In what experts are calling “the most thorough background check ever performed by people in rashguards,” the BJJ community has forensically fact-checked Senator Markwayne Mullin’s claim of being a “world champion” who “taught the Gracies wrestling.”
The investigation, conducted primarily by anonymous Reddit users with access to IBJJF tournament databases, has confirmed that Senator Mullin’s verified competitive record consists of a Masters 1 blue belt division win at the 2010 Miami Open — a tournament where, by multiple accounts, his division had fewer than four competitors.
“That’s like winning a hot dog eating contest where you’re the only person who showed up,” noted one commenter, whose observation received 847 upvotes.
The community has drawn particular attention to the fact that Renato Laranja — a fictional parody character created by comedian Rhasaan Orange — has more verifiable competitive credentials than a sitting United States Senator. Laranja’s character bio claims 27 world titles. Nobody can prove this. But crucially, nobody can disprove it either, which already puts him ahead of Mullin.
One viral comment translated the Senator’s claims into a specific cadence: “The Gracies. They came to me. Big, strong men. With tears in their eyes. They said, ‘Sir, please teach us your wrestling.’ And I did. Tremendous wrestling. The best wrestling. Everyone says so.”
At press time, Senator Mullin’s office had not responded to requests for a copy of his competition results, his belt certificate, or literally any evidence of anything he has claimed.