just about everything. One of the founding members of the Soul Fighters affiliation, Formiga is mentor to some of the top athletes in the sport (read: Joao Rocha, Vinicius Agudo) yet he’s also a top athlete himself and has been for a very long time.
“I started BJJ when I was just 10 years old,” says Formiga. “I fell in love and after that I never stopped training. I got my black belt under Andre Almeida (Dedeco) when I was 19 and have made it my life. It’s been that way for 25 years.”
Living in Dallas by way of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael states that one of his main goals is to grow his academy, passing on knowledge to the next generation while inspiring them to move forward in their lives both on and off the mats. And though he says he now continues to compete primarily just as a hobby, he’s still continues to add to an already impressive resume.
Some of his most recent accomplishments include a 2018 IBJJF Masters Worlds title and several victories while competing for Fight 2 Win over the likes of stellar competition like Cassio Werneck and Luiz Dentinho. This is to go along with 5x World Master and Pan American titles.
He’ll now look to add to that as he takes on Romulo Melo at F2W94 for the Welterweight Black Belt Masters Gi Title. You could say both came up through the ranks together as they both grew up in Rio de Janeiro, entered Jiu-Jitsu after seeing the likes of Royce Gracie in the UFC, and both have amassed some serious accolades (championships) in the sport. For his part, Melo was a world champion in 2002 and repeated that feat in no-gi in 2016
Formiga won’t be taking him for granted.
“We know each other really well,” says Formiga of Melo. “I expect a hard match but I’m always looking forward to advancing and going for submissions. I’m confident in my Jiu-Jitu and I promise to be really aggressive in my match and look forward to submitting my opponent. See you guys Saturday!”
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Rafael Formiga vs. Romulo Melo takes place on Saturday night as part of the stacked Fight 2 Win 94 fight card set for the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA. Click the link to purchase tickets and see it LIVE!
