Marcelo Cohen was born on December 12, 1983, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and built his grappling foundation through a path that began well before he ever stepped onto a BJJ mat. At age 9, Cohen began training judo, developing the balance, timing, and takedown instincts that would later become integral to his jiu-jitsu game. By his mid-teens, he had transitioned to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, joining the legendary Carlson Gracie Academy headquarters in Rio de Janeiro — one of the most storied training environments in the sport's history.

Training within the Carlson Gracie system immersed Cohen in a culture of fierce competitiveness and technical depth that left a permanent mark on his development. The tradition's emphasis on pressure, aggression, and relentless submission hunting — hallmarks of the Carlson Gracie school — shaped his approach to grappling from the ground up and established the principles he would carry throughout his career.

In 2004, Cohen relocated to Jupiter, Florida, opening a new chapter in his BJJ career on American soil. He joined The Armory in Jupiter, training alongside notable grapplers including Kurt Pellegrino and Eduardo Guedes in a competitive environment that continued to sharpen his edge. Throughout this period, Cohen maintained an active training relationship with his coach Marcelo Saporito in Rio de Janeiro, ensuring technical continuity across continents.

That sustained dedication earned its formal recognition on December 12, 2012 — Cohen's 29th birthday — when Saporito promoted him to black belt. The milestone marked the culmination of over a decade of disciplined training and competitive experience. His ties to the Carlson Gracie lineage remained firmly intact throughout his rise through the ranks, threading the legacy of his Rio roots into every chapter of his American career.

Cohen established himself as a technically sharp and remarkably consistent presence on the regional and national no-gi circuit, competing in the Peso Galo division at 57.5 kg (127 lbs) — one of the sport's most demanding weight classes. His longevity as a Master 1 competitor is reflected in a string of high-level results spanning multiple years and venues.

He claimed gold at the IBJJF No-Gi Pans Championship in both 2016 and 2019, a result that speaks to a sustained competitive edge well into his thirties. In 2017, he took first place at the IBJJF No-Gi American Nationals, one of the most competitive no-gi events on the IBJJF calendar, and followed that with a first-place finish at the ADCC Florida Tournament in 2018 — a meaningful qualifier on the ADCC regional circuit. His record across the IBJJF Open circuit reinforces this consistency: gold at the Atlanta Winter Open in 2016 and 2018, the Atlanta Summer Open in 2017, the Miami Open in 2015, and the Miami Winter Open in 2019. Taken together, these results paint the picture of a competitor who performed across multiple years and venues rather than peaking at a single moment.

Parallel to his competitive career, Cohen built a formidable reputation as an instructor. He rose to the role of head coach at The Armory in Jupiter, Florida, where his teaching program earned national recognition. In 2015, Jiu-Jitsu Magazine highlighted his contributions as a coach, bringing wider visibility to his work and cementing his standing within the American BJJ coaching community.

Cohen subsequently founded MCBJJ (Marcelo Cohen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), his own dedicated academy located at 265 US Hwy 1 in Tequesta, Florida. The school reflects his vision for a training environment rooted in the competitive values of the Carlson Gracie tradition and refined through years of experience as both practitioner and instructor. MCBJJ serves students across all skill levels — from youth competitors beginning their grappling journeys to adult practitioners pursuing serious competitive development.

MCBJJ gained significant public attention through Cohen's work with members of the Trump family. Luke Trump and Carolina Trump — children of Eric and Lara Trump — earned their grey belt promotions under the instruction of both Marcelo Cohen and the legendary Carlson Gracie Jr., a ceremony that underscored the deep Carlson Gracie lineage woven into Cohen's program. Luke Trump also earned a gold medal at a New Breed youth tournament while training under Cohen, a result that reflected the competitive orientation of the MCBJJ youth curriculum.

In December 2025, Cohen hosted Lara Trump's first Brazilian jiu-jitsu session at the academy — an event filmed for Fox News and conducted alongside former Bellator veteran Leah McCourt. The session brought further public visibility to MCBJJ and demonstrated Cohen's ability to introduce the discipline to high-profile newcomers while maintaining the instructional standards that have defined his coaching career.