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Alexandre Prates

Black Belt

Alex Prates is the Jiu-Jitsu, MMA and wrestling instructor at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange and a 4th degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He was coached by Royler Gracie, by Mario Sperry, and by Bruno Panno, the 5th degree black belt who heads the Australian Gracie Association; a certificate displayed on the site records his black belt being awarded on 4 February 2007 by Rolker Gracie and Royler Gracie. Prates is the current head coach of UFC champion Robert Whittaker, UFC middleweight Jacob Malkoun and ONE Championship fighter Isi Fitikefu, all of whom also teach at the academy. He is the wrestling coach for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL, and previously held the same role with the premiership-winning Penrith Panthers (2021 and 2022) and South Sydney Rabbitohs (2014). He is a former director of the NSW BJJ Federation.