Francisco Papasidero

Francisco Papasidero is a professional Argentinian grappler who holds a jiu-jitsu black belt under Guilherme Mendes, who additionally worked with Pablo Lavaselli, Juan Manuel Gutiérrez (Capi), Gabriel Brizuela, and Max Nelbone. Fran Papasidero first gained notoriety in the sport as a colored-belt athlete while competing for Renzo Gracie Academy in Orlando, Florida, and, later, Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ, Costa Mesa, California), particularly on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF circuit.

Francisco Papasidero Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Francisco Papasidero

Nickname: n/a

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Ramon Lemos > Guilherme Mendes >Francisco Papasidero

Main Achievements:

• 9x Gold Medals in IBJJF Opens (2026)
• 19x Gold Medals in IBJJF Opens (2025)
• 2nd Place Jiu-Jitsu CON (2025)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2021 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Wrestle-up / De La Riva Hook

Weight Division: Super-Pesado (100.50kg / 222.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ)

Francisco Papasidero Biography

Francisco Papasidero was born in May 1999 in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As a child, Fran practiced swimming as his preferred sport, but as he reached his teens, Papasidero gained an interest in mixed martial arts, joining an MMA club shortly after his 14th birthday.

While learning MMA, the young Argentinian became invested in the grappling side of the game, eventually shifting his training solely to jiu-jitsu a few months later, a change that settled in March 2014 with coaches Juan Manuel Gutiérrez, Max Nelbone, and Gabriel Brizuela at the helm. Nelbone promoted Francisco from white to purple belt.

In the late 2010s, a USA-based grappling project named Project Agora, led by Pat Cooligan (Renzo Gracie Orlando), offered a scholarship for young athletes, helping with visas, housing, food, and tournament fees in exchange for representation at said tournaments and classes. Francisco Papasidero applied for the program and was accepted, arriving that year, as did a few other promising Argentinian athletes like Pablo Lavaselli.

Pablo Lavaselli was one of the biggest references for Papasidero in Orlando, Florida. It was Pablo who promoted Fran to the brown belt rank, though he later joined the Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, California, while Fran remained in Orlando. Eventually, Francisco decided to leave the Agora project to risk his chances with AOJ, after Lavaselli intervened for him with the leadership at AOJ.

Arriving as a regular student, Francisco found a job to pay for his AOJ fees and regular living expenses, but as his talent shone through, Papasidero was given a chance to train with the professional team and given a job as one of the coaches at AOJ.

After solid competitive results, Francisco Papasidero was promoted to black belt by AOJ coach Guilherme Mendes on November 22, 2024.