Raoni Barcelos

Raoni Barcelos was born on May 1, 1987, in Brazil, into a household where martial arts defined daily life rather than supplemented it. His father, Laerte Barcelos, holds a 7th degree BJJ Coral Belt — one of the highest ranks attainable in the art — and his direct influence shaped Raoni's path from the earliest years of childhood. As Raoni has stated: "I started training jiu-jitsu at age five because of my father." That entry point, under the roof of one of Brazil's most decorated practitioners, set the tone for everything that followed.

The Barcelos training environment encompassed both Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, giving Raoni a well-rounded grappling foundation long before he entered any competitive arena. Discipline, consistency, and technical refinement were embedded in the household atmosphere, making competition feel like a natural extension of daily life. By the time Raoni reached his twenties, he had earned his black belt at age 20 — a milestone that reflects the depth of immersion that comes with growing up under a coral belt's direct guidance.

Blue Belt: Back-to-Back World Titles

Raoni's competitive career announced itself with authority. His international debut came at the IBJJF World Championships in 2002, where he competed as a junior blue belt and left as a champion — claiming gold at the 2002 IBJJF World Championship before defending that title the following year at the 2003 IBJJF World Championship. Back-to-back world titles at blue belt, before many competitors had earned a single stripe, established him as a generational talent.

His domestic results mirrored his international output. Runner-up finishes at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2002 and 2003 gave way to consecutive national titles in 2004 and 2005, completing a multi-year stretch that traced a clear arc from contender to dominant force. The progression reflected the compounding advantage of elite early training and relentless high-level competition.

Purple Belt: Completing the Sweep

The transition to purple belt brought no disruption to his winning habits. Raoni captured the CBJJO World Championship title in 2005, then added gold at the 2006 IBJJF World Championship at purple belt — his third world title overall. He also claimed the CBJJ Brazilian National title at purple belt in 2006, completing a near-total sweep of the major titles available at that rank. Across blue and purple belt competition combined, Raoni assembled one of the most complete colored belt records of his generation in Brazilian grappling.

What distinguished Raoni from many of his Jiu-Jitsu contemporaries was a serious parallel commitment to Freestyle Wrestling — a dual pursuit relatively uncommon among Brazilian grapplers competing at the highest levels during the mid-2000s. Wrestling was not a supplement to his grappling game; it was a second competitive discipline pursued with championship-level intent.

In 2006, Raoni earned a silver medal at the Pan American Wrestling Championships in the 66kg category, competing against elite international wrestlers rather than transitional grapplers testing unfamiliar waters. The following year, in 2007, he claimed the Brazilian National Wrestling Title at 66kg outright — a result that confirmed his standing as a legitimate wrestler, not merely a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner cross-training for marginal benefit.

The impact of this wrestling background on his broader grappling identity was substantial. Takedown efficiency, top pressure, and the ability to impose physical tempo became defining characteristics of Raoni's competitive game across all formats. This cross-disciplinary commitment also reflected the all-around grappling philosophy instilled by his father — a practitioner whose own development spanned multiple disciplines and whose teaching emphasized versatility as a cornerstone of technical growth.

No-Gi Results and International Reach

Following his success on the gi circuit and in wrestling, Raoni redirected his competitive focus toward no-gi formats, where his wrestling base and aggressive grappling style translated with particular effectiveness. In 2009, he won the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi title — a result that confirmed his technical depth was not format-dependent. The same competitor who had dominated gi competition at blue and purple belt imposed himself equally well without the cloth.

In 2010, Raoni extended his reach to the European circuit, claiming the FPJJ Portuguese Nationals title and adding international breadth to his no-gi résumé. Competing under the banner of Equipe Laerte Barcelos, he has represented his father's academy both as a product of its development system and as an active ambassador for its competitive identity.

The Path to MMA

The shift toward no-gi competition aligned directly with Raoni's move into professional mixed martial arts. The multi-disciplinary grappling background he assembled — Jiu-Jitsu from age five, Judo through childhood, Freestyle Wrestling at championship level, and no-gi competition on the national and international stage — provided the layered skill set that translates most durably into MMA. His professional fighting career drew from all of those foundations: takedowns built from years of wrestling, submission threats rooted in world-level Jiu-Jitsu, and the competitive mentality forged across more than a decade of high-stakes grappling tournaments.