João Manuel Roque (born July 22, 1971) is a Portuguese-Angolan former featherweight

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

(BJJ) black belt

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

and a retired

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. He competed in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

division in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). His first coaches of BJJ were Marcio Pinheiro and Gerson Velasco, and he stayed under their guidance until he was a purple belt. It was under prestigious Osvaldo Alves, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Red Belt and a legend in the sport of BJJ, that Joao Roque graduated to brown belt. When Master Oswaldo had to move to

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

Roque joined

André Pederneiras Carlos André Pederneiras de Castro (born March 22, 1967) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and promoter. A former BJJ competitor, holding today a Red and Black 7th Degree Coral belt, Pederneiras is a 6 x Brazili ...

, right at the start of the Nova União. Joao Roque began his MMA career in 1996 in the United States (Oklahoma) with a win by armbar. He retired in 2005 in the Japan (Tokyo) with a loss by decision. Today he lives in

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

, capital of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Roque went on to form one of the strongest teams in that state and his gym "Clube Vizinhança" still runs today.

BJJ lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie >

> Joao Roque

Notable BJJ black belts graduated

* Bernado Pitel * Jonatas Gurgel "Tagarela" * Mark Andrew Bocek

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 7-2-4 ,

Alexandre Franca Nogueira Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira (born January 15, 1978) is a Brazilian Luta Livre fighter and the former Shooto Lightweight Champion, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization. Nogueira began his professional career at the age of 20, defea ...

, Decision (unanimous) , G-Shooto: Special 01 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo Korakuen Hall , , - , Draw , align=center, 7-1-4 ,

Hiroyuki Takaya Hiroyuki Takaya ( Japanese: 高谷裕之, ''Takaya Hiroyuki'', born June 10, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Takaya has fought in the WEC, Strikefo ...

, Draw , Shooto 2004: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7-1-3 , Hiroyuki Abe , Submission (armbar) , Shooto: Gig Central 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6-1-3 ,

Naoya Uematsu Naoya Uematsu (born September 10, 1978) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions in Cage Force, DEEP and Shooto. He is the head instructor of the NEXUSENSE gym. In addi ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5-1-3 , Ryan Bow , Decision (majority) , Deep: 6th Impact , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4-1-3 , Takehiro Murahama , Submission (armbar) , Deep: 4th Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3-1-3 , Stephen Palling , Submission (armbar) , World Fighting Alliance 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:29 ,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2-1-3 , Takehiro Murahama , Submission (armbar) , Deep: 2nd Impact , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:29 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 1-1-3 ,

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on ''The Ultimate ...

, Decision ,

UFC 26 ''UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 9, 2000, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. History The main card featured Welterweight Champion Pat Miletich defending his title against J ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 1-0-3 ,

Hisao Ikeda Hisao Ikeda() is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight division. Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 10-5-3 , Masato Shiozawa , TKO (punches) , Shooto: Year End Show 2002 , ...

, Draw , VTJ 1999: Vale Tudo Japan 1999 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 8:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 1-0-2 ,

Noboru Asahi is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist, a designer, and an owner of MMA gym. He was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on January 5, 1968, as . Mixed martial arts career A former amateur wrestler, Asahi was trained in Satoru Sayama's Supe ...

, Draw , VTJ 1998: Vale Tudo Japan 1998 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 8:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 1-0-1 ,

Uchu Tatsumi Uchu Tatsumi (born January 23, 1972) is a retired Japanese people, Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight and Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division. Tatsumi fought in Shooto an ...

, Draw , VTJ 1997: Vale Tudo Japan 1997 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 8:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1-0 , Abdelaziz Cherigui , Submission (armbar) , EF 3: Extreme Fighting 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:02 ,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, United States , , -

Submission grappling record

KO PUNCHES , - style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Result , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Method , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Event , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Round , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - , Win, ,

Dennis Hall Dennis William Hall (born February 5, 1971) is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Neosho, Wisconsin, United States. Hall was a 10-time US National Champion, a World Champion, and 3-time USA Olympian. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympi ...

, , Decision , , The Contenders, , 1997, , 5, , 5:00, , , -

References

External links

* *
Jiu-jitsu.net: Interview with João Roque

BJJ Heroes: João Roque (Nova Uniao)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roque, Joao Living people Angolan male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Angolan practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Luanda 1971 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists