Nathannael Fernandes

Nathannael Fernandes was born on November 29, 2001, in Manaus, Brazil. His path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began with a single, unremarkable moment — around age 12 or 13, he spotted a neighbor returning home from class, still dressed in his gi. That passing glance sparked a conversation, and the curiosity it ignited proved to be a turning point.

Fernandes wasted little time seeking out a local academy, where he crossed paths with Melqui Galvão — a coach then laying the foundations for what would become one of the Amazon region's most respected grappling development programs. The connection was immediate. Fernandes felt at home on the mats from the outset, and his enthusiasm translated into a full-time training commitment from the earliest stages of his career — a rare level of dedication for an athlete so young.

Fernandes developed as part of a generation of elite grapplers shaped by Melqui Galvão's academy in Manaus — a group that would go on to produce standout competitors across multiple weight divisions and belt levels. Driven by ambition to compete professionally, Fernandes made the bold decision at age 15 to leave Manaus and relocate to São Paulo, joining the Dream Art Project — a team affiliated with Galvão at the time. The move reflected both his seriousness about the sport and his willingness to sacrifice comfort in pursuit of a higher level of competition.

After a short stint in São Paulo, Fernandes returned to Manaus and resumed his development under Galvão's direct guidance. The years that followed produced a decorated colored belt résumé. He claimed gold at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals as a blue belt in 2019, followed by a European Open title at purple belt in 2020, and captured multiple São Paulo BJJ Pro titles across belt levels — establishing himself as one of the most consistent and dangerous competitors in his weight category on the Brazilian and European circuits.

On November 3, 2021, Melqui Galvão promoted Fernandes to black belt in Manaus, Brazil — a recognition of his competitive results, technical growth, and the maturity he had demonstrated as a grappler over years of dedicated training.

Fourteen days after receiving his black belt, Fernandes stepped onto the competition mats at the 2021 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship on November 17, 2021 — competing in the brown belt division, as his registration and eligibility had been established prior to his promotion. The timing created a striking scenario: a newly minted black belt testing himself against the world's best brown belts on one of the sport's grandest stages.

Fernandes responded with a commanding performance. He tore through the bracket, dismantling opponents who represented the highest level of the colored belt circuit. Among those he defeated was Thalison Soares, a Pan and European champion widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished lightweights of his generation. Fernandes also dispatched Rodnei Barbosa, a European and Brazilian Nationals gold medalist whose credentials were equally formidable. Claiming gold at the event, Fernandes closed out his colored belt career with a definitive statement — announcing himself as the dominant force in his weight category on the sport's biggest stage.

Fernandes made his official black belt debut at the 2022 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, stepping onto the international circuit's most prestigious open stage under the sport's most demanding ranking. Competing in the 56kg division, he advanced through the bracket with the same technical sharpness and competitive composure that had defined his brown belt run — proving his prior dominance was no anomaly.

Fernandes reached the final, where he faced UAE's Zayed Alkatheeri. In a closely contested bout, Alkatheeri took the decision to claim the title, denying Fernandes the gold. The silver medal, however, carried significant weight: reaching the final of one of the sport's most prestigious open tournaments on a black belt debut placed Fernandes firmly in the conversation as a legitimate international contender in the featherweight and rooster weight divisions.