Pedro Machado

Pedro Machado was born on April 20, 1999, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — a city where beach culture and martial arts tradition run in parallel. Like many children raised in Rio, he was introduced to jiu-jitsu at an early age. In those early years, however, the ocean won out, and Machado stepped away from the mats to pursue competitive surfing, channeling the same intensity into that pursuit that would later define his grappling career.

The departure proved temporary. In his early teens, Machado made a deliberate return to jiu-jitsu, trading the waves for the mat with a clarity of purpose that would set the tone for everything that followed. Recognizing his competitive drive and natural ability, he committed to the sport professionally from a young age — competing internationally as a juvenile and quickly establishing himself as a prospect of genuine distinction.

A Single Coach, A Complete Journey

When Machado returned to jiu-jitsu in his early teens, he joined the academy of Paulo Perrota, widely known by his nickname "Rabicó." That relationship would define the entirety of his belt journey — every promotion from white belt through black belt came from Rabicó's hands, making Machado one of the rare elite competitors whose development is tied entirely to a single coach and a single technical vision.

Rabicó's affiliation with Gordo Jiu-Jitsu placed Machado within a tradition closely associated with guard-playing innovation. That lineage left a visible imprint on the style he developed as a competitor, threading its influence through his approach to every phase of the sport.

Competitive Homes: R1NG to Atos

Throughout his colored belt career — competing at blue, purple, and brown belt — Machado represented R1NG, a team founded by former members of Gracie Barra's Barra da Tijuca headquarters. R1NG served as his competitive home through a sustained run of international success. Upon receiving his black belt, he transitioned to Atos Jiu-Jitsu, joining one of the sport's most prominent organizations and opening a new chapter in his career.

Blue Belt Breakthrough

Machado announced himself to the international jiu-jitsu community with immediate force at the 2017 IBJJF World Championship, claiming double gold at blue belt — winning both his weight division and the absolute. That result, achieved on the sport's most prestigious stage, signaled that Machado was not a promising local talent but a competitor built for the highest level.

Purple Belt Consistency

His purple belt years built on that momentum with remarkable breadth. In 2018, he captured gold at the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro in the purple 85KG division, the IBJJF Sul Americano, the IBJJF Pan Championship, and the World Series of Grappling — constructing one of the most complete purple belt résumés of his generation. He carried that form into 2019, adding another Pan Championship gold and reaching the podium at multiple major IBJJF events, including the World Championship.

Brown Belt Dominance

The brown belt chapter produced its defining statement at the 2021 IBJJF World Championship, where Machado claimed double gold — winning both the weight class and the absolute. Combined with victories at the 2020 IBJJF European Open and the 2021 Brazilian Nationals, that performance cemented his standing as one of the most decorated colored belt competitors of his era. Along the way, he recorded wins over Jansen Gomes, Adam Bradley, and Conner DeAngelis, ensuring his results were built on victories over quality opposition.

Establishing Black Belt Credentials

Machado made his black belt debut in 2022 representing Atos Jiu-Jitsu, stepping into the sport's most competitive division without missing a beat. His first major result came at the 2022 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where he earned a 3rd place finish — a creditable opening statement at a tournament that consistently draws the deepest fields in competitive jiu-jitsu.

Ascending the Black Belt Ranks

In 2023, his black belt career shifted into a higher gear. A silver medal at the 2023 IBJJF European Open demonstrated his ability to perform at the podium level against established black belt talent, and a 2nd place finish at the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals reinforced that consistency across the competitive calendar. The defining result of that year came at the 2023 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where Machado reached the final of the medium-heavy division — earning silver on the sport's most prominent stage and confirming his place among the elite competitors in his weight class.

Copa Podio and Submission Grappling

Beyond the IBJJF circuit, Machado also made his mark in the submission grappling format. Competing in the Iron Brown Belt tournament organized by the Copa Podio Grand Prix promoters, he defeated João Cizeski to earn qualification for the Copa Podio middleweight event — an invitation that reflected both his technical versatility and his effectiveness in the submission-oriented format that Copa Podio demands.

The Guard System

Machado's competitive identity is rooted in a classical guard-playing style that draws directly from the Gordo Jiu-Jitsu tradition. His guard game centers on the Lasso Guard paired with a sophisticated Omoplata system — two elements that function together to generate constant, interconnected threats of sweeps and submissions. Opponents who enter his guard face a web of dangers that demands both technical precision and unrelenting positional awareness to survive.

The Finishing Mentality

While the omoplata anchors his guard structure, Machado identifies the Armbar as his favorite technique — a choice that reveals something deeper about his competitive philosophy. The armbar, executable from a wide range of positions and in transition, reflects his stated mentality of always attacking and always seeking the finish, regardless of where a match finds him. It is the weapon of a competitor who treats every exchange as an opportunity to end the fight, not merely to accumulate advantages.

That submission-hunting approach, layered over a technically creative and relentlessly active guard game, has made Machado a consistent crowd favorite at major events. His jiu-jitsu is built for engagement over management and finishing over survival — a style that traces its roots to the guard-centric but offensively oriented tradition in which he was developed, and one that has defined his competitive identity from his earliest blue belt appearances through his emergence as an elite black belt.