Pedro Henrique Rocha was born on May 25, 1993, in Brazil, and found his way to the mats before most children have started school. Inspired by his older brother João Gabriel Rocha, Pedro asked his parents for permission to train jiu-jitsu at the age of four — a wish they granted by enrolling him in coach Marcos Carvalho's class. That early introduction proved formative: Carvalho guided Pedro through his entire developmental years, advancing him progressively through the ranks and awarding him his purple belt. His brown belt promotion came under Ricardo Ferreira, with both instructors together forming the bedrock of his technical identity.

Growing up, Pedro was far from a single-sport athlete. Alongside his jiu-jitsu development, he pursued water polo with considerable success and maintained a competitive lifestyle across multiple disciplines. At seventeen, he added freestyle wrestling to his repertoire — a decision that would open an entirely separate elite competitive pathway.

Pedro Rocha's commitment to freestyle wrestling evolved rapidly after taking it up at seventeen, and it was not long before he was performing at the highest levels of Brazilian competition. Over the course of his wrestling career, he secured nine Brazilian National titles — a remarkable record of domestic dominance. That consistency on the national stage was complemented by international recognition: he earned a Junior Pan American silver medal and, in 2016, placed third at the UWW World Championship, representing Brazil against the world's best grapplers.

At around the age of twenty-three, Rocha enlisted in the Brazilian Navy, adding a military dimension to an already demanding sporting career. He became a member of the organization's Freestyle Wrestling Olympic Program, positioning himself within an elite institutional structure built to support competitive athletes. As of January 2020, he held the rank of 3rd Sergeant. Rather than diminishing his athletic pursuits, the Navy environment provided the structure and resources to sustain them, allowing Rocha to compete at a high level in both wrestling and jiu-jitsu while fulfilling his military obligations.

The next chapter of Pedro Rocha's jiu-jitsu journey began when his brother João Gabriel Rocha opened a gym in the United States under the Double Five banner and invited Pedro to join him. Pedro accepted, relocating to assist with the new venture — a move that also brought his belt journey to its conclusion. In July 2019, João Rocha promoted Pedro to black belt in a ceremony that carried both professional and personal significance, marking a milestone shared between siblings who had trained together since childhood.

Brown Belt Highlights

Rocha's competitive record in no-gi submission grappling at brown belt established him as a consistent threat at the top of the bracket. In 2018, he won the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi and reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi. He followed that run by claiming gold at the 2019 IBJJF Rio Open shortly before receiving his black belt promotion — a strong finishing statement at the rank.

Black Belt Career

Transitioning to black belt competition, Rocha wasted no time asserting himself. He won the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi in 2019, demonstrating seamless continuity from one rank to the next. In 2020, he added the IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi title and reached the final of the IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi, further reinforcing his standing among the division's elite.

In 2021, Rocha returned to the final of the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi at black belt — mirroring the silver medal finish he had achieved at brown belt three years earlier, a parallel result that underscores his consistency at the top of the bracket. That same year, he placed third at the 3CG Middleweight Grand Prix, competing in a high-profile submission-only format against elite grapplers. Throughout his black belt career, Rocha competes primarily in the Peso Médio division, at 82.30 kg (181.5 lbs).