If you didn't know, now you know. Roosterweight Thalison Soares is one of the most exciting prospects to have joined the black belt ranks, and he announced his arrival with a gold medal at the 2019 IBJJF World No-GI Championships. 

Soares was promoted to black belt in June of 2019, shortly after winning the World Championships in the gi. We've been following his career closely over the last couple of years, and with good reason – he wins almost everything he enters.

Case in point. Soares took gold at No-Gi Worlds as a blue, purple, brown, and black belt in consecutive years. From 2016 to 2019, he improved upon each previous year by winning gold in increasingly higher ranks. 

With points win over two-time World silver medalist Rodnei Barbosa in the final, Thalison Soares won his first major black belt title at the 2019 World No-Gi Championships. And it's unlikely to be his last. 

He submitted his first two opponents handily – both times taking the backs and sinking in rear naked chokes. The final was tougher, with the veteran Barbosa proving a much more difficult test, but one that Soares still passed. 

Soares has also won gold at blue through brown in the gi – in 2020 he will return for the gi season with a similar objective: to improve upon his past performances with another record-setting performance. 

Check out Thalison's matches from the 2019 IBJJF World No-GI Championships

Quarterfinal: Thalison Soares vs David B. Zennario

Semifinal: Marko Tapani Oikarainen vs Thalison Soares 

Final: Thalison Soares vs Rodnei Barbosa

Learn more about Thalison Soares

Watch our five-part series "The Path to Black Belt" featuring Thalison Soares as we followed him through the 2019 gi season, which culminated in him winning every major title of the year. 

• The Path to Black Belt Part 1
• The Path to Black Belt Part 2
• The Path to Black Belt Part 3
• The Path to Black Belt Part 4
• The Path to Black Belt Part 5