Elite wrestler Pat Downey has taken a significant step in his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey…By receiving the first stripe on his white belt – from third-degree black belt Monroe Hall.
As an NCAA Division I All-American and US Open National Champion, Downey is far from your “regular” white belt.His extensive wrestling background makes him a grappler of far higher caliber than even some of the black belts who aren’t seasoned competitors.
Downey’s path to Jiu-Jitsu began in 2020 when he faced BJJ star Gordon Ryan in two matches – one in wrestling and one in submission grappling.While Downey quickly dominated the wrestling bout, he was submitted by Ryan in the second.
In subsequent matches, Downey demonstrated his potential in submission grappling, including a strong performance at Subversiv 5.He faced top-level competition at Third Coast Grappling 7, where he was submitted by Pedro Marinho in the opening round.
Downey competed in the Craig Jones Invitational, winning his first match against Luke Rockhold before being eliminated by Adam Bradley.
And, well, his performance caught the eye of Polaris – and he has since signed an exclusive contract with the UK-based promotion!
Check out his first stripe promotion on the video below:
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.
