BJJ Gyms in Arizona

Arizona's BJJ scene is a Phoenix metro story almost entirely. The Valley of the Sun holds the vast majority of the state's mat density, with gym clusters running from Tempe and Mesa through Scottsdale, North Phoenix, Peoria, and the fast-growing West Valley suburbs of Glendale, Goodyear, and Avondale. The headline lineage is **Megaton Dias / Gracie Humaita** — Master Wellington "Megaton" Dias, a 7th-degree coral belt under Royler Gracie and the only competitor in history to have competed at every World Jiu-Jitsu Championship since the inaugural 1996 event, runs his academy in Phoenix and has seeded the broader Arizona scene through black belts like Sean Nuzzo (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu North Phoenix). **Gracie Barra** has the deepest franchise footprint, with cluster locations in North Phoenix, Peoria, Arcadia, Ahwatukee, and Scottsdale. **Ares BJJ** runs a multi-location network spanning Phoenix, Goodyear, and the Paradise Valley corridor. **10th Planet** has two metro anchors — John Botello's 10th Planet Phoenix (Mesa) and Steeyle Levine's 10th Planet Scottsdale — making Arizona one of the stronger 10th Planet markets in the Southwest. The Tempe corridor is disproportionately competition-dense for its size. Gustavo Dantas (6th-degree black belt, GD Association founder) runs one of the larger competition-focused academies in the state; Soul Fighters Headquarters — led by Augusto "Tanquinho" Mendes, a 4th-degree black belt and 6x BJJ World Champion — claims the only adult black belt world champion based in Arizona. Jay Pages (4th-degree under Caio Terra, Caio Terra Association and BJJ Globetrotters affiliated) runs an 8,500 sq.ft facility nearby. **Checkmat** has a notable Phoenix presence through world champions Mayko Araujo and Karen Antunes, with a second Checkmat affiliate in North Phoenix via Exodus Jiu-Jitsu. **Carlson Gracie Team AZ** holds Gilbert with husband-and-wife black belts Alejo and Alicia Sandoval. **Relson Gracie** and **Gracie University** each have certified Arizona outposts in Phoenix. For no-gi and submission grappling, the MMA LAB in Phoenix is the metro's most prominent MMA training center. Expect monthly dues in the $120–$180 range for adult unlimited, with 10th Planet Scottsdale at the top ($185/mo), Gracie Barra franchise locations typically using bi-weekly billing, and smaller independent academies clustering in the $120–$150 band. Tucson, Flagstaff, and other Arizona markets are not yet covered in this directory.