Kaynan Duarte, nicknamed "Thanos", is a Brazilian heavyweight from Pederneiras, São Paulo, and one of the most successful ADCC competitors of his generation. He won four ADCC titles between 2019 and 2024, including absolute gold in 2024, and IBJJF World titles at black belt in 2021 and 2022. He came up at Atos under André Galvão and, according to BJJ Heroes, moved to Art of Jiu-Jitsu in early 2026.
Background and lineage
Duarte moved to Atos in San Diego in 2016. He won IBJJF World, Pan and No-Gi World titles at purple belt in 2017 and won the ADCC Brazilian trials while still a purple belt. In 2018 he won brown belt heavyweight and absolute gold at the IBJJF Worlds, and André Galvão promoted him to black belt. His lineage runs through Galvão. Wikipedia traces Galvão's line to Fernando "Tererê" Augusto, while BJJ Heroes traces it through Luis "Careca" Dagmar to Reyson Gracie.
Competition highlights
- ADCC: +99 kg gold in 2019, beating Nick Rodriguez in the final. −99 kg gold in 2022, beating Craig Jones on points. In 2024 he won −99 kg, choking Rafael Lovato Jr. in the final, and the absolute.
- IBJJF World Championship: −94 kg gold in 2021 and 2022, silver at −100 kg in 2023 and absolute bronze in 2021 and 2023.
- Europeans: gold in 2019 and double gold in 2023.
- No-gi: World No-Gi champion in 2018, double gold at the 2020 Pan No-Gi, Polaris 25 absolute grand prix winner and IBJJF No-Gi Absolute Grand Prix winner in 2024.
His 2019 IBJJF World heavyweight title was stripped after a USADA test found ostarine. He received a one-year IBJJF ban and said he had not taken it intentionally.
Style and signature techniques
BJJ Heroes describes his game simply as "well rounded". The numbers point to a top player who finishes from the back. His most common submissions are chokes from back control (9), armbars, rear naked chokes and guillotines (8 each). He has also used the heel hook, as in his 2021 Road to ADCC win over Matheus Diniz.
Notable matches
- Rodolfo Vieira, Who's Number One (2020): a rear naked choke win over the former gi world champion.
- Lachlan Giles, ADCC 2019 absolute: a first-round heel hook loss in the same year he won +99 kg.
- Nicholas Meregali, WNO 19 (2023): a submission loss to a fellow gi world champion.
- ADCC 2024 absolute: submission wins over Diego "Pato" Oliveira, Declan Moody and Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu and a points win over Dante Leon.