Alex Machado

Alexsandro "Leke" Machado was born on September 4, 1975, in Brazil, and grew up in the Cantagalo favela in Rio de Janeiro — a community that proved formative not only to his character but to his entire trajectory in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Cantagalo social project, originally founded by Fernando Tererê (Fernando Augusto da Silva), was built on a clear mission: use jiu-jitsu as a vehicle to redirect young people away from the dangers of street life and toward the discipline and structure of martial arts.

Ricardo Vieira became involved with the project and ran training within the Cantagalo community, giving residents like Machado access to elite-level coaching that would otherwise have been far beyond their reach. That access proved transformative. Machado's story stands as one of the clearest examples of what the project was designed to achieve — a young man from one of Rio de Janeiro's most challenging environments finding purpose, direction, and an international career through jiu-jitsu.

Machado's relationship with Ricardo Vieira extended well beyond the Cantagalo community, evolving into a deep and lasting professional partnership. Vieira, one of the most decorated competitors in BJJ history and a co-founder of Checkmat, recognized Machado's commitment and technical ability, eventually inviting him to serve as assistant instructor and deputy coach at Fight Zone Academy in Copacabana — Checkmat's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

This role placed Machado at the center of one of the sport's most competitive and prominent teams during a pivotal period in Checkmat's development. Teaching and training alongside Vieira sharpened his technical understanding and reinforced his credentials as both a practitioner and an instructor.

Competitive Results and Black Belt Promotion

Machado's growth as a competitor reflected the standards of his environment. In 2007, competing at brown belt, he claimed gold at the Scandinavian Open and followed it with a silver medal in the absolute division at the same event — results that demonstrated his capacity to perform on the international stage. Two years later, he earned a silver medal at the 2009 Rio State Championship, a notable achievement within one of the world's most talent-dense BJJ landscapes. That same year, Ricardo Vieira formally awarded Machado his black belt, recognizing both his technical mastery and his years of dedicated service to the team.

In late 2010, Machado relocated to Singapore, moving from one of the most competitive BJJ environments in the world to a market where the sport was still establishing its roots. Joining Impact MMA Singapore, he took on a primary teaching role, bringing Checkmat's competitive methodology and technical standards to Southeast Asia.

His move reflects a broader pattern that has shaped the global expansion of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: experienced Brazilian black belts carrying the sport into emerging markets across the Asia-Pacific region, building communities and developing local talent from the ground up. Through his coaching at Impact MMA, Machado represents Checkmat internationally, maintaining the team's identity and standards far from its Rio de Janeiro origins.