Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles, a revered figure in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), has announced his plan to make a comeback to the professional scene in 2024, much to the delight of fans. Despite a significant gap since his last performance, ‘Cobrinha’ has maintained his dedication to training, surpassing the commitment of most individuals worldwide.
At 43 years old, he remains incredibly fit and intends to spend six months preparing for his return. ‘Cobrinha’ has expressed his confidence in his athletic abilities by advocating for battles with no time limits, deviating from the standard round durations of 5 or 10 minutes.
Promoters would definitely jump at the chance to stage a huge event to celebrate Cobrinha’s return to competition. It seems doubtful that anyone in his weight class would turn down the chance to compete against him despite the fact that he is not directly competing against black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Cobrinha’s last competitive appearance was in ADCC 2017, where he secured his third consecutive gold medal in the 66kg category. Despite his impressive four-year reign over the weight class, two new champions have emerged since then.
Diogo Reis currently holds the championship title after a triumphant campaign at ADCC 2022, while Augusto ‘Tanquinho’ Mendes claimed the division title in 2019 before retiring from competition. Although a matchup against Tanquinho would be intriguing, Cobrinha already holds a 4-3 advantage in their head-to-head matches.
Undoubtedly, the most exhilarating showdown would be against the current champion, Reis, who made a resounding statement with his outstanding performance in ADCC 2022. In his career, Cobrinha has been a remarkable 5-time World International BJJ Federation (IBJJF) Champion, 4-time World IBJJF NO-GI Champion, and 3-time ADCC World Champion.
As Cobrinha prepares to make his highly anticipated return, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community eagerly awaits the upcoming season.
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