João Manuel Roque (born July 22, 1971)[3] is a Portuguese-Angolan former featherweight Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) black belt World Champion and a retired mixed martial artist.[4] He competed in the Featherweight division in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
| João Roque | |
|---|---|
| Born | João Manuel Roque July 22, 1971 Luanda, Portuguese Angola |
| Residence | Brasilia, Brazil |
| Nationality | Angolan |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) |
| Division | Featherweight |
| Fighting out of | Luanda, Angola |
| Team | Nova União Clube Vizinhança[1] |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under André Pederneiras [1] |
| Years active | 1996–2005 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 13 |
| Wins | 7 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Brazil | ||
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[2] | ||
| Brazilian National Championship[2] | ||
 | 1993 | -76kg |
| Pan-American Championship | ||
| 1996 | -76kg |
| World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | ||
| 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -64kg |
 | 1998 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -64kg |
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 Roque joined André Pederneiras, 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, capital of Brazil. 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 > André Pederneiras > Joao Roque
Notable BJJ black belts graduated
- Bernado Pitel
- Jonatas Gurgel "Tagarela"
- Mark Andrew Bocek
Mixed martial arts record
| 13 matches | 7 wins | 2 losses |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 2 |
| Draws | 4 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 7–2–4 | Alexandre Franca Nogueira | Decision (unanimous) | G-Shooto: Special 01 | March 11, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo Korakuen Hall | |
| Draw | 7–1–4 | Hiroyuki Takaya | Draw | Shooto 2004: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall | January 24, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 7–1–3 | Hiroyuki Abe | Submission (armbar) | Shooto: Gig Central 4 | September 21, 2003 | 2 | 4:59 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 6–1–3 | Naoya Uematsu | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall | January 24, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 5–1–3 | Ryan Bow | Decision (majority) | Deep: 6th Impact | September 7, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 4–1–3 | Takehiro Murahama | Submission (armbar) | Deep: 4th Impact | March 30, 2002 | 1 | 2:13 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 3–1–3 | Stephen Palling | Submission (armbar) | World Fighting Alliance 1 | November 3, 2001 | 1 | 1:29 | Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 2–1–3 | Takehiro Murahama | Submission (armbar) | Deep: 2nd Impact | August 18, 2001 | 1 | 4:29 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–1–3 | Jens Pulver | Decision | UFC 26 | June 9, 2000 | 3 | 5:00 | Iowa, United States | |
| Draw | 1–0–3 | Hisao Ikeda | Draw | VTJ 1999: Vale Tudo Japan 1999 | December 11, 1999 | 3 | 8:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 1–0–2 | Noboru Asahi | Draw | VTJ 1998: Vale Tudo Japan 1998 | October 25, 1998 | 3 | 8:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 1–0–1 | Uchu Tatsumi | Draw | VTJ 1997: Vale Tudo Japan 1997 | November 29, 1997 | 3 | 8:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 1–0 | Abdelaziz Cherigui | Submission (armbar) | EF 3: Extreme Fighting 3 | October 18, 1996 | 1 | 4:02 | Oklahoma, United States |
