It’s no myth. The Brazilian Nationals, an IBJJF Grand Slam event, really is one of the most competitive tournaments on the annual circuit. The event takes place in the birthplace of the Gentle Art, Brazil, traditionally in Barueri, São Paulo. This year, the CBJJ announced a record number of registrations: more than 7,900 competitors. Felipe Leonardo, a brown belt from Projeto Rotam Jiu-Jitsu in Cuiabá, was one of them. As tough as it is, winning the Brazilian Nationals is nothing new in his career. Last year, still a purple belt, Felipe won gold at featherweight. Now, closer to the elite adult black belt division, he stood out once again with a performance that took him to the top of his division at the event.
Interviewed by The Mat Nation after the rush of the Brazilian Nationals, Felipe Leonardo stressed how much this gold medal adds value to his professional career. For whoever takes the top spot on the podium, it is a turning point when it comes to landing opportunities. In other words, it’s fair to say the Brazilian Nationals are a more democratic showcase, since a visa, for example, is not an obstacle to competing here.
“I believe every athlete has dreamed of being a Brazilian Nationals champion. It’s a very significant competition, and that ends up opening doors. It’s very common for an athlete not to have the means to compete at the Worlds, not to have a visa. In that case, it’s the Brazilian Nationals that open the door to a solid career in the sport,” Felipe said.
FELIPE’S FIRST CONTACT WITH JIU-JITSU CAME AT THE SOCIAL PROJECT HE STILL ATTENDS TODAY
A native of Cuiabá, in Mato Grosso, Felipe is 21 and has a long road ahead as a professional athlete. A product of a social project, he started Jiu-Jitsu at just eight years old. Back then he leaned more toward soccer, but he says it was love at first sight. Today a brown belt racking up good results, Felipe already has the quality to break out as one of the top prospects at the elite level once he is promoted to black belt.
Away from the Rio-São Paulo axis, where the country’s biggest events and academies are concentrated, Felipe says he has full support in his hometown in his goal of growing professionally as a Jiu-Jitsu competitor. Thanks to the strength of his résumé, he can even count on backing from the Mato Grosso State Government and the Sports Department, an important initiative that helps cover his trips to the major events.
“A lot of people have asked me why I don’t move to those states where the biggest events happen, where the biggest academies are. I want to show my students in the project, I’m part of a social project, and the athletes in my city, that we are also capable of getting where we want to go. It’s possible,” he said.
SCARE IN THE FINAL: THE LAST ADULT BROWN BELT FEATHERWEIGHT MATCH BROUGHT AN EXTRA DOSE OF DRAMA
After advancing through the featherweight division, the final against Alex Vazquez, one of the most promising names on AOJ’s front line, was easily the toughest of the tournament. With the technical lead and two points up on the scoreboard, the match showed that no second can be taken lightly until the final whistle. A back attack from Alex in the closing stretch nearly left the Cuiabá native with silver.
“I was winning by two points. With a few seconds left, about ten, Alex Vazquez attacked my back and started putting in the hooks. The only thing going through my head was that I could not, no way, give up those points. The title was moments away from slipping out of my hands. Ice in my veins, trying to defend. I didn’t let my opponent get the position, and I came out as champion,” he explained.
Felipe Leonardo’s next stop is the Worlds in California, in the United States, set for May 28 to 31. The venue, the famous Walter Pyramid, is a true temple of Jiu-Jitsu. Determined to reach his best version by the end of this month, Felipe has been making adjustments, sharpening his specialties and always taking care of the mental side. A champion doesn’t get rattled. That, by the way, was a quality he showed well at the Brazilian Nationals.
“I just won the Brazilian Nationals in a final against the No. 1 ranked athlete, and that’s why my expectations for the Worlds are the best. It showed me I have a great chance of becoming world champion. I’ll keep working with my team, correcting mistakes to do much better than last year and, God willing, bring the gold home,” Felipe said. At the 2025 Worlds, he finished in the top three in the adult purple belt featherweight division.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
