Cassio Costa

Cássio Felipe Sousa Costa — widely known as Felipe Costa and nicknamed "Laranjinha," Portuguese for Little Orange — began his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey at age 10 in 2010, training at a Gracie Barra affiliate. Under the guidance of instructor Ivaldo Alves, Costa progressed through every rank from white belt to brown belt, building the technical foundations that would later distinguish him on the international circuit.

Off the mats, Costa pursued an equally disciplined path, completing a degree in physiotherapy in 2020. His understanding of human movement and body mechanics proved a natural complement to his development as a high-level competitor. In early 2021, he made a pivotal career move by joining Six Blades, a team renowned for its culture of competitive excellence — an environment that pushed his game to new heights.

The transition proved immediately fruitful. In June 2022, Xande Ribeiro — one of the most decorated competitors in BJJ history — promoted Costa to black belt, formally launching the next chapter of his competitive career and recognizing the depth of skill he had accumulated over more than a decade on the mats.

Before earning his black belt, Costa had already established himself as a formidable force on the IBJJF circuit. Competing aggressively throughout 2021, he assembled a remarkable podium record in a single season. His standout performance came at the IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI in 2021, where he claimed gold — a result that signaled elite-level potential and foreshadowed the no-gi specialist he would become.

Costa reinforced that statement with silver at the 2021 IBJJF World Championship No-Gi and bronze finishes at both the IBJJF World Championship and the World Championship NOGI. The rapid accumulation of results across multiple major tournaments reflected a competitor who arrived at the brown belt division with a fully formed competitive identity and the physicality to execute it. By the time his black belt was tied around his waist in 2022, Costa had already proven he belonged among the sport's elite.

Building Black Belt Credentials

Costa carried the momentum of his brown belt years into black belt competition without missing a beat. In 2022, he earned bronze at both the IBJJF World Championship NOGI and the IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI — strong debut results that confirmed his standing as a consistent presence at the top of the no-gi divisions and signaled that his best performances came when the gi was removed.

In 2023, Costa continued to sharpen his résumé, claiming gold at the IBJJF American Nationals and advancing to the final of the IBJJF Pan Championship, where he finished with silver. His repeated deep runs in major tournaments reflected a technical and physical profile built for high-stakes competition.

ADCC 2024 and World No-Gi Glory

The 2024 season marked the peak of Costa's career to that point. He secured his ADCC berth by winning the ADCC South American Trials in 2024, earning the right to compete at one of grappling's most prestigious stages. At ADCC 2024, Costa competed in the -88kg weight class, navigating a stacked bracket before meeting Chris Wojcik in the bronze medal match. Costa controlled the contest from start to finish, earning a 3-0 points victory to claim the bronze medal — a result that validated his standing among the world's elite no-gi grapplers.

Costa closed out 2024 by capturing the IBJJF World Championship NOGI title, the most prestigious prize in IBJJF no-gi competition. Claiming ADCC bronze and a World NOGI gold medal in the same calendar year cemented his status as one of the top no-gi competitors of his generation and affirmed Six Blades as a team capable of producing podium-level athletes on the global stage.