Khaled Alshehi

Khaled Alshehi was born on September 15, 2003, in Ajman, the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. His family later relocated to Al Ain, the city where he grew up and forged his identity as a martial artist. From childhood, Khaled gravitated naturally toward combat sports, drawn by the discipline and physical challenge they demanded.

His formal introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came at the age of 10, shaped in part by a broader cultural shift surrounding the sport across the UAE. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed's well-documented admiration for jiu-jitsu had driven its integration into the UAE school system, giving young Emiratis their first structured exposure to the art. Khaled was among those who benefited from that initiative, beginning his training through school before recognizing that his ambitions required a more competitive environment. That realization led him to Al Ain Club, where his development as a serious competitor truly began.

The foundation of Khaled Alshehi's technical growth was built under a coaching staff that blended international expertise with deep local knowledge. At Al Ain Club, he trained under an accomplished group that included Sam MacCoy, Daniel Galvão, Marcio Silva, Dudu Bellomini, Zayed Alkaabi, and Iuri Alves. That combination of world-class international instructors and coaches rooted in the UAE's own competitive scene helped Khaled develop a well-rounded and adaptable game.

His progression through the colored belt ranks was swift and marked by consistent results at the highest levels of AJP competition. By the time he reached brown belt, he had already established himself as one of the most decorated young competitors in the region. In late 2022, his journey through the belt system reached its first major milestone when Zayed Alkaabi and Iuri Alves — two of the coaches central to his development — presided over his promotion to black belt. Competing in the 62-kilogram division, Khaled entered the black belt ranks as one of the UAE's most prominent young talents.

Juvenile and Colored Belt Success

Khaled Alshehi's competitive record on the AJP (Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro) circuit stands as one of the most impressive built by a UAE-born athlete across multiple belt levels. His success began at the juvenile stage, where he claimed gold at major AJP Grand Slam events in Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Moscow, and London, as well as at the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2019 — establishing early that his results extended well beyond regional competition.

As he advanced through the colored belt divisions, that dominance continued without interruption. In 2021, competing at purple belt, he claimed gold at the 2021 AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, a result that signaled his readiness to challenge the best in his weight class regardless of belt level. The brown belt phase proved equally productive: in 2022, he captured gold at the AJP Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro, the AJP Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi, and the AJP UAE National Pro, while finishing runner-up at that year's AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro.

Black Belt Competition

The transition to black belt brought no drop in competitive output. In 2023, Khaled won gold at the 2023 AJP Grand Slam Abu Dhabi and reached the final of the 2023 AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, earning a silver medal against elite black belt opposition. He added another Grand Slam title in 2024, claiming gold at the 2024 AJP Grand Slam Tokyo. Podium finishes across events held on multiple continents reflect the breadth of his competitive standing and position him as one of the UAE's most consistent performers in the lightweight divisions of elite jiu-jitsu competition.