Matheus Spirandeli

Matheus Spirandeli was born on September 28, 1993, and raised in Minas Gerais, Brazil, where an early curiosity about martial arts set the foundation for a life on the mats. He first trained judo at age 6, spending two years developing the throwing and gripping fundamentals that would later inform his grappling instincts. At age 10, he transitioned to karate for approximately one year before the pull of grappling ultimately proved stronger.

At 13, while lifting weights at a local gym in Minas Gerais, Spirandeli found his first real gateway into jiu-jitsu. The gym's resident BJJ coach — a full-time police officer named Wesley — recognized Matheus's enthusiasm and welcomed him onto the mats. Spirandeli took to grappling immediately, but the arrangement lasted only six months before Wesley was transferred to an out-of-state precinct, leaving him without a coach.

After a brief period without instruction, Spirandeli found his next mentor in Andrews Cleto, known as "Nino." Cleto became the first coach to identify Matheus's competitive potential, pushing him toward tournament competition. The partnership lasted roughly a year before financial difficulties forced Nino to close his academy. Unwilling to let circumstance stall his development — and acutely aware of the limited training resources available in the region — Spirandeli made the decisive choice to relocate to São Paulo in search of a higher-level competitive environment.

Finding Structure at Lótus Clube

Spirandeli's move to São Paulo marked the beginning of a rapid, structured ascent through the belt ranks. He joined Lótus Clube, one of the most historically significant teams in the region, training under instructor Fernando Camocardi — known as "Dove." Camocardi proved to be a perceptive and capable coach, awarding Spirandeli both his blue and purple belts while consistently recognizing the exceptional talent developing under his watch.

As Spirandeli outgrew his local branch's training partners, Camocardi recommended a move to Lótus' headquarters, where the competition was sharper and the development opportunities greater. At Lótus HQ, Matheus came under the mentorship of Fábio Negão, one of the most celebrated competitors the club had produced. The step up in training quality accelerated Spirandeli's game dramatically — so much so that Negão awarded him his brown belt in under one year, a rare acknowledgment of his accelerated progression.

Joining NS Brotherhood and Earning the Black Belt

Spirandeli's travels on the competition circuit forged lasting friendships with Yago de Souza and Wellington Alemão, two of the most prominent names within NS Brotherhood — at the time one of the most competitive teams in the world. Drawn by the prospect of a stronger training environment and an expanded international platform, and with the full blessing of coach Fábio Negão, Matheus made the move to NS Brotherhood in February 2016.

The transition proved transformative. Within six months of training under head coach Leandro Lo, Spirandeli demonstrated he was ready for the sport's highest grade. On July 1, 2016, Leandro Lo promoted Matheus Spirandeli to black belt — a promotion earned through both the pace of his development and the caliber of his performances across the competition circuit.

Building a Black Belt Legacy Under NS Brotherhood

As a black belt, Spirandeli established himself among the top heavyweights of his generation, competing in the Meio Pesado (88kg/194lbs) division. His early years under the NS Brotherhood banner produced a strong run of results across IBJJF and AJP circuits. In 2016, he claimed gold at the AJP Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro and reached the podium at both the IBJJF São Paulo Open and the IBJJF European Open. In 2017, he took first place at the IBJJF South American Championship and the IBJJF Rio Fall Open, while also reaching the final of the AJP Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi. Podium finishes at the IBJJF European Open in both 2016 and 2017 further underscored his consistency on the international stage.

Continued Growth and Title Runs With Alliance

In December 2018, Spirandeli made a significant organizational shift, relocating his training to Alliance's headquarters in São Paulo. The move reflected his ambitions for continued growth at the elite level of the sport, and his results confirmed the transition lost him nothing in competitive effectiveness. He captured gold at the Big Deal Pro Grand Prix in 2021 and claimed the IBJJF Brazilian Nationals title in 2022 — one of the most prestigious honors on the domestic calendar. A return to the IBJJF European Open podium in 2022 reaffirmed his standing on the international circuit, while a runner-up finish at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2023 demonstrated his enduring competitiveness deep into his black belt career.

Spirandeli's trajectory — from a teenager in Minas Gerais training under a part-time police officer, to a black belt champion competing at the highest levels of international jiu-jitsu — reflects both the quality of the mentors who shaped him and his own capacity to seize every opportunity placed before him.