Gabriel Costa

Gabriel Costa was born on April 22, 1998, in Bacabal, a small town in the state of Maranhão in Brazil's Northeast region. Growing up in a rural setting with limited access to organized sport, jiu-jitsu became the defining athletic outlet of his youth — an opportunity that only materialized after his family relocated to the state capital of São Luís, where he moved in with his mother and stepfather.

At the age of 12, guided by his stepfather's encouragement, Gabriel joined a Guigo Jiu-Jitsu Team affiliate near his new home. There, he began training under coach Roberto Ferreira, a black belt under Luiz Guilherme 'Guigo', who would become a cornerstone of his athletic development. What distinguished Gabriel from the outset was his total immersion in the sport — outside of school, he spent nearly every available hour at the academy, drilling alongside teammates and studying the adult practitioners with quiet intensity. That day-to-day proximity to jiu-jitsu planted the seeds of a professional ambition that would come to shape everything that followed.

Under coach Roberto Ferreira's guidance, Gabriel Costa steadily built a reputation on the local Maranhão circuit. His performances as a blue belt drew attention well beyond the regional scene, earning him the opportunity to travel to São Paulo and compete on one of the most demanding grappling tours in the world. During those trips, Costa trained at the Guigo Jiu-Jitsu Team headquarters, deepening his ties to the organization.

Recognizing his potential, team leader Luiz Guilherme 'Guigo' extended Costa a full-time jiu-jitsu scholarship, inviting him to relocate permanently to São Paulo and train under his direct supervision. Gabriel accepted, and the move proved transformative. Under Guigo's guidance, Costa dominated the Brazilian Gi circuit throughout his colored belt years — capturing the CBJJE World Championship at purple belt in 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals at purple belt in 2019. That sustained run of consistency reflected a level of technical maturity rare for his age.

His path to the international stage was complicated by visa restrictions that kept him out of the IBJJF World and Pan American Championships held in the United States during his colored belt career. Costa channeled that competitive energy toward Europe instead, delivering a standout performance at the 2020 IBJJF European Open in January of that year — earning a silver medal as a brown belt in one of the most prominent international results of his pre-black belt career. In November 2020, Luiz Guilherme 'Guigo' formally promoted Gabriel Costa to black belt, marking the culmination of years of disciplined sacrifice and competitive achievement.

Gabriel Costa's transition to the black belt division marked the beginning of a new chapter defined by continued growth and consistent results across two of the sport's premier circuits. Competing in the Peso Médio division (82.30 kg / 181.5 lbs) under the Guigo Jiu-Jitsu Team banner, Costa wasted no time asserting himself at the elite level.

In 2021, he claimed his first major black belt title at the AJP Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro — an emphatic statement of arrival on the international professional scene. That same year, he added a third-place finish at the AJP South America Continental Pro, demonstrating his ability to perform consistently across multiple high-level events. He carried that momentum into 2022, winning the AJP Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi — a prestigious result that reaffirmed his standing among the top competitors in his weight class — alongside a bronze medal at the AJP Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro edition that year.

Costa further expanded his competitive footprint on the IBJJF circuit, earning both a second and third-place finish at the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals across weight categories — a testament to his technical versatility and durability as he continues to build his profile on the world stage.