Marcos Santana

Marcos "Ratinho" Santana was born on August 15, 1986, in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before finding his calling on the mats, he spent his formative years as a five-a-side goalkeeper — a position demanding sharp reflexes and spatial awareness, qualities that would translate directly into his future as a grappler.

It was his elder brother Paulo César who first opened the door to jiu-jitsu, drawing Marcos into the sport in 1999. The timing carried real weight. Rio de Janeiro was then gripped by the notorious "Pitboy" era, a period in which BJJ had developed a deeply troubled public image due to groups of aggressive young men who used the martial art to instigate street violence across the city. The sport's reputation was toxic enough that the brothers' parents strictly forbade them from training, forcing Marcos and Paulo to practice in secret.

Their earliest sessions were entirely informal — Paulo had begun drilling positions with college classmates without qualified supervision, and Ratinho gradually joined the group, learning through repetition and peer-based practice. Unconventional as it was, this period forged a raw competitive instinct and a deep love for the art that would define his path forward.

Between 2000 and 2001, Marcos spent just over a year in João Pessoa, in the northeastern state of Paraíba, where he received formal instruction for the first time. His coach there was Eduardo Machado of the Carlson Gracie/Mario Sukata Academy, under whom Ratinho earned his blue belt — the milestone that marked the beginning of his structured jiu-jitsu development.

In April 2002, tragedy struck Marcos Santana's life. His brother Paulo César — the person who had introduced him to jiu-jitsu and trained alongside him in secret — was shot and killed outside his Rio de Janeiro office during a robbery, a victim of the same street violence that had long shadowed the city. The loss was devastating. Rather than stepping away from the sport they had shared, Marcos made a defining choice: he would continue, carrying Paulo's memory forward through jiu-jitsu.

Resolving to honor his brother's legacy, Marcos joined Brazilian Top Team (BTT), where he trained under Sid Jacintho and later Miguel "Gigante". The BTT environment sharpened his game considerably, surrounding him with elite competitors and a serious training culture during a critical stretch of his athletic development.

In time, Ratinho transitioned to Checkmat, the team under which he would complete his journey through the belt ranks. On December 9, 2009, Fabricio "Bicudo" Medeiros and Ricardo Vieira awarded him his black belt — a moment that formalized years of sacrifice, grief, and dedication.

His colored belt record reflected steady, purposeful growth throughout this period. At purple belt, he claimed the Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 2005 through the LERJJI circuit. At brown belt, he placed third at the CBJJO American Open Cup in 2007, then finished as runner-up at the CBJJO World Cup in 2009 — just months before receiving his black belt. Each result was a step forward on a path he had chosen to walk in his brother's name.

Building an International Platform

Ratinho's international coaching career has its roots in a relationship forged on the mats of Brazilian Top Team. When his coach Sid Jacintho relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2007 to serve as head coach of the UAE national jiu-jitsu team, the two maintained contact, and the idea of Marcos eventually making a similar move began to take shape. For several years, university commitments and a workplace promotion kept the opportunity out of reach.

The turning point came in 2012, when directors from the UAE's Palms Sports organization traveled to Rio de Janeiro specifically to identify coaching talent. Ratinho was scouted during this process, and a concrete offer was extended for him to relocate to Dubai. He accepted, launching what would become a remarkable chapter as a jiu-jitsu globetrotter.

Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Singapore

Within little more than a year of arriving in Dubai, Marcos had built a strong reputation through his coaching work. His results caught the attention of Sheikh Saqr Omer Al Qassimi and the leadership of Ras Al Khaimah, leading to an invitation for him to become the first BJJ coach of the Emirates Club — and to work directly with the presidential guard. It was a remarkable level of institutional recognition for an athlete who had begun training in secret in Rio de Janeiro barely a decade earlier.

In 2015, a visit to Singapore to train with a friend at Evolve MMA opened yet another door. Evolve's owner, Chatri Sityodtong, observed Ratinho on the mats and was impressed enough to offer him a place within the MMA team. Santana's journey had by then taken him across Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Singapore — cementing his identity as one of the sport's true international figures.

MMA Debut on the Global Stage

Chatri Sityodtong's role at Evolve MMA came with a parallel position as chairman of ONE Championship, and through that connection, Marcos Santana received the opportunity to debut in mixed martial arts at the highest level of Asian MMA. When the moment arrived, he made it count — submitting his opponent with a tight guillotine choke in the first round, a finish that announced his grappling credentials to a global audience and underscored the real-world effectiveness of his jiu-jitsu foundation.

Black Belt Competition Record

At the black belt level, Ratinho compiled an impressive record across both the IBJJF and UAEJJF competition structures, competing primarily in the featherweight division (64kg/154lbs) and the Master 1 category. His breakout year on the international scene was 2017, during which he claimed gold at the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam No-Gi in the Master 1 bracket, won both the gi and no-gi titles at the IBJJF British National Championship, and took gold at the IBJJF Manila Open No-Gi in the Master 1 division. That same year he also reached the podium at the IBJJF European Open and the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, demonstrating consistent elite-level performance across multiple continents.

His earlier black belt record included the CBJJE International X-Combat title in 2011, adding to a competitive résumé spanning more than a decade across three continents. Into 2018, Ratinho continued to place among the top competitors at marquee events, including a runner-up finish at the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and third-place results at both the IBJJF European Open and the IBJJF Masters European Open. Across every stage of his career, Santana's record reflects the same qualities that define his personal story — persistence, adaptability, and a will forged through profound personal loss.