Nuno Martins

Nuno Martins was born on February 17, 1981, in Lisbon, Portugal. Like many grapplers of his generation, his path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began with a single defining moment: watching Royce Gracie compete in the early UFC events. That exposure ignited a passion that would shape the trajectory of his life, testing his commitment through professional demands and physical adversity alike.

Martins began his formal training under Marcello Rosa in Lisbon before transitioning to Jean Kleber's Kimura-Nova União academy, where he earned his blue belt. Dinarte Lima Junior later promoted him to purple belt in 2004, building the technical foundation that would sustain him through an unusually interrupted climb to black belt. Even at purple belt, Martins demonstrated genuine competitive caliber, earning a 3rd place finish at the 2010 IBJJF European Open in the adult division — an early signal of his potential on the international circuit.

The years between Martins' early training and his rise to elite competition were defined by a demanding parallel career. As a certified airline pilot, the professional obligations of aviation consumed the time and physical energy required to develop as a high-level competitor, costing him years of mat time during what would have been his formative competitive window.

A serious spine injury compounded the challenge, introducing both a physical barrier to training and real uncertainty about whether a return to serious competition was realistic. Where another athlete might have walked away entirely, Martins made a decisive recommitment to the sport in 2009, returning to active training under Reinaldo Ribeiro. That choice marked the beginning of a second chapter in his BJJ career — one that would ultimately prove more accomplished than the first. He would later leave his airline career altogether to pursue jiu-jitsu full-time, a decision that underscored how central the sport had become to his identity.

Martins' return to competition revealed a grappler whose interrupted journey had sharpened rather than diminished his competitive edge. Competing primarily in the Masters division of the IBJJF circuit, he quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous athletes in his bracket on both sides of the Atlantic.

At purple belt in 2012, he claimed gold at the IBJJF European Open No-Gi Masters division, confirming his return to form. The following year, competing at brown belt, Martins added two significant titles: gold at the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi Masters and gold at the IBJJF International Master & Seniors Championship. At the 2013 IBJJF Masters World Championship, he reached the podium with a bronze medal — a strong result at one of the circuit's most prestigious events.

The 2014 season represented his finest stretch at brown belt. Martins claimed gold at the 2014 IBJJF Masters World Championship, bronze at the 2014 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship Masters division, gold at the IBJJF Pans No-Gi Masters, and gold at the IBJJF European Open Masters in both gi and no-gi formats. He also earned silver at the 2014 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals. The breadth of those results — across gi and no-gi, spanning multiple continents and major organizations — confirmed that Martins had not merely returned to competition but had elevated his game to a genuinely elite level, building momentum toward what would come next.

In 2015, Arnaldo Alves of Brazilian Power Team promoted Nuno Martins to black belt, completing a journey spanning more than a decade and encompassing significant professional detours and physical adversity. The promotion marked the formal beginning of a new competitive chapter, though the work of assembling a world-class training environment had already been underway.

To accelerate his development at black belt, Martins relocated to São Paulo to train under Marco Barbosa, embedding himself in one of Brazil's most competitive training scenes. He also worked extensively with a distinguished roster of coaches and training partners: André Galvão, Mário Reis, Marcelo Garcia, Lloyd Irvin, and Ricardo Vieira each played a role in shaping his game. The diversity of those influences — spanning Checkmat, Alliance-affiliated academies, and the BPT system — contributed to the well-rounded competitive approach that would define his black belt career. In 2019, Martins relocated to the United States, continuing to represent Portuguese nationality while expanding his presence in the American BJJ scene.

Making an Immediate Statement

Martins wasted little time establishing himself at black belt. Competing in the Peso Leve division (76 kg / 168 lbs) on the Masters circuit, he claimed gold at the 2015 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship Masters division in his debut black belt year — a statement result demonstrating that the transition from brown to black belt had not disrupted his competitive edge.

Building a Consistent Record

The 2016 season brought further confirmation of his standing. Martins won gold at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Masters division, earned silver at the IBJJF European Open Masters, and added a 3rd place finish at the IBJJF Pans Masters in gi. The following year proved equally productive: he won gold at the 2017 IBJJF European Open No-Gi Masters division, reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi Masters — earning silver — and collected bronze at the IBJJF Masters World Championship. Across 2015, 2016, and 2018, he accumulated three additional 3rd place finishes at the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi Masters, a pattern that underscored his consistency at the sport's premier no-gi event.

Global Reach Beyond the IBJJF

In 2018, Martins extended his competitive reach beyond the IBJJF circuit, reaching the final of the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Masters division and earning silver — a result that demonstrated his relevance on the global stage against an international field drawn from outside the traditional IBJJF ecosystem. Across more than a decade of elite competition, interrupted by professional demands and physical hardship, Martins built a record that places him among the top European grapplers of his generation and stands as a testament to the rewards of long-term commitment to the sport.