Cleison Gabriel

Cleison Gabriel was born in April 1999 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and raised in the Pavão-Pavãozinho-Cantagalo community — commonly known as PPG — a favela nestled between the Ipanema and Copacabana neighbourhoods with an outsized reputation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The community has produced a remarkable concentration of elite talent, including Fernando Tererê, Jansen Gomes, Alan Finfou, and Dudu Granzotto, giving PPG a singular place in the sport's history.

Gabriel's path to the mats began through family. His older brother Renan had joined a local BJJ NGO, and that connection moved their mother to enroll six-year-old Cleison — and later his younger brother Rerisson — in the community program. After an initial departure from the sport, coach Rogério Carvalho encouraged Gabriel back to training and pointed him toward competition, a turning point that set the course of his athletic career.

Returning with renewed purpose, Gabriel joined Projeto Social Cantagalo under coaches Douglas Rufino, Adailton Chu, and Sandro Vieira. The program became the bedrock of his development: Gabriel earned every adult belt — blue, purple, brown (January 2022), and black belt (November 2023) — without leaving Cantagalo.

His black belt was awarded by head coach Douglas Rufino, known within the community as "Tractor," placing Gabriel within a lineage that traces directly through the Gracie family tree: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Ricardo Vieira > Douglas Rufino > Cleison Gabriel.

In 2024, teammate Felipe Santos relocated to the Alliance Rio de Janeiro professional training workgroup under coach Rodrigo "Travecks" Thiago. Gabriel and his brother Rerisson Gabriel followed later that same year, transitioning to the Alliance environment while maintaining the bonds forged at Cantagalo. The two brothers and Santos remain among Gabriel's most important training partners.

Gabriel established himself as one of Brazil's foremost brown belt featherweight competitors across a productive 2021–2023 cycle. He announced his national credentials early, claiming gold at the 2021 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals at purple belt before stepping up to the brown belt division.

The brown belt years brought increasingly prominent results. He reached the final of the 2022 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, finishing as runner-up, before producing his most complete international campaign in 2023: gold at the 2023 IBJJF European Championship, silver at the 2023 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals — where he fell to Guilherme Fernandes by a 4–2 scoreline in the final — and bronze at the 2023 IBJJF World Championship. Across three major tournaments in a single calendar year, Gabriel demonstrated the consistency of an athlete ready for the sport's highest level, a trajectory that culminated in his black belt promotion that November.

Guard Framework and Offensive Philosophy

Gabriel's game is built around an open guard framework that prizes movement, angles, and relentless offensive pressure. Rather than settling into static exchanges, he uses his guard to funnel opponents into positions where back takes and arm attacks become available — a style well-suited to the pace of elite featherweight and lightweight competition.

Submission Portfolio

The numbers from his recorded career underscore this approach. Of his 42 wins, 18 come by submission, making him a legitimate finishing threat at every stage of a match. Back takes form the cornerstone of his attack: chokes from the back account for 7 submission victories, the single highest technique count in his record. Armbars represent a reliable secondary weapon with 5 finishes, complemented by katagatame entries that add 2 more. Cross chokes (2), a toe hold (1), and a rear naked choke (1) round out a portfolio that reflects versatility across positions and both gi and no-gi transitions.

Tactical Adaptability

Gabriel is not solely dependent on the finish. Fourteen wins by points and eight by advantages confirm he can execute tactical, grinding performances when opponents defend effectively. On the defensive side, his submission losses — spread across a choke from the back, a kneebar, a straight ankle lock, and a 50/50 armbar — indicate that opponents must vary their approach significantly to find a finish, with no single vulnerability standing out.

Gabriel entered black belt competition in late 2023 carrying the momentum of his decorated brown belt campaign and wasted little time asserting himself at the sport's highest level. Competing at lightweight (76 kg / 168 lbs), he reached the final of the 2024 CBJJ South American Championship, earning silver in his first major black belt title opportunity.

The 2024 transition to the Alliance Rio de Janeiro professional workgroup under coach Rodrigo "Travecks" Thiago gave Gabriel access to a high-performance environment alongside his brother Rerisson Gabriel and teammate Felipe Santos, placing him in a setting designed to sharpen elite competitors.

At the 2026 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, Gabriel reached the lightweight final at black belt — his most prominent result at the rank to date — finishing as runner-up. With a competition record of 42 wins against 22 losses as of August 2026, and a submission-finishing rate that distinguishes him from purely points-oriented competitors, Gabriel stands as one of the more compelling developing forces in the lightweight black belt division.