Rodrigo Cavaca

Rodrigo Henriques Cavaca was born on January 27, 1981, in Santos, Brazil. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Cavaca was a passionate football (soccer) enthusiast, playing competitively in Futebol de Salão (five-a-side indoor soccer). It wasn’t until he reached the age of 19 that he decided to try his hand at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, pushed by a couple of close friends who were blue belts and constantly challenged him to step onto the mats.  

Cavaca took his first class in his hometown under an instructor named Sarruço at a satellite academy of Alliance, where he eventually earned his blue belt. As his indoor soccer career plateaued, he decided to pivot and focus entirely on Jiu-Jitsu. Seeking a higher level of daily competition, he moved to the Integração Jiu-Jitsu Team to train under Élcio Figueiredo, a Carlson Gracie black belt. Under Figueiredo’s guidance, Cavaca’s career exploded, earning two Brazilian National titles and two World titles in the purple and brown belt divisions before being awarded his black belt on October 28, 2005.  

Recognizing the need to continually evolve, Cavaca began traveling three times a week to São Paulo to train with Leonardo Vieira at the powerhouse Brasa academy. When Vieira split from Brasa to establish the legendary Checkmat team, Cavaca followed, opening highly successful affiliate academies in Santos and around the globe. During this era, Cavaca cemented his status as an elite innovator, popularizing the straight ankle lock (botinha) at the highest levels of the sport after collaborating with American grappling coach Roli Delgado.  

As a coach, Cavaca became widely recognized as a premier talent developer, building the early careers of iconic champions like Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Michelle Nicolini, and Nivaldo Oliveira. In October 2013, Cavaca left Checkmat to co-found Zenith Jiu-Jitsu alongside Robert Drysdale, continuing his legacy as both a top-tier competitor and world-class mastermind.  

Main Achievements
1st Place IBJJF World Champion (2010)  

1st Place IBJJF European Champion (2009 / 2010)  

1st Place CBJJ Brazilian National Champion (2008 / 2010)  

2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2009 / 2011)

2nd Place IBJJF Pan American Championship (2009 / 2017)

3rd Place IBJJF Pan American Championship (2008 / 2010)  

Grappling Profile & Quick Stats
Weight Division: Super Pesado (under 221 lbs) / Pesadíssimo (over 221 lbs)  

Favorite Position/Technique: Straight Ankle Lock (Botinha) & Triangle Choke

Team / Association: Zenith Jiu-Jitsu (formerly Checkmat / Brasa)  

Submission Specialty: Straight Ankle Lock and Triangle (together accounting for nearly 50% of his career submission victories)