Felipe Costa, ‘Laranjinha’, is another name confirmed for ACBJJ 23, a superfight event taking place on November 13 in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian will face Russia’s Eldar Sayidov in a no-gi bout for the promotion’s 90kg belt. It will be a chance to compete in front of his home crowd and add another title to a career that keeps growing every season in professional grappling.
Laranjinha knows the winning path at ACBJJ well. The last time he stepped on the promotion’s mat, he left with his hand raised. It was at the event’s 20th edition, held in Moscow, Russia, late last year: the black belt submitted Ayub Gudanatov with an inside heel hook in a bout contested at 95kg. Now lighter and competing at home, he enters the matchup determined to win another belt.
FELIPE COSTA, FROM MARANHÃO TO THE ADCC WORLDS PODIUM
Born in Maranhão and based in the United States, where he lives as a professional athlete, the Xande Ribeiro black belt has established himself as one of the most dangerous Brazilians in no-gi. His biggest credential came at the 2024 ADCC World Championship, when he represented Brazil very well in the 88kg division and finished third.
In 2026, Felipe returned to grappling’s biggest stage at the ADCC World Championship held in September in Poland, and he didn’t limit himself to no-gi. In February, he put the gi back on and was the top ultra-heavyweight at the Austin Winter Open, an IBJJF open tournament in Texas. In the open class, he closed out the final with a teammate and finished his run with four wins and four submissions, a true reflection of his style.
SUPERFIGHTS ARE FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR ‘LARANJINHA’
The superfight format suits Felipe as well. At Who’s Number One, one of the top superfight events in the United States, he submitted Abraham La Montagne with a reverse triangle at WNO 31 and was later booked to face Sebastian Attard at light heavyweight. His experience on big nights, with cameras, lights and crowd pressure, should work in the Brazilian’s favor in Rio.
Across the mat will be Eldar Sayidov, Russia’s hope to keep the belt out of Brazil. ACBJJ, a promotion founded in Russia, has a tradition of matching Brazilian and Eastern European athletes, and the bout with Laranjinha follows exactly that script. The drop from 95kg to 90kg also favors the Brazilian, since the limit is very close to the 88kg division in which he shone at ADCC. In other words, Laranjinha arrives in Rio at the weight where he feels most comfortable and with the explosiveness that made him known. The event has not yet announced broadcast details or the start time.
A HEAVYWEIGHT CARD IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Felipe Costa won’t be alone on the night in Rio. The ACBJJ 23 card is headlined by André Galvão vs. Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ Palhares, a ‘Battle’ rules bout that mixes grappling with strikes. In the co-main event, Rodolfo Vieira faces American Kelvin Gastelum in a No Gi bout between two athletes under UFC contract. Jonnatas Gracie, who will fight for the 80kg gi belt against Kazakhstan’s Islam Mamilov, is another confirmed Brazilian.
With so many names familiar to Brazilian fans, a full house is expected for one of the busiest nights on the country’s grappling calendar. For Felipe Costa, the mission is clear: turn the crowd’s support into another belt and show that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu remains strong in no-gi superfights too.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
