Junior Fernandes

Junior Fernandes was born in 2003 in East London, England, to Portuguese parents of African heritage. Raised in the East End, he grew up in a household where martial arts were a way of life — largely through the influence of his father, José Varela, known professionally as "Pitbull," a three-time MTGP Muay Thai World Champion. Despite that environment, Junior's first sporting passion was soccer, a natural inclination for a child with deep Portuguese roots.

The pull of combat sports, however, proved too strong to resist. At age 7, Junior began training Muay Thai, stepping into the discipline his father had mastered at the highest level. Those early years in the striking arts forged his athletic foundation and sharpened his competitive instincts. The shift toward Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came at age 13, when his father took on the role of head Muay Thai coach at Fightzone London. It was there that Junior crossed paths with Marco Canha, the jiu-jitsu professor who would come to define his grappling development. That meeting set in motion a journey that would carry Junior far beyond the streets of East London.

Building the Foundation

Under Marco Canha at Fightzone London, Junior Fernandes built his jiu-jitsu game from the ground up. His early competitive years were marked by losses and setbacks that tested his resolve. The steady mentorship of his professor, combined with a family that understood the demands of elite martial arts, gave him the support structure to push through those difficult periods.

Breakthrough Results on the International Stage

The perseverance paid off. Junior found his competitive footing at orange belt and developed the rhythm that would carry him forward. By blue belt, he was stepping up not just against other juveniles but competing against adults — a sign of the confidence his coaches placed in his abilities. The results validated that trust. In 2019, as a blue belt, Junior captured gold at both the IBJJF World Championship and the IBJJF Pan Championship, announcing himself as one of the most gifted young grapplers in Europe. He built on that momentum two years later, winning double gold at the 2021 IBJJF World Championship at purple belt — claiming titles in both the Gi and No-Gi divisions in the same year.

Committing to the Professional Path

Following the completion of his secondary school education, Junior made a deliberate choice to pursue jiu-jitsu as a professional endeavor. He traveled to the United States to train with Checkmat, immersing himself in one of BJJ's most decorated competitive environments. The move was a defining one — trading the familiarity of East London for the intensity of a program built to produce world-class competitors.

Despite training abroad, Junior has maintained his connection to the community that first shaped him. He continues to teach at Fightzone London, contributing to the growth of the sport in the United Kingdom and giving back to the gym where his journey began. As a purple belt under Checkmat, Junior carries with him a clear and ambitious goal: to become England's first adult black belt world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.