The Breakdown: When you talk about names that fly under the radar in BJJ one of the guys that has to be mentioned is Osvaldo Queixinho. Many will recognize him from his many successful battles with Joao and Paulo Miyao this year, but Queixinho has been a dominant force inside the featherweight division for years now. And, the most interesting thing about him may be the diversity in his game.
The Study: Queixinho first leaped onto the radar several years ago with a quick footlock win over UFC star Nate Diaz. Since that time, the young Brazilian has proven himself a top IBJJF competitor to watch. What makes him so much fun to watch is just how well-rounded his game is.
In the matches we viewed Queixinho he had an impressive 73% win rate. His submission rate in those wins ended up being approximately 72%! This is no easy feat. What’s more impressive is that he found a way to get those submissions in 7 different ways. That’s the greatest submission diversity we’ve seen in any of our studies.
Queixinho’s entire game is diverse. We witnessed him employ different strategies for each opponent. In fact, the only technique he successfully used more than twice in the entire study was De La Riva guard. He does a very good job of deflecting and shutting down the berimbolo of his opponents, and even countered with his own on one or two occasions. His sweep to pass ratio was almost dead even (10/9). When he went to sweep, he would often rely on various open guards; with De La Riva being the most popular. When passing, he really kept his opponents guessing. While nearly 80% of his passes were from standing, he varied his approaches considerably. In the study, he was able to execute 7 different styles of passes.
What’s important to keep in mind is that in most of our studies we see a strong prevalence of a “game”. Queixinho seems to tailor some his approach to his opponents. Whether this is done subconsciously or on purpose, his style is dynamic nonetheless. He found success passing, sweeping, and submitting in more different ways than anyone else we’ve studied.
Ultimately, what’s most impressive about Queixinho was how dynamic his submission game was. He was able to nab a lot of different kinds of submissions from many different positions. While many athletes we’ve studied have found success minimizing their toolkit, Queixinho seems to thrive with a broad approach.
Queixinho has yet to win a world championship, but with the exit of Gui Mendes from the division and his recent success over the Miyao brothers, Queixinho has to be a favorite for a 2016 world title. He is certainly an athlete to follow.
Notable Study Stats:
- 73% win rate
- 71% of his wins were by submission
- Finished 7 different kinds of submissions
- 7 Different kinds of sweeps were used
- 78% of passes occurred from standing
- 60% of sweeps were from the open guard
- Scored first in 10 of 11 wins
The full study is available in the latest issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine.
