Yuri Simões was born on June 18, 1990, in Brazil, into a family where martial arts formed the defining thread of daily life. His grappling education began earlier than most — at age four, he took up judo, absorbing the foundational principles of balance, leverage, and throwing technique that would later distinguish him at the highest levels of no-gi competition. At nine, drawn by his father's passion for the sport, Simões transitioned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, channeling his judo instincts into the ground-based art that would become his life's pursuit.

His early development was shaped significantly by Maurício 'Behring', a mentor who recognized Simões' raw potential and instilled in him both technical discipline and a genuine competitive mindset. The tragic death of Behring in 2006 marked a painful turning point, but rather than stepping away from the sport, Simões pressed forward — continuing his training under Ricardo Vieira at Checkmat. The loss deepened his resolve and reinforced the sense of purpose that has defined his career ever since.

Simões' family connection to the sport runs deeper still through his adopted brother Ary Farias, also a competitive BJJ practitioner, creating a household defined by grappling culture and shared ambition on the mats.

Under Ricardo Vieira's guidance at Checkmat, Simões advanced through the colored belt divisions with a level of performance that signaled an exceptional career in the making. He claimed IBJJF World Championship gold at purple belt in 2009, backed it up with another world title at brown belt in 2011, and added the IBJJF World No-Gi title at brown belt that same year. European Open victories at both purple and brown belt further underscored a consistency that went well beyond his age.

In 2010, Simões briefly joined Atos before returning to Checkmat — a detour that reflected the exploratory nature of a young competitor still calibrating his environment. Back under Vieira's watch, he delivered the performances that earned him his black belt in 2011, a recognition that followed one of the most decorated colored-belt competitive runs of his generation.

Two years later, in 2013, Simões made a significant affiliation change, joining the Caio Terra Association, where he has remained a cornerstone competitor and coach. The move aligned him with a team whose no-gi competitiveness and technical culture complemented his rapidly evolving game.

Yuri Simões' name became synonymous with ADCC excellence across nearly a decade of dominance at the sport's most prestigious no-gi stage. His first ADCC World Championship title arrived in 2015, announcing him as a premier force in his weight division and setting the tone for sustained excellence at the elite level. He returned in 2017 to claim a second ADCC title, cementing a legacy that placed him firmly among the sport's all-time greats.

The crowning achievement of his ADCC career came at the 2022 ADCC World Championship, where Simões entered the absolute division and delivered one of the most dominant performances in the event's history — winning the entire bracket without conceding a single point. That run made him a three-division ADCC world champion, a distinction shared by only a handful of athletes across the tournament's long history. Back-to-back IBJJF World No-Gi titles as a black belt in 2014 and 2016 further affirmed his standing across multiple no-gi platforms.

In August 2024, Simões entered a high-profile ADCC superfight against Gordon Ryan in one of the most anticipated matchups in modern grappling. Ryan won the contest 21-0 on points, handing Simões a decisive loss and underscoring Ryan's grip on the absolute top of the no-gi hierarchy.

Simões' technical identity is the product of a grappling education spanning three disciplines across more than two decades. The judo foundation laid at age four gave him an instinctive command of the clinch and an explosive throwing repertoire, with the Drop Seoi Nage serving as one of his most recognizable entries — a technique that blends seamlessly with his transition game into top position.

On the ground, Simões pairs his takedown prowess with a sophisticated Open Guard system, constructing an offensive structure that functions effectively both when initiating attacks and when working off his back. This duality — dangerous from standing and dangerous from guard — makes him a complex puzzle for opponents at any stage of a match.

His time training at American Kickboxing Academy added a meaningful layer to his wrestling, incorporating a pressure-based, high-crotch-oriented approach that expanded his takedown toolkit beyond his judo roots. The integration of wrestling sharpened his ability to control tie-ups, finish shots under resistance, and impose a grinding physicality that pairs naturally with his top pressure. Simões cross-trains in both wrestling and judo on a consistent basis, maintaining sharpness across all ranges rather than allowing any discipline to atrophy.

The result is a wrestle-first competitive philosophy built on positional dominance and relentless forward pressure — a style that has proven effective across gi, no-gi, and ADCC rule sets throughout his career.

As Simões approached his late twenties, the prospect of mixed martial arts took shape publicly, fueled by a dedicated wrestling training block in 2019 that signaled genuine intent to transition. Those plans were complicated significantly at the 2019 ADCC World Championship, where Simões sustained a serious knee injury during his match against Kaynan Duarte — an injury that required surgery and imposed a prolonged rehabilitation period.

The recovery delayed his planned MMA debut, which had been targeted for the second half of 2020 under the ONE Championship banner. When he did compete in MMA, the results were difficult — Simões went 0-2 in the cage before stepping away from the format. The record did not reflect the ambition behind the transition, but the experience was not without value; exposure to striking, live MMA wrestling, and cage dynamics informed the physical and strategic dimensions of his grappling upon his return.

That return was emphatic. Simões came back to competitive grappling with sharpened focus and reclaimed the summit of the no-gi world at the 2022 ADCC World Championship — a performance that reframed the MMA chapter as a brief detour rather than a derailment.

Between major tournament cycles, Simões maintains a visible and active presence on the professional grappling circuit. Appearances at events such as UFC Fight Pass Invitational and Polaris keep him engaged at the elite level, providing competitive reps outside the ADCC calendar while reinforcing his standing within the no-gi community. These platforms have also offered opportunities to showcase the technical evolution his game has undergone across different phases of his career.

Within the Caio Terra Association, Simões plays an active mentorship role that extends his influence well beyond his own competition results. His coaching philosophy is rooted in the same wrestle-first principles that define his competitive identity — instilling takedown awareness, top pressure, and positional discipline into the next generation of competitors coming through the academy. His presence reinforces the team's reputation as a serious no-gi competition environment and provides developing athletes with direct access to one of the most decorated grapplers of his era.