Jiu-Jitsu and MMA legend Murilo Bustamante just added yet another huge accomplishment to his resume by being promoted to coral belt in BJJ. It’s a promotion that signifies decades of dedication to improving his skills on the mat and sharing the sport with hundreds of other people. Bustamante reached the rank shortly after his 60th birthday, making it almost 50 years since he first discovered Jiu-Jitsu. Bustamante stepped on the mats for the first time at just 10 years old, shortly after he was involved in his very first fight. He didn’t stop there though, and by the age of 15 he began competing in Jiu-Jitsu too.
Bustamante diversified his skills very early, adding Judo to his training and schedule and eventually picking up boxing when he was 18. This was a sign of things to come, as Bustamante went on to become a prolific MMA fighter in his 20s. He amassed a 5-0-1 professional record on the regional MMA circuit throughout the 90s before reaching the highest level of Jiu-Jitsu. Bustamante stood on the podium at the very first edition of the IBJJF World Championship in 1996 and alongside several other medals in the following years, he came away with a gold medal for the first time in 1999.
Bustamante signed with the UFC the next year, becoming the second man to hold the middleweight title within just a few fights. He never lost the belt either, as he was stripped of it after choosing to sign with PRIDE instead. Bustamante reached the final of the PRIDE welterweight grand prix and after fighting many of the greatest fighters of his generation, he retired in 2012 with a solid 15-8-1 record. Bustamante is now happily retired from competition but he’s still a major figure in the growth of the sport, just like all of his fellow BJJ coral belts are.
Marcial Digital announced the news that Murilo Bustamante had been promoted to BJJ coral belt in a recent post to their official Instagram account: