Felipe Bezerra

Born on June 11, 1991, in Brazil, Felipe Bezerra discovered judo at the age of 9 and quickly developed a deep passion for grappling that would shape his entire athletic career. His commitment to the sport was evident from the start — training consistently throughout his youth, he earned his judo black belt at 19 while actively competing on Brazil's national circuit.

Bezerra's judo trajectory reached an early peak in 2007, when he captured both the Junior National and South American titles, establishing himself as one of Brazil's most promising young judokas. He followed those results with a University circuit championship and multiple medals at the Brazilian Nationals as a senior athlete, cementing his standing among the country's elite.

At 14, Bezerra began cross-training in jiu-jitsu with a clear purpose: to sharpen the ground game dimensions of his judo. He joined Bruno Barreto's academy in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte — a decision that proved transformative. Rather than treating jiu-jitsu as a supplementary tool, Bezerra embraced it as a second discipline in its own right, eventually competing at the highest levels of both sports simultaneously. He stands as one of the only athletes of his generation to reach elite standing in both judo and jiu-jitsu at the same time.

Felipe Bezerra's jiu-jitsu development unfolded entirely under the guidance of Bruno Barreto, a black belt and former student of the renowned Netinho (José Andrade Silva Neto), representing the Checkmat JJ lineage in Rio Grande do Norte. Barreto guided Bezerra through every belt rank from white to black — a coach-athlete relationship spanning well over a decade and built on shared purpose and mutual trust.

Brown Belt Dominance

That long-term continuity produced remarkable competitive results. In 2016, still competing at brown belt, Bezerra claimed the IBJJF World Championship title and the IBJJF Pan American Championship title, adding gold at the IBJJF Curitiba Open and the IBJJF Curitiba No-Gi Open. His brown belt résumé also included a gold medal at the UAEJJF Brazil National Pro in 2015, a runner-up finish at the UAEJJF Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and a third-place result at the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro in 2016. In December 2016, at the pinnacle of his colored belt career, Barreto promoted Bezerra to black belt — a milestone reflecting both his competitive excellence and his maturity as a martial artist.

Division and Affiliation

Bezerra competes in the super-heavyweight division, Peso Pesadíssimo (+100 kg / 221 lbs), where his judoka athleticism, powerful base, and high-level grappling experience give him a distinct competitive identity. His affiliation with Checkmat JJ, one of Brazil's most decorated competitive jiu-jitsu teams, has provided the infrastructure to pursue international competition across both sports.

Felipe Bezerra's transition to black belt competition built naturally on a colored belt résumé that already included world and continental titles. In 2018, he captured the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals title at black belt — the most prominent gi result of his senior career. The following year, in 2019, he earned a runner-up finish at the same event, demonstrating that his 2018 title was not an isolated peak but part of a sustained run of elite-level performance.

What distinguishes Bezerra's black belt career is the broader context in which it exists. Unlike most competitors who dedicate themselves entirely to jiu-jitsu after receiving their black belt, Bezerra continues to balance high-level judo competition on Brazil's national circuit alongside his jiu-jitsu commitments — a dual dedication that remains exceptionally rare at the senior level. His career stands as a testament to the compatibility and mutual reinforcement of judo and jiu-jitsu when pursued with equal seriousness, and to the sustained impact of a long-term coach-athlete relationship forged over more than a decade.