A Jiu-Jitsu black belt born in Capivari, São Paulo, Lucas Castro knows very well how satisfying it feels to stand on top of the podium at major competitions. A gi and no-gi champion at Jiu-Jitsu Con last year in Las Vegas, ‘Lukinha’ followed a path paved by solid skills this past season, culminating in a runner-up finish at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds in December. A finalist in the roosterweight division, facing Shay Montague in the bracket’s last match, Lucas proved beyond any doubt that he is a name with the potential to stand out among the elite.
In an exclusive interview with The Mat Nation, Lucas Castro, a black belt promoted by Paulo Eduardo ‘Piu’, talked about the final stretch of 2025 and what his run at Worlds means in terms of technical growth. In 2024, he also took silver, stopped in the final by then-champion Everton Teixeira. At the most recent edition of the competition, however, Lucas won the rematch and advanced to the final against Shay.
“The Worlds final reaffirmed that I’m an athlete who deserved to be there. I always doubted myself a lot, and it kind of took me a while to accept that I should and deserved to be in that position, that I had trained enough for it. Reaching the final again, because I had already done it two years ago, when I lost the final to Everton (Teixeira). Getting there once more, beating Everton in the semifinal in 2025. All of that reinforced my potential,” he admitted.
ENOUGH CREDENTIALS TO GET THE CALL: LUCAS EXPLAINS WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR A MATCH WITH JALEN FONACIER AT UFC BJJ
The Brazilian, who now makes a full-time living from Jiu-Jitsu in the United States, has a specific opponent in his sights. For Lucas, a match with Jalen Fonacier makes a lot of sense right now. It wouldn’t be the first time the two have faced off: they met in the quarterfinals of the 2024 No-Gi Pans, with the score tied and Jalen winning by a single penalty.
The matchup, which could be promoted as a rematch, has what it takes to be another of the electrifying bouts UFC BJJ has been putting on. In the organization, Jalen Fonacier remains unbeaten with three submission wins. At the fifth edition, in February, the Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ athlete submitted world champion Bebeto Oliveira with a heel hook in just 19 seconds.
“I really believe I have the credentials to fight Jalen (Fonacier). First, because I’m No. 2 in the rankings he’s calling out. No. 1 is Shay, who ended up fighting (Mikey) Musumeci. Everton is No. 4, and he fought Jalen too. Jalen and I fought two years ago at the No-Gi Pans and I lost by just one penalty. We had a really tough match. I deserve a chance to fight him at the UFC,” he stressed.
COACH AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, LUCAS IS DRIVEN BY THE COMMITMENT TO BE AN EXAMPLE IN BOTH ROLES
Lucas has to balance his professional athletic career with his role as a coach, but that’s not a problem for him, as he says he works doing what he loves. ‘Lukinha’ teaches classes at Gracie Barra Chandler, in Arizona. For him, what really makes the difference in this process is the support network of his gym teammates, essential for keeping the level and pace of training high. According to Lucas, his main sparring sessions are with his own youth students, whom he has trained since the beginning.
“Balancing classes with training is a tough task because I took on the responsibility of being good in both areas, as a coach and as an athlete. However, I have a very strong support base, from my coach and from the students themselves, who help me a lot to stay focused on training. That support network gives me a really good balance. I work doing what I love. Most of my training now is with 15- and 16-year-old juniors who have been training with us for about 10 years; they’ve practically become my best training partners. I joke that they’re little black belts, really tough at Jiu-Jitsu,” he explains.
NEXT UP: THE JIU-JITSU PANS IN FLORIDA
Gi or no-gi? Lucas has no preference; what matters is staying active in both throughout the season. His next event is the IBJJF Pan American Championship, a gi competition scheduled to start March 25 in Kissimmee, Florida. Registered at roosterweight, Lucas could run into both Everton Teixeira and Jalen Fonacier in the bracket, as both are also confirmed for the tournament.
“I’m going to go for the spotlight in both. I’m going to try to compete in every big championship that comes up now. I’m really happy to be able to perform both with and without the gi, to train well in both. I learned to like it. At first I didn’t like no-gi, I didn’t want to train it, I told my coach I thought it was boring. I even joke with my students: you don’t like training when you’re bad; once you get even a little good, you want to train every day,” he says.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
