Faris Ben-Lamkadem

Faris Ben-Lamkadem is a British professional grappler and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Roger Gracie, who also worked extensively with Charles Negromonte. Ben-Lamkadem first gained notoriety in the sport as a colored belt, where he conquered numerous medals in both the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and Abu Dhabi Jiu-jitsu Pro (AJP) circuits in the Gi ruleset before stepping into the professional category, where he competed in both of the major branches of grappling rulesets, Gi and No-Gi.

Faris Ben-Lamkadem Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Faris Dean Ben-Lamkadem

Nickname: Often referenced by his peers as Faradinho, the nickname originated from Faris’ hobby as a video game player. While playing FIFA, he would always design his character and label him “Faradinho” as so many successful Brazilian players had the “inho” adjective added to their name (which means little in Portuguese jargon), i.e. Ronaldinho Gaucho, Robinho, Ronaldinho “Fenômeno”, Zinho, etc. As many of his gamer friends were also his training partners, the name transcended the screen onto the mats.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Junior > Roger Gracie > Faris Ben-Lamkadem

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2024)
• 1st Place IBJJF Paris Open (2022**)
• 1st Place IBJJF London Fall Open (2023)
• 1st Place IBJJF Rome Open (2023 / 2024)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Rome Open (2024*)
• 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam, IST (2023)
• 2nd Place AJP Europe Continental Pro (2023)
• 3rd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2023)
• 3rd Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2023)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF European Championship NOGI (2019 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF London Open (2017** / 2018** blue, 2019** purple, 2022** brown belt)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, ABD (2020 purple)
• 2nd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2018 blue)
• 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2018 blue, 2022 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship (2018 blue)
• 3rd Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2020 purple)
• 3rd Place AJP Grand Slam, TYO (2017 blue)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Well Rounded

Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88,30 kg / 195.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Roger Gracie Academy

Faris Ben-Lamkadem Biography

Faris Ben-Lamkadem was born in the United Kingdom in September 1995, in London, England.

Growing up, Faris played team and school sports, and although he was proficient, he didn’t truly embrace any of them but rather bounced around between them. Hollywood action movies raised Ben-Lamkadem’s interest in martial arts, which led him to pursue karate and boxing, though he found those were too boring and eventually quit.

Ben-Lamkadem first noticed mixed martial arts (MMA) after he watched a few UFC events at the gym where he lifted weights. He was 19 at the time and decided to give MMA a try. One of Faris’ best friends at the time was training at a local social project that offered MMA, jiu-jitsu, and boxing, which he attended after an invitation.

The introduction to jiu-jitsu took place under the guidance of Dan Vinni, during a time when Faris still had his sights on MMA. Still, as he grew more fond of grappling than the other disciplines practiced in cage-fighting, he opted to pursue a more specialized gym, finding what he was looking for at Roger Gracie’s Academy, where both Roger and Charles Negromonte guided him.

Faris Ben-Lamkadem went from white to black belt under Roger Gracie, receiving all rank promotions from the well-known legend of the sport. His black belt promotion took place on July 23, 2022.

Throughout his career, Faris Ben-Lamkadem represented the Roger Gracie Academy (RGA) but in 2024 he joined another London workgroup named Los Bandidos, which worked exclusively for no-gi rules. He represented both squads during this period.

On March 2025, the IBJJF awarded Faris Ben-Lamkadem the World No-Gi title of 2024, after fellow finalist Felipe Costa tested positive for PEDs in the post-match drug test. This way Faris became the first ever British athlete to win a world title in the IBJJF male adult black belt division.