If Paulo Miyao realizes his plans in 2019, he could set a record as-yet unseen in jiu-jitsu, potentially surpassing Cobrinha’s incredible 2017 record of the “Super Grand Slam.” 

When Cobrinha took gold medals in the four IBJJF “majors” (Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds) and the ADCC in the same year, we knew we were witnessing history being made. He achieved something nobody else in jiu-jitsu had managed, and there was a potential for this record to stand untouched for years to come. 

It may seem premature, but bear with us. Paulo Miyao could not only challenge Cobrinha’s record but set a whole new as-yet untitled conquest. If Cobrinha had scaled a mountain the size of Everest, Miyao has found another twice the size and says he’s going to make it to the top. 

When we caught up with him in Abu Dhabi, he told us the events he has in his sights: All of the IBJJF "majors" (Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds), PLUS all of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam series of events (no less than six in 2019), along with the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro. And the smart money says that Miyao will likely attempt to win gold at ADCC in September, too. 

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It’s important to remember that Miyao has a habit of winning. 

He is a 2015 IBJJF World champion, 2018 Abu Dhabi World Pro champion, 2015 IBJJF Pan champion and 2014 IBJJF Brazilian champion. In the rare occasions he has stumbled, he took silver at the IBJJF Europeans (2016) and bronze at ADCC (2017). According to the jiu-jitsu record-keeping site BJJ Heroes, he once had an incredible 48-match winning streak in 2015. 

The fact that he is coming off a two-year suspension means Paulo Miyao is hungry to compete. He is ranked No. 5 in the FloGrappling gi rankings, a number that could be seen as artificially low due to his inability to compete in all tournaments. He is top-three material and is widely considered one of the pound-for-pound best grapplers in the world. 

Miyao in action at the 2018 ADGS Los Angeles.

We long wondered what kind of achievement could top Cobrinha’s “Super Grand Slam.” We’ve seen other black belts do the “Double Grand Slam,” with Tayane Porfirio (black belt) and Gabi Pessanha (then purple belt) winning weight and absolute in the four IBJJF majors, but this is a title more likely to be attempted by heavier grapplers. 

It certainly seems a lofty goal, but nobody has ever accused Miyao of doing things by halves. He and his brother Joao are commonly referenced when looking for examples of the hardest-working people in jiu-jitsu due to their obsessive dedication to training and the packed competition schedules. 

And they say the best way to get results like nobody else is to set what may seem (to others) like unattainable goals. 

Of course, there are many barriers to Miyao completing this mammoth endeavor. Incredibly, Miyao has never won Europeans. He fell short in 2016, losing to Marcio Andre by referee’s decision, but the three-time European champ has pulled out of the tournament in Portugal, offering Miyao a relatively clear run to gold. Gianni Grippo has defeated Miyao twice in recent months, once in the gi and once no-gi, although a move up to lightweight could separate them. There are plenty of other featherweights waiting for him in the gi later this year, including 2018 world champion Jamil Hill and the surging Kennedy Maciel (aka Cobrinha Jr.), among others. 

Miyao’s abilities and experience competing in all of the above rule formats give him an edge that is hard to deny. From IBJJF to ADCC and UAEJJF to everything else, winning is a hard habit to break for Miyao. He is a fixture among the favorites in every tournament he enters, meaning we’ll be following his progress closely throughout the year to see if a new record will be set. 

The only question lies in what to call it... The Mega Grand Slam? Ultra Grand Slam? Uber Grand Slam? 

Watch Paulo Miyao compete at the ADGS Abu Dhabi and the IBJJF European Championships LIVE or On Demand on FloGrappling.