Guilherme Fernandes

Guilherme "Gui" Fernandes was born on March 22, 2002, in São Paulo, the capital of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. As a child, he gravitated toward sport and physical activity — spending most of his time playing football (soccer) and competing in street sports rather than pursuing formal martial arts training. The competitive drive that would later define his grappling career took shape early, largely through the influence of his father, Mario Fernandes, an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner who earned his black belt under Cicero Costha.

Despite growing up in a household where BJJ was woven into daily life, Guilherme's first foray into combat sports came through kickboxing, which he began training at age 13. After a year of striking work, he made a decisive choice in 2016 to redirect his focus entirely toward Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His first steps on the BJJ mat were taken at Desporto Para Todos, a local São Paulo team led by Ednaldo Pereira, where the foundations of his grappling game were firmly established.

Building the Foundation Under Cicero Costha

As Guilherme Fernandes' ambitions grew, so did the level of training he sought. Recognizing the need for a higher-caliber environment, he made the move to train under Cicero Costha — one of the most accomplished producers of grappling talent in the world — whose academy is based in São Paulo. Under Costha's guidance, Fernandes earned his blue and purple belts, developing the technical foundation and competitive mindset that would propel him to the top of his divisions.

The Transition to Dream Art

Fernandes later departed the Costha camp and received his brown belt from Diego Oliveira — known as "Pato" — a former teammate and close training partner. He subsequently joined Dream Art under coach Isaque Bahiense, a move that proved to be a defining turning point in his career. The Dream Art environment gave Fernandes the high-level coaching and training infrastructure he needed to unlock his full potential as a colored belt competitor. After a remarkable run of performances throughout 2023, Bahiense promoted Guilherme Fernandes to the rank of black belt on June 2, 2023.

A Historic Run at Brown Belt

The 2023 competitive season represented the pinnacle of Guilherme Fernandes' colored belt career. Competing as a brown belt, he swept the three most prestigious titles in IBJJF competition within a single calendar year — capturing gold at the 2023 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship, the 2023 IBJJF World Championship, and the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals. The triple crown underscored his complete dominance at the brown belt level and announced him as one of the most compelling young talents in the sport.

A Career Built on Consistent Excellence

This championship run did not emerge in a vacuum. Fernandes had constructed an impressive résumé throughout his colored belt years — including juvenile world and European Open titles in 2019, multiple purple belt podium finishes at the World Championship, and a Pan Championship gold at purple belt in 2021. His ascent through the ranks was methodical and relentless, with each belt level producing stronger performances on the sport's biggest stages.

The extraordinary brown belt campaign left no doubt about Fernandes' readiness for the next chapter. Coach Isaque Bahiense responded to the triple crown season by awarding Guilherme his black belt on June 2, 2023 — setting the stage for what promises to be a formidable career at the sport's highest level.