Kevin Gabriel

Kevin Gabriel was born on November 17, 1999, in Conceição do Coite, a small town in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. By his own account, he was not particularly athletic as a child, and martial arts held little appeal during his early years — until a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu demonstration at his school changed everything. That single event captured his imagination and set him on an entirely new path.

Inspired by what he witnessed, Gabriel took his first BJJ class under local coach Helieudes Matheus Ramos, beginning a journey that would eventually carry him to the highest levels of the sport. Under Ramos' instruction, he built the foundational skills and competitive instincts that would define his early career, progressing from white belt through blue belt within the same gym where he first discovered jiu-jitsu.

Joining Cassão Team and Earning Purple Belt

At blue belt, Kevin Gabriel made a pivotal decision — relocating from Bahia to Minas Gerais to join Cassão Team under coach Cassio Francis. Affiliated with Gracie Barra, the Cassão Team was widely regarded as one of Brazil's premier grappling programs and a consistent producer of elite-level competitors. That high-performance environment accelerated Gabriel's development markedly, and he earned his purple belt under Francis, sharpening both his technique and competitive edge in the process.

The Move to Dream Art

Despite the prestige of the Cassão Team, Gabriel's ambitions drew him toward a different kind of opportunity. Dream Art, a professional athlete workgroup emerging at the time, offered not only a world-class training environment but also housing, meals, and a level of athlete support that set it apart from traditional BJJ academies. Recognizing the potential of that infrastructure, Gabriel submitted his curriculum to the team and earned acceptance from its management and head coach Isaque Bahiense.

The move to Dream Art proved to be a defining chapter in his career. In June 2023, Isaque Bahiense promoted Kevin Gabriel to black belt — the culmination of a journey that had taken him from a school gymnasium in Bahia to one of the most competitive training groups in the grappling world.

Building a Championship Record

Representing Dream Art, Kevin Gabriel established himself as one of the most decorated lower-belt prospects in international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition. His performances across multiple major tournaments demonstrated not only technical mastery but also the consistency that separates elite competitors from the field.

Gabriel's championship pedigree spans several belt levels and prestigious events. At blue belt, he captured a CBJJ Brazilian Nationals title in 2017, signaling his potential at a remarkably young age. His purple belt years brought further success, including gold at the 2022 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship and the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2021, with a runner-up finish at the 2022 IBJJF World Championship reinforcing his standing in the division.

Brown Belt Dominance and the World Title

The brown belt season delivered his most celebrated results. In 2023, Gabriel claimed gold at the 2023 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship, the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, and — most notably — the IBJJF World Championship, the sport's most prestigious title at the non-professional belt levels. Earning that world title in the same year he received his black belt promotion underscored just how formidable a competitor he had become. Throughout his decorated run, Gabriel competed in the Peso Pluma division (64 kg / 141.5 lbs), a weight class in which he repeatedly proved himself among the best in the world.