Ali Monfaradi

Ali Monfaradi is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Fábio Gurgel of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu and head coach of the Elements Jiu-Jitsu Academy, who was the first high-level competitor in the sport’s international circuit from the Kingdom of Bahrain – Middle East. Monfaradi earned multiple medals in some of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) top tournaments while competing in the lower belt divisions of grappling, a good form he continued as a black belt.

Ali Monfaradi Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Ali Seena E. A. Monfaradi

Nickname: Ali has two nicknames for which he is well known among his friends. One is “The Beast From The Middle East” (for obvious reasons) and the other one, which was ‘coined’ by his coach Michael Langhi is “Cadeira Elétrica” (Electric Chair). Electric Chair started being referenced during Monfaradi’s early days in São Paulo because he was very clumsy. “limbs everywhere” and often kicked or elbowed his training partners. His clumsiness was as if he was being electrocuted.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Fábio Gurgel > Ali Monfaradi

Main Achievements:

• AJP’s Best Asian Athlete Award (2020, 2021)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open NoGi (2019)
• 2nd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2021)
• 2nd Place UAEJJF President Cup (2023)
• 3rd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2019)
• 3rd Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2020)
• 3rd Place AJP Grand Slam, TYO (2024)
• 3rd Place UAEJJF President Cup (2022)

Main Achievements (Other):

• 1st Place JJIF World Ju-Jutsu Championship (2021)
• 1st Place JJIF Asian Championship (2017 / 2021)
• 1st Place JJIF Asian Indoor Games (2016 / 2017)
• 1st Place AJP Czech Republic Pro (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF German Nationals (2017)
• 1st Place IBJJF Berlin Open (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Berlin Open NOGI(2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Dallas Open NOGI (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF London Fall Open NOGI (2017 / 2018)
• 2nd Place AJP Dubai National Pro (2018)
• 2nd Place JJIF World Ju-Jutsu Championship (2020)
• 3rd Place JJIF World Ju-Jutsu Championship (2018)
• 3rd Place JJIF Asian Championship (2019)
• 3rd Place IBJJF London Fall Open (2017)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Berlin Open (2018*)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2012 blue)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2012 blue)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2012* blue)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2017 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2012* blue, 2015 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2011 blue, 2014 purple)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Well Rounded

Weight Division: Peso Leve (76,00 kg / 168.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Alliance / Elements JJA

Ali Monfaradi Biography

Ali Monfaradi was born on October 30, 1993, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, an island country located in the Persian Gulf.

While growing up uncle Reza Monfaradi was a strong reference for Ali, Reza, who was a pioneering figure for jiu-jitsu in the Bahrain region. Although interested in grappling from watching his family members train since he was a young child, it was only on January 2006 that 12-year-old Ali was allowed to join class, after Reza introduced a kids schedule to the academy’s timetable.

During the 2000s decade, the Monfaradi academy joined hands with the Alliance Jiu-Jitsu franchise, which opened a large international network for its training members. This included Ali, who, as soon as he finished high-schools final exams (International Baccalaureate), hopped on the next plane to California, skipping his graduation ceremony to compete in the IBJJF 2011 World Championship, which was his first major tournament experience. Ali conquered a bronze medal at the World Championship, in the blue belt division, and directly from there, 17-year-old Monfaradi moved to São Paulo, Brazil.

Once in São Paulo, Ali was able to train full-time under Fábio Gurgel at the Alliance headquarters (HQ) for a number of years, while further expanding his academic education. That first year (2011-2012), although in a new country by himself, Monfaradi was able to learn Portuguese and qualify for a local computer science university (which required him to have a good understanding of the local language). An interesting side fact about Monfaradi’s academic achievements is that prior to his computer science aspirations, Ali’s plan was to study nutrition in Brazil, to supplement my athletic career, but when Ali realized the nutrition school campus was a 2-hour bus ride away from Alliance academy, he opted to look for a closer university instead, finding one at a walking distance from the gym, which taught computer science.

After 4.5 years in Brazil, in December 2015, Ali Monfaradi returned to his home country as a brown belt, where he continued to live fully submerged in BJJ life while keeping in contact with Fábio Gurgel. In July 2017, Monfaradi became the 99th black belt promoted by Master Gurgel.

Ali Monfaradi vs Bruno Célio (2018)