Danny Stolfi: Record, Net Worth, Weight, Age & More!

By Benjamin Strusnik, May 26, 2022

Who is Danny Stolfi?

Danny Stolfi is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the Mendes brothers who has been training since 2009. He originally began his training under Matt Serra in New York before relocating to work with Rafa and Gi Mendes. After years at their side as an instructor, Stolfi eventually created his own academy together with his fiance: Breathe Jiu Jitsu Academy on the East end of Long Island.

Who is Danny Stolfi?

De La Riva Fundamentals by Danny Stolfi

Stolfi grew up playing traditional sports and credits his entry into combat sports to the Xbox360 version of the UFC video game, where he reports that BJ Penn was his favorite character to play as. Being a young person, Stolfi decided to go out and learn the skills himself, achieving purple belt from Serra BJJ in about three years of dedicated training.

Eventually, Stolfi began to compete more. In 2012, he won a match against the Pan-Am champion of his division via submission. Upon finding out how high-level his opponent had been, Stolfi woke up to the fact that he had the makings of a champion. He took the money he had and flew to California for the IBJJF Worlds, and eventually moved there to live with his uncle.

Stolfi considered Atos and Cobrinha’s, but eventually decided that the Mendes’ Art of Jiu Jitsu academy was the place for him. Drawn to the competitor’s lifestyle of hard training and a disciplined lifestyle. He spent years learning from the world-renowned brothers before joining them as an assistant instructor. With time, they approved Stolfi’s dream of moving back home to start an academy of his own.

How Old is Danny Stolfi?

Danny Stolfi was born in 1990 and is about 32 years old. He graduated college in 2012 before moving to California to train with the Mendes brothers.

Danny Stolfi Family

Danny Stolfi has spoken extensively about the support of his family, friends, and coaches. His initial trip to Worlds in California was financed by his mother, and he spent time living with relatives for free while learning the art on the West Coast. His fiance is also his business partner.

How Much is Danny Stolfi Worth?

Danny Stolfi’s net worth is not public information. He was able to open his own Jiu Jitsu studio with the blessing of the world-class Mendes brothers before the age of thirty, which is uncommon for ‘outsiders’ who weren’t born into BJJ dynasties.

How Tall is Danny Stolfi?

As is often the case with grapplers, who record only their weight for competition, Danny Stolfi’s height is not published.

How Much Does Danny Stolfi Weigh?

Danny Stolfi competes as a middleweight under IBJJF rules. The limit for that division is about 175 pounds, or 80 kg.

Danny Stolfi Fight List

As a grappler, Danny Stolfi has had far too many bouts to list them all here. To get an idea of his prowess on the mat, we can take a look at his pedigree: The Mendes brothers don’t promote just anyone. Stolfi has made a name for himself as one of the most proficient middleweight competitors alive, as evidenced by his invitations to major superfights and tournaments like EBI and Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds.

Dynamic De La Riva Guard by Otavio Sousa

Danny Stolfi's Best Fight of All Time

For a fighter like Danny Stolfi, it’s hard to pin down one amazing moment in a career full of highlights. Thankfully, Stolfi answered this question directly in a 2021 interview, where he says that his April 2012 silver medal finish in the New York Open, against an unnamed opponent, was an inspiration for the rest of his career. After submitting his opponent in the semis and losing in the finals, Stolfi discovered that his opponent in the semi’s was the Pan Am middleweight champion. This made him realize that he could compete on the biggest stages and opened the door to the rest of his career.

Who Did Danny Stolfi Lose To?

All grapplers face the challenge of recollecting themselves after taking tough losses, and Danny Stolfi is no different. In one of his first major invitationals as a professional, Stolfi was invited to the Combat Jiu-Jitsu worlds. He defeated Todd Walling via kneebar in about six minutes, but ran into a buzzsaw in the next round. That buzzsaw? 10th Planet’s hi-guard specialist, Nathan Orchard, the inventor of the Dead Orchard position. Stolfi was able to defend for almost four minutes before being submitted via heel hook by the no-gi specialist.

Danny Stolfi Record

Stolfi’s record hasn’t been compiled in one place. He first started competing on the east coast from 2010 on. After achieving his purple belt, in 2012 he moved to the West Coast after a good run at the World Championships. He lived there until achieving black belt and opening up his own gym back in Long Island.

Danny Stolfi Injuries

Stolfi has not been public with any injuries, and it’s likely that his career has been relatively healthy. As with all BJJ, the opportunity for injury is there. As a product of the Mendes brothers, however, Stolfi has kept to a serious training and health regimine that aids his progression in the sport.

Is Danny Stolfi Retired?

Danny Stolfi is still young, and very far away from retirement. In fact, he is just getting started when it comes to his career as an instructor! He first began to create instructionals a few years ago and has produced some awesome series about how to convert from a gi player to a no-gi round. Passing is a major focus for Stolfi, who has multiple independent products dedicated to passing and avoiding the pass.

Recently, Stolfi took it to the next level and teamed up with BJJ Fanatics to produce the awesome, “De La Riva Fundamentals” to break down this notoriously complex use of the guard. Stolfi is quick to emphasize that this is an instructional for those wishing to dabble in De La Riva for the first time. According to the young prodigy, this is a beginner’s guide to laying de la riva that covers attacks, setups, entries, solutions to common problems, sweps, and crucially, back takes. Make sure to take a look at Stolfi’s tips on this very difficult position to start incorporating the legs into your game today!

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