Paul Ardila-Ibarra

Paul Ardila-Ibarra a grappler of Colombian origin, and a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Roan Carneiro of the American Top Team (ATT), whose also represented the Alliance Academy while training under Bruno Malfacine‘s guidance during 2015. Ardila won the IBJJF World Champion (brown belt gi and no-gi) but is mostly known for his work with the ADCC, having won the promotion’s USA Trials on three occasions.

Paul Ardila-Ibarra Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Paul Sebastian Mauricio Ardila-Ibarra

Nickname: n/a

Lineage:  Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Murilo Bustamante > Roan Carneiro > Paul Ardila-Ibarra

Main Achievements:

• IBJJF World Champion (2015 brown)
• IBJJF World No-Gi Champion (2015 brown)
• ADCC US West Coast Trials Champion (2015 / 2017 / 2022)
• IBJJF Miami International Open Champion (2014** purple)
• IBJJF World No-Gi Championship 3rd Place (2016)
• IBJJF Pan American Championship 3rd Place (2017)

Favorite Position/Technique: Knee Slide Pass

Weight Division: Peso Pesadíssimo (over 100kg/221lbs)

Team/Association: American Top Team

Paul Ardila-Ibarra Biography

Paul Ardila-Ibarra was born on 13, 1991 in Bucaramanga – Colombia, moving to the United States when he was 9 years old. Once in the US Paul’s family settled in Atlanta, Georgia where Ardila-Ibarra lived until his 21st birthday.

It was in Georgia that Paul started wrestling, during his freshman year of high school (14YO), a sport in which he excelled, placing twice (5th and 3rd) for his state under folkstyle rules and becoming state champion in greco-roman.

During high school, Paul was also introduced to jiu jitsu (Summer of 2009) by his brother Sergio Ardila-Ibarra during wrestling’s off season. He returned to BJJ training consistently on March 2010, doing so under Roan “Jucao” Carneiro.

Once he entered the University of Georgia, Paul represented the establishment’s wrestling program at a high level, placing 4th at the NCWA national tournament in 2012 (197lbs), winning that same tournament two years later – with a break in 2013 due to Ardila-Ibarra’s stay in Brazil.

In 2015 Paul Ardila-Ibarra spent most of the year in Orlando, Florida. There he trained almost exclusively at Alliance – Orlando, a gym run by Brad Thompson, where Paul was coached by the multiple-time world champion Bruno Malfacine. During that year Ardila-Ibarra achieved important wins at the ADCC US Trials World Championship (brown belt).

On January 2016, while splitting his life between jiu jitsu and being a law student at the University of Notre Dame, Paul was promoted to black belt by his long time coach, Roan Carneiro – who awarded all of Ardila-Ibarra’s previous belts.

Paul Ardila-Ibarra Highlight (no-gi)