These days, media awareness for a Jiu-Jitsu athlete, whether already living the pro routine or aiming to become a professional, is as essential as technical quality. A quick look at social media shows that Vinicius Lessa has already figured that out. It’s true the athlete from Alagoas is known for an exciting style on the mat, but to grow his audience and spark interest beyond the fighter himself, he needs a planned, smart self-promotion strategy.
The Claudio Calasans black belt has been steadily building his social media presence. In practice, Lessa has shown that highlights of big moments, posted strategically, are worth far more in terms of exposure than a gold medal gathering dust on a shelf. In an interview with The Mat Nation, Vinicius said Jiu-Jitsu is going through a phase of global expansion; however, a professional athlete won’t get adequate exposure just by practicing it. That makes self-promotion a must.
“This good moment of visibility is the result of work I’ve been building on and off the mat. I started putting myself out there more. I realized that to sell my Jiu-Jitsu I need to promote my image and be more present on social media. Despite Jiu-Jitsu’s growth around the world, it’s a relatively new sport. It’s not like the NBA, for example, with automatic media exposure. I know several guys who won big titles, like European champion at black belt, and few people know who they are,” he explained.
THE BIG SUPERFIGHT EVENTS PRIORITIZE ATHLETES WHO KNOW HOW TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES, AND VINICIUS LESSA IS ONE OF THEM
Coming off a solid performance at ACB JJ in Russia, Vinicius Lessa said this homework, planned exposure on social media, is generating positive feedback and audience engagement. That’s what the best events want: athletes who can build anticipation and generate interest before the match.
“All of this comes from a change in mindset, when I started seeing my Jiu-Jitsu as an entertainment product. These days I’ve been hearing a lot of comments about my fighting style. People like it, and they’re booking matches for me. That happened as a result of the way I’ve been promoting my Jiu-Jitsu. It wasn’t forced; it was planned,” he said.
BJJ STARS: FOR VINICIUS, EVERY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE WANTS AN INVITATION TO COMPETE AT FEPA LOPES’ EVENT
Though ready for any challenge that comes his way, Vinicius Lessa is now focused on a clear target: BJJ Stars, the event created by Fepa Lopes. With a series of posts that present him as an excellent candidate for a match with the promotion, the competitor is getting his message across. According to him, the way he performs and promotes himself fits the needs of an event that prioritizes entertainment value when making matches.
“I think BJJ Stars is the biggest stage for Jiu-Jitsu matches. Every professional athlete wants to be at that event. At this point in my career, I connect a lot with what BJJ Stars is about, which is the show, the entertainment. I’m a complete athlete who builds anticipation. I can work on the feet, I have a good guard, I’m flexible for my weight, and I have good transitions. I show it at competitions. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone; that’s already happened,” he declared.
In fact, there’s already an opponent more than qualified to face Vinicius Lessa in a BJJ Stars debut. João Costa, a Fight Sports veteran from Miami, has been engaging with Vinicius and making himself available to face him in Brazil. For Lessa, the match makes perfect sense given the qualities of both, on and off the mat. They’re explosive in action and effective at promoting their image, with a constant presence on social media.
“The match with João Costa makes sense because people want to see it. We’re two athletes who fight in a forward, aggressive way. We both like to wrestle for takedowns, but I have a really good guard; I can surprise him. On the other hand, he has also positioned himself very well. I made a post and there were a lot of comments, but he was the first to say he’d fight me, and he brought his whole team to engage. The fans want to see it, and it’s up to BJJ Stars to deliver. On my end, I’m going to smash him and squeeze his neck,” he declared.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
