On July 11, Gracie Barra student Alex Guzzi earned his purple belt from legendary Gracie Barra instructor Romulo Barral. Just about a week before his big promotion, though, he achieved something even bigger, winning a five-month battle against cancer.
Back in March, Guzzi was diagnosed with high-grade B cell lymphoma and began the fight for his life.
After a lot of chemotherapy and time in the hospital, Guzzi was declared cancer-free.
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Just eight days later, Guzzi got even more good news: he was now a BJJ purple belt, the honor bestowed upon him by his professor, Romulo Barral.
The promotion would’ve been emotional for any jiu-jitsu student — making it to purple belt is no easy task, after all — but the moment was particularly special after Guzzi’s victorious battle against cancer.
You can watch the emotional promotion below:
