Top gi and no-gi competitor Diego “Pato” Oliveira has officially joined the Mendes brothers’ Art of Jiu-Jitsu.
The famed Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, California just added another world-class competitor.
Recent ADCC bronze medalist and multiple-time IBJJF black belt world champion Diego “Pato” Oliveira has joined the elite team headed by brothers Rafael and Guilherme Mendes. Oliveira will add to the school’s roster of top-end competitors which already includes Cole Abate, Tainan Dalpra, and Thalison Soares.
The Mendes brothers announced Oliveira’s move on their Instagram account.
Formerly a representative of Team Cicero Costha, “Pato” spent ample time over the past few years training under Murilo Santana at Unity Jiu-Jitsu. In January 2022, he left Cicero Costha to join Dream Art, although he would maintain connections with Unity and was cornered by former Unity teammate Junny Ocasio at the 2022 ADCC World Championships.
Oliveira is a major acquisition for Art of Jiu-Jitsu. One of the planet’s top competitors in both gi and no-gi, he possesses a well-rounded game that has allowed him to succeed in a wide variety of rulesets.
In 2021, Oliveira captured gold at the IBJJF gi and no-gi Pans, as well as the gi and no-gi Worlds, announcing himself as one of the best pound-for-pound black belts in the world.
In early 2022, “Pato” took home second at the ADCC South American finals, losing to eventual ADCC world champion Diogo Reis. That performance plus his stellar resume led to an invitation to the 2022 ADCC World Championships, where he defeated Keith Krikorian, returning silver medalist Kennedy Maciel, and Josh Cisneros to secure third place in the 66kg division.
Most recently, Oliveira earned second at the 2023 IBJJF European Open.
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