Wesley Cooper

After leaving Boise State, Wes joined the United States Marine Corps. During his service, Wes quickly climbed the ranks. Reaching the position of Sergeant within two years. He completed two deployments in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Serving as a field radio operator in Marine Unmanned Ariel Vehicle Squadron 1. It was during his time in the Marine Corps that Wes met Samantha Cooper. His current wife and the love of his life. Together, they now have four children.

Following his military service, Wes worked in construction and took a long break from grappling. However, in 2017, he and his family relocated to the Tri-Cities for job opportunities and decided to settle down there. In 2019, Wes made the decision to enroll his two oldest children in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Siri Kennewick. Witnessing the joy it brought his kids, Wes decided to give it a try himself. In turn hoping to have fun and improve his physical fitness.

Under the guidance of his professor, Gustavo “Siri” Pires, a 5th degree Carlos Gracie Jr. Black Belt, Wes thrived in the training environment.

Over the course of 3 ½ years, Wes transformed from an out-of-shape white belt weighing 265 pounds to a 205-pound brown belt. Despite his relatively short time as a Jiu-Jitsu competitor, Wes has achieved remarkable success. He is an IBJJF American National Champion in both weight class and open class divisions, an IBJJF Boise Open Champion, and placed 3rd in the IBJJF Worlds Master competition. Additionally, he has emerged victorious in a Fight 2 Win super fight and has earned titles in various local tournaments.

Wes and his family are thrilled to continue their Jiu-Jitsu journey, and they consider it a dream come true to be able to share this passion with the Pasco community.