Guilherme Bacha

Guilherme Bacha Guedes was born on September 14, 1992, in Vassouras, a small town nestled in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. His first brush with martial arts came through judo, which he practiced with genuine dedication throughout his childhood until the age of 12. From there, his path took a sharp and unexpected turn — rather than continuing on the mats, Bacha's teenage years were consumed by online gaming, where he harbored real ambitions of competing professionally in Esports. That non-linear journey, from judoka to aspiring gamer, makes his eventual rise to the summit of competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all the more compelling.

Bacha stepped onto the BJJ mats for the first time in 2012, at the age of 20, while simultaneously pursuing a degree in Business & Management at a local university in Vassouras. His academic obligations set the tempo of his early grappling development, limiting him to two training sessions per week during those formative years. After completing his degree in 2015, he expanded his training to three to five sessions per week — a decisive shift that opened the door to serious competition. That same year, Bacha entered his first tournaments and quickly discovered a deep passion for competitive grappling, one that would fundamentally redirect the course of his life.

With professional ambitions firmly in focus, Bacha made a pivotal move in 2017, relocating from Vassouras to the Fightzone gym in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro — the Brazilian headquarters of Checkmat. There, he came under the instruction of Ricardo Vieira, a central figure in Checkmat's elite competitive program. The relocation marked a clear turning point in his identity as an athlete: no longer fitting training around other obligations, Bacha committed himself fully to life as a dedicated competitor.

Late in 2017, Bacha delivered a defining performance at the Gracie Pro event in Rio de Janeiro, winning double gold at the purple belt level. His showing caught the eye of Leonardo Vieira, Ricardo's brother and co-founder of Checkmat, who attended the event specifically to scout talent for the organization's "Rising Stars" scholarship program — a joint initiative with the Checkmat Academy in California, USA. Impressed by what he saw, Leonardo extended Bacha an invitation to relocate to the United States and join the program. Bacha accepted, placing himself under the dual coaching of Ricardo Vieira and Leonardo Vieira as he continued his climb through the belt ranks.

Bacha's brown belt campaign stands as one of the most accomplished pre-black belt runs in the ultra-heavyweight division in recent memory. The pinnacle of that period arrived at the 2021 IBJJF World Championship, where he swept through the Pesadíssimo bracket (+100.50 kg / +222.0 lbs) undefeated to claim gold. His performance proved instrumental in Checkmat securing their first-ever IBJJF Team World Title — a historic milestone for the organization. That same year, Bacha also captured gold at the IBJJF Pan Championship and the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro at brown belt, demonstrating a rare capacity to perform at the highest level across multiple major competitive circuits simultaneously.

His colored belt résumé — spanning IBJJF, AJP, and domestic American events — established him as the premier ultra-heavyweight competitor outside the black belt division. On December 13, 2021, Ricardo Vieira and Leonardo Vieira awarded Guilherme Bacha his black belt, bringing to a close one of the most decorated colored belt careers in the super-heavyweight category.