Vagner Rocha Record, Net Worth, Age, Weight, & More!
Posted by Benjamin Strusnik on
Who Is Vagner Rocha?
Vagner Rocha is a third degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Pablo Popovitch and an MMA competitor. He has competed at the highest levels in both arenas such as the ADCC and UFC. Currently in MMA he is fighting in the lightweight division, but has also fought in the welterweight and featherweight divisions. He is a multiple time ADCC medalist and he is the founder of the well known Vagner Rocha Martial Arts association located in the south Florida region.
Who Is Vagner Rocha?
Vagner Rocha is a third degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Pablo Popovitch and an MMA competitor. He has competed at the highest levels in both arenas such as the ADCC and UFC. Currently in MMA he is fighting in the lightweight division, but has also fought in the welterweight and featherweight divisions. He is a multiple time ADCC medalist and he is the founder of the well known Vagner Rocha Martial Arts association located in the south Florida region.
Savage Back Attacks by Vagner Rocha BJJ is available from BJJFanatics.com!
Vanger was born in Nova Friburgo, which is a mountainous region in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vagner moved to the United States with his family at the age of 5 and settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. By the age of 7 Vanger began training taekwondo. In his 2 years training taekwondo he made it to brown belt but lost interest in martial arts and did not get back into combat sports until the age of 18.
His Jiu Jitsu journey began at the age of 18 and he immediately fell in love with grappling. His interest peaked 2 years earlier while visiting a cousin in Brazil who trained Jiu Jitsu. As they fought playfully, Vagners cousin would easily manhandle, choke, and tap Vagner, which he attributed to his cousin's Jiu Jitsu training. Although it sparked his interest, it still took Vagner 2 years to make the decision to start training.
Vanger started his Jiu Jitsu training with Jorge Popovitch in 2001. He had to slow the pace of his training bue to the birth of his first child and needing to work to provide for his family, but after landing a steady construction job he was able to dedicate more time to grappling.
Fast forward nearly 20 years and Vanger has become a successful MMA fighter and Jiu Jitsu practitioner who has competed on the world's highest stages. He continues to run his academy and test himself competing in Jiu Jitsu at the highest levels against the best competitors.
Float Passing System by Vagner Rocha BJJ can be yours with one click!
How Old Is Vagner Rocha?
Born June 6, 1982, Vagner Rocha is 39 years old.
Vagner Rocha’s Family
Vanger Rocha is married and has 2 children, son Achilles and daughter Jasmine. Both of his children train under him, and Jasmine currently holds a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu.
How Much Is Vagner Rocha Worth?
It is estimated that Vagner Rocha is worth approximately $1.5 Million.
How Tall Is Vagner Rocha?
Vagner Rocha stands at 5 feet and 11 inches tall.
How Much Does Vagner Rocha Weigh?
Vagner Rocha weighs approximately 145 pounds.
Vagner Rocha Fight List
Vagner Rocha’s MMA career began in 2009 when he started competing in regional promotions in Florida, as well as Bellator and Strikeforce. He made his UFC debut in June of 2011 at UFC 131 in a fight against Donald Cerrone. Vagner was replacing injured Mac Danzig for the fight, and was defeated by unanimous decision after Cerrone dominated the fight with leg kicks.
In his second fight in the UFC Vagner faced Cody McKenzie in September 2011 at UFC Fight Night 25. Vagner won the fight by rear naked choke submission in the second round. Next, Vagner was supposed to make his featherweight debut against Mike Brown at UFC on FX 1 in January 2012, however Brown had to withdraw from the fight due to an injury. Instead, Vanger faced Jonathan Brookins at UFC on Fuel TV 1 in February 2012 for his featherweight debut. Vagner lost the fight by knockout, and was later released from the UFC.
Vagner began fighting in Fight Time Promotions, and had his first fight for the promotion against Mike Bruna at Fight Time 12 in November 2012. Rocha won the fight with a triangle choke in the second round. Rocha next faced Kamrin Naville in February 2012 at Fight Time 13, and won the fight by unanimous decision. Rocha continued his success for Fight Time, beating both J.P. Reese and Randy Barroso in his next 2 fights, and then announced that he would be returning back to the UFC.
In April 2014 Rocha made his return to the UFC to face Jim Miller as a replacement for Yancy Medeiros at UFC 172. However, Rocha suffered an injury in training just before the fight and was forced to withdraw. Instead, his first fight back in the UFC occurred against Jake Matthew at UFC Fight Night 55 in November 2014, however Vagner lost by a technical submission in the second round.
Rocha was supposed to face Joseph Duffy at UFC 185 in March 2015, however Vagner had to pull out of the fight once again due to an injury. This caused him to be released from the promotion once more.
Vanger Rocha is more so known for his accomplishments and career in Jiu Jitsu rather than MMA. He was awarded his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt in 2007 by Jorge Popovitch. In 2008 after earning his black belt, Vagner was offered a position as a coach at Popovitch’s academy, BJJ Centre. This opportunity allowed him to leave his construction job and focus solely on Jiu Jitsu. In 2011 Vanger left Popovitch;s academy and formed his own, Vagner Rocha Martial Arts.
The list of Vangers BJJ accomplishments could seemingly go on forever. They include 1st Place in ADCC US East and West Coast Trials, IBJJF Pans Champion, 1st place in EBI Combat Invitational, second place ADCC World Championship, third place ADCC World Championship, and so much more.
Vagner has faced some of the biggest names in Jiu Jitsu such as Gordon Ryan, Craig Jones, Roberto Jiminez, Dante Leon, Lucas Lepri, and so many more. He continues to get out there and test himself on the world's stage as he runs his academy and trains other competitors.
Vanger Rocha’s Best Match Of All Time
Vagner Rocha’s best match of all time is widely considered to be his second match against Dante Leon. He had already beaten Dante once by rear naked choke years earlier, and they were set to have a rematch at the 2019 ADCC’s. Dante Leon has an incredible record and name, and they were competing at one of the biggest Jiu Jitsu events in the world. The exciting, back and forth match went the distance and came to a referee decision, which went in the favor of Vanger Rocha for his second win against Dante Leon.
Vagner Rocha’s Record
Vagner Rocha’s professional grappling record is 69-23. His professional MMA record is 14-4.
Vagner Rocha Injuries
Vagner Rocha has had several injuries throughout his career that have caused him to pull out of competition, however there are no specifics on his injuries at this time.
Is Vagner Rocha Retired?
No, Vagner Rocha is not retired. He continues to grapple at the professional level, as well as teach at his academy.
If you enjoyed this piece, check out these athletes:
ARE YOU A BJJ FANATICS INSIDER? IF NOT, YOU’RE MISSING OUT!
Take a deep dive on one specific skill per month with the top instructors in the BJJ Fanatics family.
With your subscription you’ll get:
- Private Lesson (Masterclass)
- Preview of our Upcoming Daily Deals to better plan your purchases
- Rolling breakdowns & more.
You’ll also get At Home Drills to work on, a Preview of our Upcoming Launches More!
FREE FOR 7 DAYS TRIAL