Orlando Sanchez, a 40-year-old senior black belt champion, has passed away, leaving the jiu-jitsu community in sadness.
Sanchez leaves behind his wife and three children, about whom he frequently talked on social media.
On social media, everyone’s friends and relatives expressed their sorrow and missed him.
Sanchez, a former Gracie Barra representative and owner of his own Gracie Barra academy were well-known for his outgoing nature and remarkable athletic prowess.
Orlando was an American-born black belt in jiu-jitsu, according to BJJ Heroes. He received instruction from José “Zé Radiola” Olympia and made a name for himself while competing.
Ben has spent much of his life fighting, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Ben, who spent his childhood wrestling, discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and immediately fell in love with it.
He has been practising martial arts for almost ten years, is a brown belt, and continues to be active in the MMA and BJJ communities. Since 2017, Ben has started blogging about combat sports. Many UFC champions are among the top MMA stars he has spoken with and documented.
Sanchez made his name on the sport by earning gold in the heavyweight division at the 2015 ADCC World Championships after a coloured belt career that saw him capture an IBJJF world championship as a brown belt. He came in second place in the 2017 ADCC World Championships after losing to the renowned Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida in the final fight.
As a vocal supporter of mental health, Sanchez was never shy about discussing his battles with addiction and drug use. He frequently attributed jiu-jitsu to improving his life.
The causes of his death are not mentioned at this time. Plans for the funeral will be revealed later.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
