João Neto

João Neto was born on May 4, 1995, in Porto Alegre, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, though he spent the majority of his early years in Canoas, a borough of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. It was there that his martial arts journey began — at age 11, he took up judo and immediately revealed an exceptional aptitude for the discipline. His ascent was swift: by 13, Neto had already earned a brown belt in judo, a rank that typically demands far more time and one that spoke clearly to both his natural gifts and relentless work ethic.

That same year, a street mugging in which he was physically assaulted became a defining turning point. The experience reshaped his relationship with martial arts, steering him away from purely sport-oriented training and toward disciplines grounded in practical self-defense. That search led him to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — a decision that would ultimately define the course of his life.

His first BJJ instructor was Moacir Mendes, a black belt in both judo and jiu-jitsu who served as a constant and formative presence throughout Neto's development, guiding him through every belt promotion from white to black. Because Neto's family maintained strong ties to Porto Alegre, he visited regularly and used those trips productively, training from white belt onward at the Alliance Academy in Porto Alegre under Mário Reis. This dual training environment — under Mendes in Canoas and Reis in Porto Alegre — gave Neto an unusually rich and well-rounded foundation during his formative years on the mats.

Committing to the Sport

By the time João Neto reached blue belt, jiu-jitsu had become more than a hobby — it was a vocation. He made a deliberate choice to commit to the sport full-time, dedicating his days entirely to training and competition. That singular focus set the tone for an accelerated competitive rise. Upon earning his brown belt, he also stepped into a coaching role at Mário Reis' Alliance Academy in Porto Alegre, launching a parallel career as an instructor alongside his competitive ambitions.

Building a Decorated Résumé at Colored Belts

The colored belt years produced a competitive résumé that demonstrated Neto's ability to perform at the highest levels across multiple divisions. At blue belt, he captured gold at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2013 and reached the final of the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2014. At purple belt, he raised his international profile further, finishing as runner-up at both the IBJJF World Championship and the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2015, while also claiming the UAEJJF Brazil National Pro title that same year. His brown belt campaign continued the momentum, with a second UAEJJF Brazil National Pro title in 2016 and a series of deep runs at the sport's most prestigious events.

The Brown Belt Pinnacle and Black Belt Promotion

The year 2017 stands as the summit of Neto's colored belt career. Competing at brown belt, he earned medals at all three of the IBJJF's most prestigious tournaments — the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, the Pan American Championship, and the IBJJF World Championship — within a single calendar year. The crown jewel of that run was his gold medal at the IBJJF World Championship, a title that confirmed his standing among the elite of his generation. On July 2, 2017, Moacir Mendes and Mário Reis jointly promoted Neto to the rank of black belt — a ceremony that marked both the culmination of his colored belt journey and the opening of an ambitious new chapter.

For the entirety of his formative and early professional career, João Neto was synonymous with Alliance — the team that had shaped him from his first days on the mats. Spanning roughly 15 years, from his white belt training at Mário Reis' Porto Alegre academy through his black belt years on the international stage, Neto's bond with Alliance was deep and defining. The dual mentorship of Moacir Mendes and Mário Reis reinforced that connection at every stage of his development.

In May 2023, Neto stepped onto the mats at the IBJJF World Championships representing Atos Academy — a public signal that marked the end of his long association with Alliance. The move to Atos, one of the most decorated and competitive teams in the modern era of the sport, drew considerable attention within the BJJ community given the depth and duration of his history with Alliance. The transition reflected Neto's enduring ambition as a competitor and his commitment to continuing to push the boundaries of his black belt career at the highest levels of the sport.