Matheus Menezes

Matheus Menezes was born on January 4, 1996, in Vitória, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Athletic and sports-oriented from an early age, his path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu arrived not through a conventional route, but through family — specifically through his cousin Luciano Gomes, a BJJ black belt who had relocated to New York, USA.

Despite the distance, Luciano maintained close ties with his family in Brazil, returning regularly for visits. It was during one of these trips that he introduced Matheus to jiu-jitsu, teaching him his first techniques on the mat before gifting him a kimono at the end of his stay. That combination of hands-on instruction and a symbolic first gi proved transformative, igniting a passion that Menezes would carry forward with conviction.

Translating that enthusiasm into formal training, Menezes enrolled at a CheckMat affiliate academy in March 2015 at age 19, placing himself under the guidance of coach Jonnatas Couto, known as Monteiro — the beginning of a competitive journey that would take him far beyond the mats of Vitória.

Blue Belt Dominance

Menezes' natural aptitude for grappling became evident almost immediately. Within approximately nine months of his formal enrollment under coach Monteiro, he earned his blue belt — a rapid progression that reflected both raw athleticism and serious commitment to the craft.

Rather than limiting himself to a single training environment, Menezes actively cross-trained at multiple CheckMat affiliates across Vitória, seeking out diverse training partners and sharpening his game against a wide variety of opponents. The approach paid clear dividends on the competition circuit. At blue belt, he established himself as one of Brazil's most dominant grapplers, claiming back-to-back CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi titles in 2017 and 2018.

The defining result of his blue belt career arrived in 2019, when Menezes won the IBJJF World Championship — a title that served as more than a competitive milestone. The magnitude of the achievement convinced him to pursue BJJ as a full-time athlete, reshaping his priorities and sharpening his focus entirely on the sport.

Purple and Brown Belt Excellence

Menezes carried that momentum seamlessly through the colored belt ranks. At purple belt, he added a CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi title in 2019 and captured the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2020. At brown belt, he claimed back-to-back IBJJF Pan Championship titles in 2022 and 2023 — a run of consistency that cemented his reputation as one of the most accomplished colored belt competitors of his generation.

A Friendship That Opened a Door

The relationship between Matheus Menezes and Atos Jiu-Jitsu developed organically through his cross-training habits in Vitória. Among the local gyms he frequented was C.T. Esportivo Domo, where he forged a meaningful friendship with owner and head instructor Wilson Ulhôa — a bond that would prove pivotal to his career trajectory.

In 2018, C.T. Esportivo Domo changed its affiliation from CheckMat to Atos Jiu-Jitsu and shortly thereafter hosted a seminar led by André Galvão, the head instructor and driving force behind the Atos organization. Menezes attended and used the opportunity purposefully — introducing himself to Galvão directly and expressing his interest in visiting the team's headquarters in San Diego, California. Galvão welcomed the outreach, and Menezes made his first trip to San Diego that same year.

Building a Full-Time Commitment

What began as a single visit evolved into a recurring commitment. Menezes returned to Atos HQ with increasing frequency over the following two years, each trip deepening his connection to the team and its high-level training culture. In 2020, he made the decision to relocate to North America, fully embedding himself within the Atos program and training full-time alongside elite competitors.

That arc reached its landmark moment on June 5, 2023, when André Galvão promoted Matheus Menezes to black belt — a recognition of a career built through consistency, sacrifice, and competitive excellence, and a milestone rooted in a seminar introduction just five years prior.

Matheus Menezes competes in the Pesadíssimo (super-heavyweight) division, above 100.5 kg / 222 lbs — one of the most physically demanding weight categories in competitive jiu-jitsu. Across his colored belt career, he demonstrated consistent dominance in both gi and no-gi formats, a versatility that speaks to the depth and adaptability of his technical game.

His résumé spanning multiple belt levels and tournament formats — across IBJJF, CBJJ, and continental championships — reflects a competitor-first mentality that defines his identity as an athlete. The 2019 IBJJF World title at blue belt was not merely a high point; it was a catalyst that directly informed his decision to train full-time and dedicate himself entirely to the sport, shaping every competitive effort that followed.

With his promotion to black belt in June 2023, Menezes enters the most competitive phase of his career, carrying the technical foundation and proven experience of an exceptional colored belt run into the deepest and most demanding division of elite jiu-jitsu competition.