Caio Caetano

Caio Caetano Soares was born on July 30, 1996, in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará — a northeastern Brazilian state better known for its coastline than its combat sports culture. From an early age, Caetano carried a deep desire to train martial arts, a passion his parents actively opposed. Undeterred, he took matters into his own hands, saved his own money, and enrolled in Muay Thai at the age of 14.

His path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu opened naturally through that same training environment. The venue where he trained also hosted a grappling class taught by Jefferson Teixeira, and Caetano found himself drawn to what he saw on the mats. Borrowing a kimono from his cousin, he stepped onto the mats for the first time in 2011. That initial contact proved to be a defining moment — what began as curiosity rapidly became a consuming passion that would reshape the entire direction of his life.

By early 2013, Caetano had earned his blue belt and made a decisive commitment to the sport. At 16, he announced to his father that he would be leaving Fortaleza for São Paulo to pursue jiu-jitsu full time — a bold declaration from a teenager determined to compete at the highest levels.

The Impression That Changed Everything

The spark that drew Caio Caetano toward elite training came in 2012, when, still a white belt, he watched a group of Cicero Costha's students compete at a local tournament in Ceará. Their technical precision stood apart from anything he had witnessed at that level. Those athletes represented the Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem (PSLPB), Costha's highly regarded BJJ project based in São Paulo. Rather than waiting for an opportunity to materialize, Caetano contacted Costha directly and requested permission to train at the PSLPB headquarters. The invitation was granted.

Blue and Purple Belt Development at PSLPB

After relocating from Ceará to São Paulo in early 2013, Caetano trained full time at PSLPB Cicero Costha. His progress was rapid — by the end of 2014, he had received his purple belt, reflecting consistent results across the competitive circuit. At the blue belt level alone, he had already demonstrated serious ambitions, claiming titles at IBJJF events in São Paulo, Floripa, and Rio, along with gold at the CBJJ Brasileiro No-Gi and the IBJJF South Brazilian Championship.

Transition to Ns Brotherhood

In 2015, approximately half of the PSLPB team departed to form a new academy, Ns Brotherhood. Caetano followed, citing the importance of preserving the training environment and camaraderie he had built with his closest teammates. At Ns Brotherhood, his development came under the direct guidance of Leandro Lo, one of the most decorated competitors in the sport's modern era.

Under Lo's instruction, Caetano's game continued to sharpen through consistent international competition. Between 2017 and 2018, he accumulated brown belt titles at IBJJF events in Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Munich, and Floripa, alongside victories at the IBJJF São Paulo BJJ Pro and the IBJJF Rio International Open. Lo promoted Caetano to both brown and black belt, with the black belt awarded in July 2018.

Caio Caetano's transition to black belt in July 2018 was followed almost immediately by results that announced his arrival on the international circuit. Within months of the promotion, he captured the UAEJJF Grand Slam LA title — a clear signal that his game was built for the demands of elite black belt competition. He followed that performance with victories at the IBJJF Floripa Winter International Open and the IBJJF Vitoria International Open before the year was out, establishing a strong foundation as a newly minted black belt.

Competing in the Peso Médio division (82.30 kg / 181.5 lbs), Caetano represents Brazil on the international stage under the Ns Brotherhood banner. His trajectory — from a self-funded teenager navigating Fortaleza's martial arts scene to a title-winning black belt on the international circuit — reflects both the quality of instruction provided by Leandro Lo and the unwavering personal commitment he has demonstrated since first stepping onto the mats.