Orlando Sanchez, also known as ‘big O’ is a Brazilian jiu jitsu fighter and athlete. Apart from BJJ he also competed in mixed martial arts competitions. He’s a former ADCC champion but he’s also a controversial figure in BJJ.
How Orlando Sanchez started in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Orlando Sanchez has a history with drug addiction and Brazilian jiu jitsu helped him overcome that
After dedicating himself to BJJ fully he earned his black belt in 4 years, which is an extraordinary accomplishment, as it’s much shorter than how long it takes to get a black belt in BJJ normally.
Controversy around Orlando Sanchez
Orlando Sanchez is a fairly controversial figure in Brazilian jiu jitsu, for a few reasons.
Recently Orlando Sanchez caused controversy after intentionally trying to injure UFC fighter Sean Strickland, who was training to fight Uriah Hall, during training with a standing Mir lock (a type of Americana). You can see the incident in the video below.
More generally, Orlando has a history with drug dealing and substance abuse. He opens up on these topics in the FloGrappling podcast, which you can watch below.
BJJ instructionals
Orlando Sanchez currently doesn’t have any instructional dvds available.
Orlando Sanchez’ Favorite techniques (videos)
Orlando Sanchez is a big guy and he prefers to pass guard over playing guard himself.
In the video below you can see him teaching guard passing fundamentals at a Gracie Barra gym.
Orlando Sanchez’ Competition Performance
Orlando Sanchez won first place in the ADCC World grappling Championship in 2017 and second place in 2017. The majority of his wins came through referee decisions.
Over his career Orlando Sanchez beat many reputable people, including Tom DeBlass, Vinny Magalhaes, Dean lister and Leandro Lo.
He also lost against some famous BJJ fighters, including Andre Galvao, Leandro Lo, Roberto Abreu, Marcus Almeida, Nicky Rodriguez, and in 2021 against Tex Johnson and Rida Haisam at Who’s Number One in Houston Texas.
In the video below you can see Orlando Sanchez compete against Gustavo Dias.
Orlando Sanchez BJJ Team
Orlando Sanchez comes out for Gracie Barra in BJJ matches.
In MMA matches he comes out for Kings MMA
Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team and academy that was founded in 1993 by Carlos Gracie Jr. and his brother, Rolls Gracie. Carlos Gracie Jr. is the nephew of the founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Helio Gracie.
Although the Gracie family has always been known to be very competitive, Carlos Gracie Jr. and his family have stressed the importance of teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to everyone, no matter their age, shape or size. Gracie Barra is known for its dedication to good sportsmanship and positive training environment.
