Grappling for glory
Uniontown native Roby wins title in Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi tournament
Richard Roby’s first taste in combat sports came in junior high school as a member of the Uniontown wrestling team.
The 2009 graduate of Uniontown Area High School continued to compete in the sport, and while he enjoyed it, the level of commitment wasn’t there.
Eight years later, Roby, who still resides in his hometown, began to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and despite some apprehension to start training, the former Red Raider was hooked.
Roby continues to practice the martial art, but has taken his training to a new level and competes at the international level. In what he describes as a “full-circle moment,” Roby won a title in the Male Master 1 Brown Medium-Heavy (188.6 pounds) division at the 2025 Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championships Oct. 3 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
Roby, who trains at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Morgantown, defeated Robert Rigilano of Kore BJJ & MMA for the championship.
The tournament is organized by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), and is considered one of the sport’s most prestigious tournaments.
Roby knows he can’t change the past, but he feels vindicated with his success in BJJ. The 34-year-old follows a strict regimen while working a full-time job at Cintas.
“I would give anything to go back to high school and take my wrestling seriously, which is one of the reasons I am so focused with my training,” Roby said. “Obviously, the training and competing is hard, plus the nerves, but the discipline with what you do outside of training is the most challenging. You need everything tied together to bring the best package together. There are some genetic anomalies who can eat like crap and stay in shape, but I am not one of them.”
When Roby first stepped foot in a gym, it was in mixed martial arts (MMA), and he credits fellow Uniontown native Nick Browne with helping him to develop, but he was unsure if he could make it through the first workout.
“I wouldn’t be where I am at with Nick Browne,” said Roby. “He trained me from my white belt until my brown, but he was more into MMA, and I was leaning more towards BJJ. There are not many gyms around this area, so I am fortunate to find a great one in Morgantown.
“In terms of my introduction to the sport, I was sweating as I walked into the gym. I told my fiancée, Jessica Rhodes, but she encouraged me to stick with it. I am blessed to have her in my life. She has joined me in training, and is now a purple belt. Having her with me makes this journey even more special.”
Roby competed in body building after high school, and had an interest in training in combat sports, but wasn’t sure what avenue he was going to take until he started in BJJ.
“It definitely didn’t happen overnight, and I would say the first year was probably the toughest,” Roby said. “As tough as wrestling is, there is the fear of breaking a limb or being put unconscious. I think once I went from training to competing, I knew that I had to really take this seriously because I could not only lose, but lose and get hurt, plus unless you win a black belt in gi, you are not going to win money in the sport.
“You are recognized for your achievements, but it is nothing like MMA. It will open up opportunities for you to train other individuals, and my goal would be to one day open up a gym and train people full-time, but I need to continue to build up my accolades. You want to show people when they walk into your gym that you know what you are doing. They are paying good money to train, so you better know your stuff. I work four days a week at Cintas, so I can use a Wednesday to provide lessons.”
Rhodes accompanies Roby to his competitions, and the couple generally warm-up together. She also helps him with his diet and always provides emotional support.
“If it wasn’t for my fiancée, I don’t know if I would still be doing this,” Roby said. “I do a lot of it for her because I know she is very supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better fiancée.”
Roby finished second in his purple-belt debut in 2021 in the medium heavy division at IBJJF No-Gi Pans.
He suffered first-round setbacks at No-Gi World and No-Gi Pans from 2021-2023 before losing a close bout in the finals at the No-Gi Pans.
Roby won the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship as a brown belt last year. He captured multiple IBJJF Open titles and became a two-time American Nationals Champion over 2024 and 2025 in his division and open class.