Brandon Ruiz: Mormon Athlete
Brandon Ruiz is a world-class Greco Roman wrestler and second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Ruiz wrestled and lettered in wrestling at Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He was a three-time Greco Roman Wrestling All-American and Freestyle Wrestling All-American. After college, he trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from 2003 to 2006. He also continued his training in grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and earned his black belt in 2008. He holds also advanced rank in Judo and has trained in the Filipino martial art of Eskrima.
Ruiz has four individual world championships and ten world-level medals including FILA Grappling World Champion (2011), NAGA Grappling World Champion (2010), Grappler’s Quest World Series of Grappling Champion (2012), two-time World Champion Pancrase Submission Wrestling (2008, 2010), four-time FILA Grappling World Medalist (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013), International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Bronze Medalist (2008), IBJJF Pan Am Silver Medalist (2008), three-time Pancrase Submission Wrestling National Champion, and Greco Roman Wrestling Pan Am Silver Medalist (2004). In November 2014, he won both the Adult Ultra Heavy Black Belt and Open Black Belt Divisions at the Sport Jiu Jitsu International Federation (SJJIF) No-GI Jiu Jitsu World Championships. In 2017 he took the +100 kg championship in the US Grappling World Team Trials (No-GI Senior Men).
He has also coached many championship-caliber athletes including Utah State wrestling champions and state finalists, Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling champions, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) state, U.S. regional, and world champions, and local and U.S. regional grappling champions.
Ruiz is the author Champions Find a Way: How to Become a Champion in Sport and in Life.
He and his wife, Brynne, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the parents of five children and live in Utah.
