Francisco Lo

Francisco "Chico" Lo was born on November 7, 2000, in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas — a city not traditionally associated with elite jiu-jitsu production, but one that forged a fierce competitive drive in him from an early age. Like many Brazilian boys, Lo initially gravitated toward football (soccer), only to find that his enthusiasm far outpaced his aptitude for the sport. That realization, compounded by a more urgent personal challenge, would redirect the course of his life entirely.

Around the age of 11, Lo became a target of physical abuse from other children in his neighborhood. Rather than accept the situation, he sought a solution on the mats — joining a local jiu-jitsu club as a means of self-defense and personal empowerment. His first instructor was Karen Dias, daughter of the legendary Cosmo Dias, who guided the young Manauara from white belt through blue belt and shepherded him through the juvenile ranks. Under her instruction, Lo developed the foundational skill set that would later underpin a serious competitive career.

As Lo progressed to purple belt, his focus sharpened considerably. Training alongside a friend active on the local competition circuit, he began investing more intentionally in his development as a competitive athlete — a mindset that would soon demand a much larger stage.

Upon turning 18, Francisco Lo made one of the most consequential decisions of his career: leaving Manaus behind and relocating to São Paulo to pursue jiu-jitsu full-time. He approached Cicero Costha — one of Brazil's most respected BJJ coaches and the architect of a well-established fighter development program — and earned entry into Costha's fighter house on a grappling scholarship. That structured arrangement has historically provided elite training access to athletes of significant promise, and Lo's acceptance into the program signaled the seriousness of his potential.

The environment at Cicero Costha proved transformative. Under Costha's guidance, Lo earned both his brown and black belts, with his black belt promotion taking place on May 16, 2022. The team's high-level training infrastructure gave Lo the platform needed to transition from a promising regional competitor into a recognized force on the international stage.

Francisco Lo competes in the Meio Pesado division (88.30 kg / 195.0 lbs), and his trajectory on the IBJJF circuit has been one of consistent upward momentum since earning his black belt. An early indicator of what was to come arrived while he was still a brown belt: a gold medal at the IBJJF Brazilian Nationals in 2022 foreshadowed his imminent breakthrough at the sport's highest level.

His black belt career gained significant traction across 2022 and 2023. At the 2022 Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship, Lo secured a bronze medal, announcing his arrival on the international black belt stage. The following year brought sharper results: gold at the 2023 Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship — one of the most competitive no-gi events on the IBJJF calendar — along with the top spot at the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals and a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship.

By 2024, Lo had firmly established himself as one of the Meio Pesado division's most dangerous competitors. He reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship, claiming the silver medal in the most prestigious podium finish of his career to that point, and added a second-place result at the 2024 IBJJF American Nationals. That sustained elite-level consistency positioned him among the division's foremost title contenders.

Francisco Lo's ascending career trajectory was sharply interrupted when the IBJJF announced that he had failed a performance-enhancing drug (PED) test administered at the 2025 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship. As a consequence of the positive test, the IBJJF issued Lo a three-year suspension, barring him from competition in any IBJJF-sanctioned events for the full duration of the ban.

The suspension represents a significant disruption to a career that had been building steadily toward the sport's highest honors. Having reached the IBJJF World Championship final in 2024 and accumulated multiple international titles across both gi and no-gi formats, Lo stood as one of the Meio Pesado division's most credible contenders at the time of the failed test. The ban sidelines him during what would have been prime competitive years and places his prior ascent under renewed scrutiny within the broader BJJ community.