Joao Assis

Joao Assis was born on July 11, 1983, in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. His path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was not born of ambition or athletic aspiration but of practical necessity — a desire to protect himself. As a teenager, Assis found himself frequently involved in altercations at school and at parties, and at 17 he channeled that combative energy into structured martial arts training.

Assis began his BJJ education under Luis Brito, a BJJ and MMA instructor originally from Rio de Janeiro who had established himself in Porto Alegre. Under Brito's guidance, Assis built his foundational skills and progressed from white belt through to purple belt. As his passion for grappling deepened, he recognized that Porto Alegre's training environment could not sustain the level of development he sought. The drive to compete at the highest level pushed him to look beyond his home city.

Determined to immerse himself in elite-level training, Assis relocated to São Paulo to join what was then the Brasa headquarters — now known as Checkmat — under the tutelage of legendary coach Leonardo Vieira. The move proved transformative. Surrounded by high-level competitors and subjected to the demanding standards of one of Brazil's most accomplished BJJ programs, Assis's game evolved rapidly.

The quality of daily sparring and instruction at the Checkmat headquarters accelerated Assis's development in ways that would have been impossible in Porto Alegre. Leonardo Vieira awarded him his brown belt in recognition of that growth, and in 2009 Assis received his black belt from Vieira — a milestone that capped a period of extraordinary technical and competitive advancement. Just prior to that promotion, Assis had claimed gold at the Pan American Championship in the open weight brown belt division, a result that underscored his readiness for the black belt level.

Joao Assis's decision to relocate to the United States stands as one of the boldest chapters of his career. He arrived in North America with no money, no employment, no housing, and no established contacts — armed only with determination and an unshakeable belief in his own abilities. By his own account, a combination of willpower and faith carried him through those uncertain early days.

Gradually, Assis built a network that would define his American career. Key figures such as Fabricio Werdum, Rafael Cordeiro, Dan Henderson, Carlson Gracie Junior, Lucas Leite, and Robert Drysdale helped him find his footing. Recognizing the importance of wrestling to his overall game — particularly for his MMA ambitions — Assis aligned himself with Team Quest, one of the most respected wrestling-based MMA teams in the world. Training alongside elite fighters including Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, and Matt Lindland, he worked intensively on his wrestling and No-Gi grappling to complement the exceptional BJJ foundation he had built across two countries. Assis represents the United States in international competition, a testament to the sporting home he carved out for himself.

At the black belt level, Joao Assis established himself as one of the most formidable no-gi grapplers of his generation. His performances on the ADCC circuit alone place him among the elite of the sport.

ADCC World Championships

At the 2011 ADCC World Championship, Assis announced his arrival on the global stage with a silver medal finish. Two years later, at the 2013 ADCC World Championship, he returned and claimed gold — the pinnacle of no-gi submission grappling — cementing his status as world champion in the most prestigious grappling event in existence.

World No-Gi and Domestic Titles

Assis's dominance extended well beyond ADCC. He claimed the World No-Gi Championship in 2010 and again in 2015 — a five-year span that speaks to the sustained nature of his excellence rather than a single peak moment. He had foreshadowed that success even before his black belt, winning the World No-Gi Championship at brown belt in 2008. On the North American circuit, Assis accumulated over ten Grapplers Quest titles and four American National Championships, establishing himself as the dominant force in regional competition. In 2009 alone, he captured multiple NAGA titles across both No-Gi and Gi divisions, winning in both weight and open weight categories. Throughout his black belt career, Assis has competed under the Checkmat banner.

Joao Assis's involvement in combat sports extends well beyond the grappling mat. He launched his MMA career in 2003, defeating Valdir Linhares by Mata Leão — the rear-naked choke — at the Profight Combat Show in Brazil. That debut victory, secured by one of BJJ's most iconic submissions, set the tone for a career built squarely on grappling supremacy.

After establishing himself in Brazil, Assis brought his MMA ambitions with him when he relocated to the United States, deliberately seeking out the training infrastructure necessary to compete at a higher level. His affiliation with Team Quest was driven by a clear-eyed recognition that wrestling was essential to well-rounded MMA performance. Training alongside Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, and Matt Lindland gave Assis exposure to elite wrestling and MMA preparation, allowing him to forge a combat sports profile that complemented the exceptional BJJ foundation he had developed across two countries and more than a decade of dedicated training.