Paulo Gazze

Paulo Sergio Gazze Junior was born on July 12, 1976, in São Paulo, Brazil, into a family with close ties to the Banco do Brasil. His martial arts journey began at just four years old, when he first stepped onto the Judo mats at the AABB — a sports club exclusive to Banco do Brasil employees where his family held membership. That early immersion in grappling fundamentals gave him both the physical conditioning and tactical instincts that would anchor his entire career.

At age 14, Gazze broadened his combat base by taking up Muay Thai, developing striking proficiency well before mixed martial arts entered the mainstream. The true turning point, however, came at age 16. Following a street altercation with a BJJ blue belt that left both of his arms broken, Gazze made a defining choice: rather than distance himself from the art that had humbled him, he set out to master it. He joined the very class of his opponent — an affiliate of Cia Paulista led by Fernando Lopes, known throughout the community as "Fepa." That moment of adversity became the catalyst for an entire career in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Under Fepa's guidance, Gazze earned his blue belt and received direction that would shape his competitive trajectory. Recognizing his potential, Fepa steered him toward the Cia Paulista competition team under Max Trombini, a move that sharply accelerated his development as a serious competitor.

Gazze's climb through the belt ranks was forged through relentless competition. Training within the Cia Paulista lineage — first under Fernando Lopes, then with Max Trombini's competition team — he developed the technical precision and competitive mindset that would define his career. Between 1995 and 1999, he claimed five consecutive São Paulo State Championship titles, a sustained dominance across multiple belt levels that few competitors manage over such a span.

In September 1998, Gazze relocated to Huntington Beach, California, carrying his Cia Paulista training with him and continuing to compete at a high level in the United States. The move to a new country did not interrupt his momentum. He refined his game on the American circuit while maintaining the principles and methods instilled by his Brazilian coaches.

The culmination of his belt journey came when Max Trombini awarded him his black belt on June 16th, in a ceremony held at Joe Moreira's school in the United States. That promotion stood as formal recognition of a career built through years of disciplined competition and mat time across two continents.

Brown Belt Dominance

After establishing himself in Southern California, Gazze wasted no time making his presence felt on the American competition circuit. At brown belt, he captured three California State Championship titles — claiming both the weight and absolute divisions in 2000, then returning to defend the title in 2001. Those results made clear that his transition to the United States had done nothing to diminish his competitive edge.

Black Belt Achievements

Gazze's ascent at black belt proved equally commanding. In 2004, he won the US Open Championship at black belt — one of the most prestigious events on the American circuit — and added the West Coast Submission Wrestling Championship the same year, demonstrating that his grappling translated effectively into no-gi formats. He followed those performances with back-to-back Best of the West Championship titles in 2005 and 2007, cementing his reputation as one of the most consistent performers on the West Coast.

International Results

On the international stage, Gazze competed well into his master years. In 2008, he earned a silver medal at the Pan American Championship in the black belt master division and a bronze medal at the World Nogi Championship, confirming that his competitive peak extended well beyond his early career. Earlier international results included a Pan American bronze at purple belt in the absolute division in 1998 and another Pan American bronze at brown belt in 2000.

Among the notable opponents Gazze defeated during his BJJ career was BJ Penn, who went on to become a UFC champion — a result that underscored the caliber of competition Gazze regularly navigated throughout his competitive years.

Gazze's grappling expertise extended naturally into mixed martial arts, where he recorded notable victories over fighters including Chris Leben and Dwayne Ortiz. Those results reflected both the quality of his submission grappling and the striking foundation he had built as a teenager through Muay Thai — two disciplines that reinforced each other throughout his career.

Beyond his own performances, Gazze participated in training camps alongside high-profile professional fighters, including Mauricio Shogun and Tito Ortiz. His involvement in those camps placed him within the upper echelon of the American fight community during the mid-2000s, a period when BJJ practitioners with serious competitive credentials were in high demand as training partners for elite MMA athletes. That crossover between top-level Jiu-Jitsu competition and professional MMA training culture defined much of Gazze's career in the United States, highlighting the breadth of his contributions to combat sports well beyond the tournament circuit.