Michael Perez

Born on September 14, 1992, in Washington DC, Michael "el Patron" Perez spent his formative years split between Tennessee and Texas, where his parents were based. In his mid-teens, driven by a desire to defend himself in a real physical confrontation, he stepped onto the mats for the first time — a decision that would permanently alter the course of his life. He enrolled in jiu-jitsu classes under Paul Thomas and Brandon Mullins at Westside MMA Academy in Texas, and the sport immediately took hold.

Under Thomas and Mullins, Perez immersed himself in grappling culture with a seriousness that went beyond casual training. Recognizing the competitive edge that wrestling could add to his ground game, he expanded his training by competing for Morton Ranch High School during his senior year. That early cross-training embedded the athletic discipline and competitive mindset that would define him as a full-time grappler.

As Perez's ambitions outgrew recreational training, he sought an environment capable of supporting a serious competitive career. He discovered the Team Lloyd Irvin "Medal Chasers" program based in Maryland — a structured athlete development initiative offering housing, meals, training, and competition fees in exchange for a full-time commitment to competing. Perez applied, was accepted, and relocated to "The Jungle," the team's communal training house, arriving as a blue belt.

The TLI environment accelerated his development considerably. The high-volume training regimen and relentless competition schedule sharpened his technique and competitive instincts at a rapid pace. In 2013, however, Perez made the decision to leave, citing difficulty adapting to the Maryland climate and the weight of being far from friends and family. Despite his departure, the competitive foundation he built at TLI served as the springboard for everything that followed.

Leaving Maryland behind, Perez set his sights on San Diego, California — one of the most competitive BJJ environments in the world. He found a new home at Atos JJ Academy under the leadership of André Galvao and Angélica Galvao, a team renowned for producing elite international competitors and an ideal match for his ambitions.

Perez thrived within the Atos system. He earned both his purple and brown belts under the Atos banner, steadily ascending the colored belt competitive ranks. His consistency across major tournaments earned him distinction within the academy itself: in 2016, he received the "Atos Brown Belt of the Year Award," a recognition that reflected his dominance at that stage of his career.

His promotion to black belt came in October 2017, shortly after competing at the ADCC World Finals — a fitting milestone that marked his transition from one of the sport's most decorated colored belt competitors to a full black belt representative of Atos on the international stage.

Throughout his colored belt career, Perez established himself as one of the most formidable no-gi competitors in the United States. He captured the ADCC US Trials Championship in both 2013 and 2015 — back-to-back victories that cemented his status as a premier no-gi talent and earned him invitations to represent the US at the ADCC World Finals.

His record on the IBJJF no-gi circuit was equally commanding. Perez claimed the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship at purple belt in both 2013 and 2014, then returned to the top of the podium at brown belt in 2015 — a progression that demonstrated his no-gi game growing sharper with each belt advancement. He added the IBJJF Pan American No-Gi Championship at purple belt in 2014 and back-to-back IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi titles in 2013 and 2014, reinforcing his standing as the benchmark for American no-gi competition at the colored belt level.

Following his black belt promotion in October 2017, Perez carried that competitive edge into the sport's most demanding division. He reached the podium at the Kasai II Grand Prix in 2018 as runner-up, then claimed gold at the 2019 IBJJF Denver Open, proving his game translated seamlessly to the black belt level. These performances affirm why André Galvao and the broader BJJ community regard Perez as one of the top American competitors of his generation.