Renzo Gracie Buys Into BJJ App UJITSU as Global Ambassador

Renzo Gracie has put his own money into a jiu-jitsu app. The two-time ADCC world champion is now a shareholder in UJITSU, a UAE-founded digital platform for the global BJJ community, and will also serve as its Global Ambassador and Strategic Partner.

An announcement on the mats in Abu Dhabi

The deal was made public on November 8, 2026, at a free seminar and open mat at 321 Sports on Hudayriyat Island. More than 250 practitioners attended. Instead of a closed corporate presentation, the company let the community watch it happen.

The detail that sets it apart is ownership. Gracie did not sign a typical sponsorship or ambassador contract. He acquired an equity stake, which gives him a direct financial interest in how the company performs.

Gracie has a long history in the city. He won his first ADCC world title in Abu Dhabi in 1998 and another there in 2000. In January 2023, Rickson Gracie awarded him a seventh-degree coral belt in the same city. He called Abu Dhabi "a second home" and said it felt right to announce the move on the mats.

What UJITSU offers

UJITSU wants to tie together BJJ athletes, instructors, academies and the broader grappling scene. Its map lists over 38,000 academies, it reports users in the tens of thousands, and the app is available in 12 languages.

Athletes can log training sessions, goals and personal progress. They can look for academies, classes and open mats, find sparring partners and follow upcoming competitions. The app also keeps a digital record of belt promotions that instructors verify.

Academy owners get management tools that are free to start. These cover student and membership management, class schedules and bookings, QR-code check-ins, attendance tracking, payment records and analytics. Academies also get a public profile with student reviews.

Gracie's role and the ambassador list

Gracie will help the company expand internationally, build ties with academies and instructors, and look for new partnerships. In his words, he wants to help build something that works for both athletes and academies, "not just put my name on it."

Founder Merdan Gurbanov said the company did not want to build "just another app," but a home for the jiu-jitsu world.

He argued that practitioners should own their belts and training history. Gracie holding a stake, he said, shows that the app is built by the jiu-jitsu community.

Gracie joins existing ambassadors João Miyao and Gabrieli Pessanha, both multiple-time IBJJF world champions, and Daniel "220v" Poncio, a four-time Abu Dhabi World Pro champion.

The company says instructional content, seminars and community initiatives are under discussion. Further announcements will follow once plans are finalized. The announcement does not say how large Gracie's stake is.

Source: Bjj Eastern Europe