Italo Costa

Italo Lima Costa was born on June 22, 1994, in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and raised in the neighboring coastal village of Areia Branca. Like many boys in the region, he initially chased football, but a lack of natural aptitude brought that pursuit to an early end.

His path to jiu-jitsu began through the informal play-fighting common among childhood friends. Despite carrying a size and strength advantage over most of his peers, Costa found himself repeatedly submitted by a friend who held a yellow belt in the martial art. Those humbling encounters sparked a genuine curiosity for grappling. That curiosity sharpened when another friend traveled to São Paulo, competed under the CBJJE federation ruleset, and returned home with a medal. For Costa, the medal was more than a local talking point — it was concrete proof that jiu-jitsu was a path worth pursuing.

The road to the academy was not without friction. Financial constraints made purchasing a kimono difficult, and a sense of social unease about entering a gym unprepared created further hesitation. It was ultimately the persistent encouragement of his friends that pushed Costa through the door of a jiu-jitsu academy in August 2008, at the age of 14. His first instructor was Talison Soares, a coach who had trained under Weckcilley Cruz before affiliating with Checkmat under the Barreto Brothers, Thiago and Bruno. Under Soares, Costa developed steadily, advancing from white belt through to purple belt.

In 2017, Costa's relationship with his longtime instructor Talison Soares ended on contentious terms. The fallout extended beyond the coach-athlete dynamic, as several of Costa's closest friends distanced themselves from him out of loyalty to Soares. The personal cost was considerable, but rather than diminishing his resolve, the experience became a catalyst for reinvention.

Determined to move beyond the comfort of his hometown, Costa channeled his energy into completing a degree in Civil Engineering while setting his sights on a life abroad. The turning point came when he won a local tournament whose prize was an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2018 IBJJF European Open in Lisbon, Portugal. The trip proved to be far more than a competition opportunity. At the European Open, Costa crossed paths with fellow Brazilian athlete Márcio Pires, known as Alicate, who told him about a gym in the United States that offered free training and accommodation to visiting athletes.

Costa reached out directly to the gym's owner, Dan Lukehart, known in the community as Trumpet Dan, who agreed to host the young Brazilian. That agreement opened the door to Costa's full-time career as a competitor, marking the end of his life in Rio Grande do Norte and the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

Joining Ares and Establishing Legitimacy

Upon arriving in the United States, Costa's trajectory shifted decisively when he met and befriended Aluízio Moizinho and Osvaldo Moizinho, known as Queixinho, of Ares Jiu-Jitsu, along with team leader Samir Chantre. The Ares squad welcomed Costa into their ranks, and he began competing under the American flag as a representative of the team.

His brown belt years in the United States demonstrated that he belonged at the highest levels of IBJJF competition. He claimed gold at the IBJJF American Nationals in 2020, reached the final of the 2019 IBJJF European Open as a purple belt, earned silver at the IBJJF American Nationals in 2021, placed second at the IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi in 2020, and took bronze at both the IBJJF Pan Championship and the IBJJF American Nationals in 2018 and 2021 respectively.

Black Belt Promotion and Continued Dominance

On January 15, 2022, Osvaldo Moizinho promoted Costa to black belt in a ceremony held in Goodyear, Arizona — a moment that recognized years of sacrifice, relocation, and unwavering dedication to the sport. Costa wasted little time asserting himself at the black belt level. In 2022 alone, he claimed gold at the IBJJF New York Open, the IBJJF Miami Open, the IBJJF Sacramento Open, and the IBJJF Indianapolis Open. He carried that momentum into 2023, adding titles at the IBJJF London Open and the IBJJF American Nationals.

Costa competes in the Peso Pesado division (94 kg / 207 lbs). His rise from the beaches of Rio Grande do Norte to the podiums of international competition stands as a testament to the resilience that has defined his journey from the very beginning.