Fabricio Medici

Fabricio Medici's relationship with martial arts began around age six, when judo provided his first taste of structured training and physical discipline. The sport planted a seed that would define his athletic identity for decades. A family relocation shifted his path toward karate, where he spent a couple of years exploring the Okinawan striking tradition before eventually returning to São Paulo.

Back in São Paulo and a few years removed from regular training, a sixteen-year-old Medici chose to re-engage with martial arts — this time through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He found his home at the Lotus Club Academy in Liberdade, São Paulo's iconic Japanese cultural district. The neighborhood's deep roots in Japanese heritage and martial tradition made it a fitting backdrop for what would become a lifelong commitment to the grappling arts.

Blue and Purple Belt: Establishing a Championship Pedigree

Medici developed into a respected competitor on Brazil's national circuit during his formative years at the Lotus Club Academy. His performances across the lower belt divisions reflected consistent technical growth and a competitive sharpness that earned him recognition throughout the Brazilian jiu-jitsu landscape.

At the blue and purple belt levels, Medici emerged as a title contender within the FESP Brazilian National League (Circuito), claiming championship honors in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he also captured the FESP Brazilian National League No-Gi title, demonstrating his versatility across formats. His 2006 purple belt campaign proved especially productive, yielding gold at both the FESP São Paulo State Championship and the FGJJ Rio Grande do Sul State Championship — results that confirmed his ability to perform across different regional circuits.

Brown Belt: International Stages and Black Belt Promotion

The brown belt years elevated Medici onto international stages. He earned third-place finishes at both the CBJJE Pan American Championship in 2007 and the IBJJF Pan American Championship in 2008, solidifying his standing among Brazil's most competitive grapplers in his division.

The defining moment of his competition career arrived at the 2008 IBJJF World Championship, where a podium finish as a brown belt served as the direct catalyst for his black belt promotion. Shortly after the tournament, Givanildo Santana awarded Medici the black belt — a formal recognition of the technical and competitive standard he had worked years to achieve.

Establishing Roots in New York's Martial Arts Scene

In 2009, the year following his black belt promotion, Fabricio Medici relocated to New York City and stepped into the borough's vibrant martial arts community. He took on coaching roles at several academies across the five boroughs, steadily building a reputation as a knowledgeable and dedicated instructor.

The Kioto Affiliation and Francisco Mansur

Among the most significant relationships to emerge from these early New York years was Medici's friendship with Master Francisco Mansur, a highly respected figure in BJJ's history and the founder of Kioto Academy. After three years of friendship and collaboration, Medici formally joined Kioto in 2013, aligning himself with one of the sport's most traditional and prestigious institutions. The association with Francisco Mansur and Kioto deepened his connection to BJJ's lineage and institutional heritage in a meaningful way.

Alongside his Kioto affiliation, Medici took on the role of full-time head coach at LifeStyle Mixed Martial Arts in Queens, NY — grounding his coaching career in a community-focused academy setting where his influence could take lasting shape.

The Organic Path Into Officiating

Refereeing did not begin as a career objective for Fabricio Medici — it evolved naturally. During his brown belt years, an interest in officiating took hold alongside his competitive and coaching pursuits. What started as a weekend habit gradually became a defining professional identity, carrying him across multiple promotions and countries as he refined his craft at the highest levels of the sport.

Leadership Roles in U.S. and New York BJJ

Medici's commitment to officiating earned him recognition at the sport's highest organizational levels. He rose to the role of chief coordinator for the IBJJF, with responsibilities focused particularly on operations in the United States through the IBJJF/USBJJF structure. He also serves as Head Referee for the New York BJJ Federation, reinforcing his deep ties to the local community that welcomed him after his 2009 move to the city.

Kasai Pro: Shaping Professional Grappling From the Ground Up

The opportunity that further elevated Medici's profile in professional grappling came while officiating at a New York tournament, when Rolles Gracie, president of Kasai Pro, approached him directly and offered him the position of Head Referee for the promotion. Medici accepted, embedding himself within the rules committee from Kasai Pro's inaugural event in 2017. From its very foundation, he played an integral role in shaping the competitive framework and officiating standards that define the promotion.