Pedro Ramalho

Pedro Ramalho was born on April 22, 1994, in Porto, Portugal — a city that would shape both his character and his approach to martial arts. Surrounded by friends who trained jiu-jitsu, Ramalho was drawn to the sport organically, stepping onto the mats for the first time at age 15 and committing to what would become a defining pursuit.

His early competitive experiences were humbling. Losses that might have derailed a less determined athlete instead sharpened his resolve and deepened his investment in the sport. What distinguished Ramalho during this formative period was his ability to balance the demands of serious BJJ competition with an equally rigorous academic path — pursuing a master's degree in engineering while maintaining a full competition schedule. That combination of intellectual discipline and athletic tenacity would come to define his trajectory on the international circuit.

A Single Coach, A Complete Journey

One of the most distinctive aspects of Pedro Ramalho's development is the continuity of his coaching relationship. From his first day on the mats through the moment he received his black belt, Ramalho trained under a single instructor: Manoel Neto. In a sport where athletes frequently change affiliations in pursuit of new opportunities, this unbroken partnership speaks to the strength of their relationship and the environment built at Focus Academy.

Decorated at Every Belt Level

Ramalho's progression through the ranks carried consistent competitive validation. As early as 2011, competing at the juvenile level, he claimed gold at the IBJJF Juvenile European Open at blue belt — an early signal of his potential on the international stage. His purple belt year in 2015 proved transformative: he captured gold at the IBJJF World Championship, won the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro, and took first place at the IBJJF European Open, establishing himself as one of the most decorated colored belt competitors of his generation. The brown belt campaign sustained that momentum, with European Open gold in 2016 followed by titles at the IBJJF Spanish National Open and IBJJF Madrid International Open that same year.

On June 6, 2017, Manoel Neto formally promoted Ramalho to black belt — a recognition of both the technical mastery and the competitive record he had built across more than half a decade of elite-level competition. The promotion marked the culmination of a journey that began in Porto and had taken him to podiums across Europe and the Middle East.

Technical Identity and Competitive Profile

At the black belt level, Pedro Ramalho has built his competitive identity around a well-defined technical signature: the open guard. His bottom game is dynamic and creative, characterized by the positional precision and adaptability that come from years of focused development under Manoel Neto at Focus Academy. Competing in the Peso Leve division at 76 kg (168 lbs), Ramalho brings a guard-first approach that demands constant problem-solving from opponents.

Results on the International Circuit

Representing Portugal across IBJJF, UAEJJF, and FPJJB events, Ramalho has been a consistent presence at major competitions. His black belt campaign opened with a strong statement in 2017, when he won gold at the IBJJF Madrid Open and swept both the weight and absolute divisions at the FPJJB Portuguese National Open — a dominant double performance in front of a home crowd. He returned to the Portuguese National Open podium in 2019, adding another domestic title to his record.

On the grand slam circuit, Ramalho demonstrated his competitive range with a third-place finish at the UAEJJF Grand Slam in London in 2019. His most notable international result at black belt came at the 2020 IBJJF European Open, where he reached the final and claimed a silver medal — a performance that confirmed his standing among Europe's elite competitors in the lightweight division. Known within the BJJ community by his nickname "Paquito," Ramalho represents Portugal and Focus Academy as one of the most accomplished products of the Portuguese BJJ scene.