Vinicius Pereira

Vinicius Pereira was born on May 2, 1995, in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais and one of the largest cities in South America. In a country where football dominates the sporting landscape for children, Pereira's parents made a deliberate choice — enrolling him in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at just four years old. That early commitment laid the foundation for an entire life dedicated to the gentle art.

Pereira began his formal training at the Scorpions academy under the guidance of coach Marcos Antônio, remaining under his instruction through the orange belt. The consistency and discipline he developed during those formative years became defining traits of his competitive identity. After earning his orange belt, he transitioned to the Felix brothers gym, another respected academy in Belo Horizonte, where he continued developing his game through the purple belt level.

The purple belt marked a turning point in Pereira's relationship with jiu-jitsu. At this stage, he began seriously pursuing a professional competitive career and sought an environment capable of supporting that ambition. He found it in Cassão Team, a competitive workgroup led by Cássio Francis, a former standout of the local Gracie Barra academy.

Dominating the Brown Belt Circuit

Despite being a relatively young organization, Cassão Team rapidly established itself as one of the strongest academies in Brazil, and Pereira thrived within its competitive culture. Under Francis' guidance, he emerged as one of the most decorated brown belt competitors in the country. His performances during this period were dominant across multiple formats — capturing gold at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2017, winning the CBJJE World Championship that same year, and accumulating numerous IBJJF Open titles across Brazil, including victories in São Paulo, Florianópolis, Belo Horizonte, and Vitória. In 2018, he added gold at the UAEJJF Brasilia National Pro at the brown belt level, demonstrating his versatility across different competitive rulesets.

That sustained excellence earned Pereira his black belt by the end of 2018, capping a rapid and decorated rise through the colored belt ranks.

Since receiving his black belt, Vinicius Pereira has established himself as a consistent force in the Peso Leve division (76.00 kg / 168.0 lbs), competing under the Gracie Barra banner as part of the FP Team. His transition to the black belt ranks produced immediate results — in 2019, he claimed gold at the IBJJF Curitiba Summer Open, announcing his readiness to compete at the sport's highest level.

Key Titles and High-Level Performances

Pereira's most prestigious black belt title came in 2021 at the Copa Podio Featherweight Grand Prix, an invitation-only event that gathers elite competitors in a round-robin format. Winning that Grand Prix placed him firmly among the recognized names in the lightweight elite. That same year, he reached the final of the IBJJF Rio Winter Open, finishing as runner-up. In 2022, he continued pressing at the top level, earning a silver medal at the IBJJF South American Championship.

The arc of Pereira's black belt career reflects a competitor who has grown steadily from local Brazilian events to major international stages — building a record defined by titles and high-level runner-up performances that speak to his consistent presence among the best lightweight grapplers in the world.