Dean Lister
BlackBiography
Dean Lister is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and one of the most influential figures in the history of submission grappling. Known for his physical dominance, technical precision, and pioneering use of lower-body submissions, Lister is widely credited as a catalyst for the modern leglock era in no-gi jiu-jitsu.
Lister rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, at a time when leglocks were largely dismissed within the jiu-jitsu community. His famous question to John Danaher — “Why would you ignore 50% of the human body?” — played a major role in shifting how the sport viewed lower body attacks and directly influenced the development of modern leglock systems. Lister became especially known for his heel hooks and ability to finish from positions that were previously considered safe for the opponent.
A two-time ADCC World Champion, winning the 2003 Absolute and the 2011 +99kg divisions, Lister also competed extensively in MMA, with appearances in the UFC and PRIDE. For much of his prime he was famously difficult to submit, going well over a decade without being finished. Training and teaching out of Victory MMA in San Diego, Lister remains a highly respected coach and a foundational figure in the evolution of modern submission grappling.
Personal
* Legend status is reserved for retired athletes with outstanding achievements and a lasting impact on the sport.
Rankings
Submissions Breakdown
| Submission | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Inside heel hook | 4 | 0 |
| Heel hook | 2 | 0 |
| Outside heel hook | 2 | 0 |
| Heel Hook | 2 | 0 |
| Outside heel Hook | 2 | 0 |
| Rear naked | 1 | 0 |
| Guillotine | 1 | 0 |
| Kimura | 1 | 0 |
| Kneebar | 1 | 0 |
| Triangle | 1 | 0 |
| Toe hold | 1 | 0 |
| Ude gatame | 1 | 0 |
| Kesa gatame | 0 | 1 |
| Rear triangle | 0 | 1 |
| Injury | 0 | 1 |
| Opponent | Result | Date | Event | Method | Weight | Round | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuri Simoes | Loss | 2016 | F2W 8 | Decision | 86KG | — | — |
| Yuri Simoes | Loss | 2016 | F2W Pro 8 | Decision | 86KG | — | — |
| Muhammad Kerimov | Loss | 2015 | Berkut 2 | Injury | Absolute | — | — |
| Yuri Simoes | Loss | 2015 | ADCC | Points: 5-3 | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Ricardo Mesquita | Win | 2015 | ADCC | Outside heel hook | Absolute | 16 | 49 |
| Orlando Sanchez | Loss | 2015 | ADCC | Decision | +99KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Lee Hyoung | Win | 2015 | ADCC | Ude gatame | +99KG | 16 | 49 |
| Keenan Cornelius | Loss | 2015 | Polaris | Rear triangle | Absolute | — | — |
| Josh Barnett | Loss | 2014 | Metamoris 4 | Kesa gatame | 100KG+ | — | — |
| Renato Sobral | Draw | 2014 | Metamoris 3 | N/A | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Tarsis Humphreys | Win | 2013 | World Expo | Heel hook | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Keenan Cornelius | Loss | 2013 | ADCC | Points | Absolute | — | — |
| Marcus Almeida | Loss | 2013 | ADCC | Points: 5-0 | Absolute | Semi-Finals | — |
| Joao Gabriel Rocha | Win | 2013 | ADCC | Outside heel hook | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 38 |
| Hideki Sekine | Win | 2013 | ADCC | Heel Hook | Absolute | 16 | 33 |
| Joao Assis | Loss | 2013 | ADCC | Points: 5-0 | 99KG | Finals | — |
| Cristiano Lazzarini | Win | 2013 | ADCC | Outside heel Hook | 99KG | Semi-Finals | 88 |
| Ezra Lenon | Win | 2013 | ADCC | Outside heel Hook | 99KG | Quarter-Finals | 38 |
| Jia Jang | Win | 2013 | ADCC | Heel Hook | 99KG | 16 | 33 |
| Kyle Griffin | Win | 2012 | Grapplers Quest | Toe hold | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Ricardo Abreu | Win | 2012 | Grapplers Quest | Heel hook | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Alexandre Ribeiro | Draw | 2012 | Metamoris | N/A | Absolute | — | 1 |
| Joao Assis | Win | 2011 | ADCC | Inside heel hook | 99KG | Finals | 75 |
| Rodolfo Vieira | Win | 2011 | ADCC | Inside heel hook | 99KG | Semi-Finals | 44 |
| Radek Turek | Win | 2011 | ADCC | Inside heel hook | 99KG | Quarter-Finals | 19 |
| Augusto Ferrari | Win | 2011 | ADCC | Points: 2-0 | 99KG | 16 | 16 |
| Vinny Magalhaes | Loss | 2009 | ADCC | Points | Absolute | 16 | — |
| Glover Teixeira | Loss | 2009 | ADCC | Points | 99KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Andreas Olsen | Win | 2009 | ADCC | Triangle | 99KG | 16 | 16 |
| Jean Jacques Machado | Win | 2005 | ADCC | Points | Absolute | — | 19 |
| Alexandre Ferreira | Win | 2003 | ADCC | Inside heel hook | Absolute | Finals | 75 |
| Marcio Cruz | Win | 2003 | ADCC | Points: 3-0 | Absolute | Semi-Finals | 44 |
| Saulo Ribeiro | Win | 2003 | ADCC | Kneebar | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | 19 |
| Nate Marquardt | Win | 2003 | ADCC | Kimura | Absolute | 16 | 16 |
| Alexandre Ribeiro | Loss | 2003 | ADCC | Points: 8-0 | 99KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Ilir Latifi | Win | 2003 | ADCC | Guillotine | 99KG | 16 | 16 |
| Ricardo Almeida | Loss | 2002 | Grapplers Quest | Points | Absolute | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Justin Ellison | Win | 2002 | Grapplers Quest | Points | +91KG | Finals | 1 |
| Rodolfo Amaro | Win | 2002 | Grapplers Quest | Points | +91KG | Semi-Finals | 1 |
| David Terrell | Loss | 2002 | Gracie Open | Points: 2-0 | Absolute | — | — |
| Ricardo Almeida | Loss | 2001 | ADCC | Points: 3-0 | 99KG | Quarter-Finals | — |
| Matsutatsu Yano | Win | 2001 | ADCC | Rear naked | 99KG | 16 | 16 |