Lucas Valente, a Gracie Barra black belt, built a Jiu-Jitsu career that includes two world titles. He is a two-time IBJJF No Gi Worlds champion. With that résumé, Lucas made a move that is very common among athletes who excel at the elite level: he switched to MMA with an extremely solid ground game.
The result? The champion racked up four devastating MMA wins at Fury FC, all by first-round submission. He first put on the gloves to fight in the cage in 2025. Until he was announced as a challenger at UFC BJJ 7, a Lucas return to grappling seemed unlikely.
FROM CHALLENGER TO CHAMPION: LUCAS VALENTE’S FIRST UFC BJJ MATCH WAS ALREADY FOR THE BELT
The UFC is the destination every promising pro MMA fighter covets. Lucas took a different route and ended up landing in the Ultimate, but in the organization’s Jiu-Jitsu league. What he did in his debut at UFC BJJ 7, in early April, was impressive. Right away, thanks to his Jiu-Jitsu achievements over the years and the finishing efficiency he recently showed in MMA, Lucas was booked to face a champion in the main event, with the lightweight belt on the line.
Carlos Henrique, the titleholder until then, rose to No. 1 at UFC BJJ with an aggressive run that made him a very dangerous champion. To win the title, he beat Danilo Moreira with his signature submission, the armbar. In his first defense, he got past Matheus Gabriel by decision. Everything seemed settled in the lightweight rankings until Lucas Valente showed up and submitted Carlos with a foot lock, taking a sort of reverse path: from MMA, he went back to grappling, the same discipline that gave him two world titles.
In an interview with The Mat Nation, Lucas Valente talked about his UFC BJJ result, a quick win that extends the submission streak he built in MMA. According to him, fighting in a different combat setting ended up sharpening his Jiu-Jitsu skills. “MMA made me evolve a lot as a Jiu-Jitsu athlete. There is the control aspect, the adjustments for five-minute rounds. Training with people from other disciplines also helped a lot,” he said.
Lucas Valente’s main motto is evolution and day-to-day commitment, while always keeping an eye out for opportunities that can elevate his career. The Brazilian’s most recent MMA win came in February this year. According to him, the UFC BJJ deal was already at an advanced stage. Without overthinking it, he stayed focused on his training routine until the deal became reality.
“My manager had been talking with them for a while. I was simply focused on my process of getting better every day. I believe that if I do my part, God will bless me with the best opportunities,” he said.
LUCAS VALENTE CARRIES THE JIU-JITSU FLAG IN MMA WITH A STYLE THAT ALWAYS PUTS THE SUBMISSION FIRST: “I FEEL HONORED”
A two-time No Gi world champion, Lucas built a very strong grappling identity, a game that proved well suited to standing out in MMA. In other words, after two years without competing in Gi or No Gi, the Gracie Barra black belt stepped into the bowl and delivered a grappling performance that matches his offensive history, regardless of the combat discipline.
“My roots, my base, will always be Jiu-Jitsu, and I feel honored to represent the Gentle Art in the cage. But, without a doubt, I’m focused on evolving, day by day, in every discipline,” Valente explained.
Asked whether he will change course after winning the belt, Lucas suggested that his triumphant entry into UFC BJJ does not exactly mark a full-time return to Jiu-Jitsu. For him, there is no better opportunity to show off his gift for versatility right now.
“I believe this title is, in itself, the top of a big mountain, but I’m always looking for other peaks to conquer, like MMA,” he concluded.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
