Matheus Costa

Matheus Costa was born on January 27, 1994, in Brazil, and began his martial arts journey at age 8 through judo — a discipline he practiced for two years before redirecting his focus toward Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The shift was driven not by what he experienced on the tatami, but by what he watched inside the ring. The performances of MMA figures Rodrigo Minotauro and Ricardo Arona ignited a determination in Costa to pursue BJJ as his primary sport.

His path was not without early resistance. Costa's parents viewed jiu-jitsu as too violent for their son and initially withheld their support. In a telling display of early tenacity, Matheus secured their approval by promising to improve his academic performance — a negotiation that reflected the discipline and goal-oriented mindset he would carry into competition. The foundational grappling instincts he built during those two years in judo gave Costa a technical edge as he made his transition to the BJJ mats.

Throughout his entire development as a jiu-jitsu athlete, Matheus Costa trained under a single instructor: Guto Vicente, a black belt with deep roots in the Niterói grappling community. Vicente himself was a direct student of two historic figures from that region — Luis Carlos and Master Barradas — a lineage that shaped the technical and philosophical approach he passed on to Costa.

Vicente guided Costa through every belt from white to black, overseeing more than a decade of growth. On June 17, 2015, Matheus received his black belt — a milestone that formalized years of dedicated development under one mentor. The decision to pursue professional competition had already taken shape during his brown belt years, but Costa recognized that the scale of his team presented a ceiling on his competitive growth. With Vicente's full support, Matheus made the move to GF Team under Julio César in June 2016, seeking the resources and high-level competitive environment necessary to reach his full potential.

Matheus Costa competes in the Peso Leve division (76 kg / 168 lbs) and has built a reputation across Brazil's national grappling circuit for an aggressive, forward-pressing style centered on finishing opponents rather than managing scoreboard leads. His finishing accuracy — the consistency with which he converts dominant positions into submissions — sets him apart at the national level and has made him a recognizable presence at major IBJJF and UAEJJF events.

Gi and No-Gi Versatility

Costa demonstrates his versatility across formats, earning medals in both gi and no-gi competition, including podium finishes at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in both disciplines. His 2016 campaign was particularly productive, yielding a first-place finish at the IBJJF Curitiba Winter International Open and a gold medal at the UAEJJF Petrópolis National Pro, alongside a third-place result at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI.

Building Toward the Elite Level

Costa carried that momentum into 2017, claiming gold at both the IBJJF Rio Winter Open and the IBJJF Curitiba Fall Open. The most high-profile result of his black belt career came at the 2019 IBJJF Brazilian Nationals, where he earned a runner-up finish — a performance that underscored his standing among Brazil's elite competitors in the lightweight division.