Dean Lister

Dean Lister (b. 1976) is an American grappler and MMA fighter credited with popularizing leg locks in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A three-time ADCC champion, he was one of the first Westerners to achieve consistent success against Brazilian competitors at the highest levels.

His famous quote, “Why would you ignore 50% of the human body?” helped spark the leg lock renaissance that reshaped competitive no-gi grappling decades later. Lister’s influence is felt in the games of countless modern athletes, including Gordon Ryan and John Danaher’s students.