Gabriel de Sousa Ribeiro

Gabriel de Sousa Ribeiro, known as "Veloso," was born in June 2002 in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. His introduction to combat sports came at around age seven, when he began training karate — a discipline that built the body awareness and mental discipline that would underpin his later development. By age ten, he had discovered jiu-jitsu and joined a local club, setting the course for a career defined by the sport.

Shortly after, between the ages of ten and eleven, Gabriel enrolled at Rodrigo Rosendo's academy, where his technical progression accelerated significantly. The combination of karate fundamentals and early grappling exposure gave him a well-rounded athletic foundation — one that proved invaluable as the demands of competition grew.

Catching Attention at Blue Belt

By fifteen, Gabriel had earned his blue belt and was already turning heads on the São Paulo competition circuit. His performances attracted an invitation from Dream Art, one of Brazil's most respected professional jiu-jitsu squads. Accepting the opportunity, he relocated from Maranhão to São Paulo to train under coaches Gabriel Figueiro and Isaque Bahiense, immersing himself in one of the country's most competitive grappling environments.

Promotion on the Podium

Training within that high-level structure, Gabriel advanced steadily through purple and brown belt, building a record of consistent results at both national and international tournaments. The defining moment of his belt journey arrived in January 2024, when Erich Munis promoted him to black belt — not in a gym ceremony, but on the podium of the IBJJF European Championship, transforming a competition victory into one of the most memorable milestones of his career. In the period following his black belt promotion, Gabriel has carried dual affiliation with Fratres alongside Dream Art.

A Record Built Across Every Belt Level

Gabriel Ribeiro's competitive résumé reflects a sustained ability to perform on the sport's biggest stages. At blue belt, he claimed gold at the IBJJF European Championship in 2020, announcing himself as a genuine international prospect. He reinforced that standing domestically by winning the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals at purple belt in both 2019 and 2020, a back-to-back title run that demonstrated consistency well beyond a single breakout performance.

At brown belt, the results continued to accumulate. In 2023, Gabriel reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship, finishing as runner-up and firmly establishing himself among the elite in his division. That same year, he was also runner-up at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals. His brown belt campaign reached its peak in January 2024 with a title at the IBJJF European Championship — the victory that directly preceded his promotion to black belt on the podium by Erich Munis.

Technical Identity: The Open Guard

Gabriel competes in the Super-Pesado division at 100.50 kg (222 lbs). His primary competitive weapon is the Open Guard, which he deploys to control distance, generate angles, and threaten opponents with sweeps and submissions in equal measure. His guard work has been a hallmark of his style across every belt level — a technical identity that defines his approach to high-level competition and sets the tone for every match he enters.