BJJ

Antonio Braga Neto: BJJ Black Belt

Antonio Braga Neto: BJJ Black Belt

1. Antonio Braga Neto Biography

Antonio Braga Neto Biography
Photo Credit: @braganetoufc
Name Antonio Braga Neto
Nickname N/A
Born Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date of Birth 29th of October 1987
Weight Division Super-Pesado Under 100Kg/221Lbs
Last Weight-in N/A
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Disclosed Career Earnings N/A
Rank Black Belt
Favorite Position Mount, Side Control
Head Coach Roberto "Gordo" Correa
University N/A
Lineage Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Roberto Correa > Antonio Braga Neto
Fighting out of Singapore
Team Association Gordo Evolve & Ralph Gracie

2. Childhood

Antonio Braga Neto was born on 29 October, 1987 in Guia Branca, Espirito Santo, Brazil. He is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and has competed for the UFC. Braga Neto stands tall with excellent skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and spent years honing those skills through training and competing.


Since 2007, Braga Neto has competed at a professional level in MMA, and no time has passed since analysts began paying attention to his shining talent at grappling. He won most of his fights via submission, revealing that the man had excellent knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His early success for Braga Neto was enough to turn him into a promising potential fighter in mixed martial arts.


Within a few years, the influence exerted by mixed martial arts on the world and, primarily, the acknowledgment awarded to the noble sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been tremendous. The professional career of Braga Neto, as a fighter, serves as an example to hopeful athletes and martial artists, underlining that work should be done in each possible effort, striving to achieve success at the highest competitive level.

2.1. Early training

He trained in a local gym and soon found that BJJ was indeed one of a kind in a problematic combination of physical and mental approaches toward anything the art had to offer. At 18, he earned his black belt under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa. This is where the hallmark in his life came in to cement his future when he joined the world of MMA.


He was into his training: he always sought feedback and suggestions from the coaches and training partners and adopted the mantra that one will never stop learning. That attitude made his grappling better but instilled in him, too, the need for further growth, which he's taken up till today.


Antonio fit into academic terms well throughout high school and was also devoted to martial arts. Training for BJJ, he learned discipline that could be carried over to studies and did well on mats and classroom floors.

2.2. Early Career in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

His training began at a small local gym, where he learned to realize that no workout routine could challenge him more than BJJ, both physically and mentally. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu started at the age of four for Neto. He trained under Professor Fábio Aníbal in Manaus. He is an early grappling talent and an enthusiastic and ambitious competitor.


His passion for BJJ only grew momentum until he was 17 years old, at which he moved to Rio de Janeiro to continue training and embrace the opportunities to train with the famous academy "Gordo" through the Gracie Barra association. This academy produced the world's best martial artists in BJJ.


He is a winner of the gold medal in many of the world's most prestigious competitions: the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the Pan American Championship. Antonio is a grappling art master at a high technical level, with superior positional understanding that makes a basis for his power on the ground. For Antonio, BJJ is not only self-defense but also a way of living.

2.3. Debut in MMA

Neto started his professional MMA career in Brazil, back in his homeland, in October 2006. From the outset, he was successful and was undefeated at five, with all but one of his matches going the distance into a decision. His early victories helped him develop his grappling skills, but the application in MMA stretched it even further to encompass striking and wrestling.


However, Neto first caught international attention in 2008 when he came aboard the Sengoku promotion in Japan. His first and last outing was against Ryo Kawamura, wherein Neto lost his decision, winning a loss that made him hungry for improvement and evolution as a fighter.


MMA is a martial art encompassing all the striking and grappling disciplines; it is a venture that lets good fighters express their talents within a cage or ring. For Antonio, it was a natural step towards melting together his grappling skills into a more holistic fighting style.


He started his MMA career in 2013. Antonio was bold enough as he entered the cage because his base was BJJ, which gave him some leverage. Control of the ground game was seen in his fight, which stunned the audience with great takedowns and submission attempts.

2.4. Rising Through the Ranks

 Antonio Braga Neto in BJJ and MMA
Photo Credit: @braganetoufc

Antonio's potential was known early, quickly catapulting him through the ranks, thus earning his blue belt at 18 and later his purple belt. His rivalry eventually paid off when he began competing in local and national tournaments. He made rich experiences with every match that he went through, overcoming setbacks and failures that molded him on and off the mats.


That year, 2007, marked another massive milestone as he earned his brown belt. This gave him a more significant opportunity and new grounds to compete at the higher levels of competition. He started to gain recognition within the BJJ community and to expand his skills further.


His tenacity and skills were brought to the floor in the 2011 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where he won a gold medal in the brown belt. He consolidated at the top of his category following the achievement.

2.5. Obtained black belt

It was in 2012 when Antonio got his black belt from his mentor, Ricardo de la Riva, whom he's been training with for many years. This milestone marked the beginning of a new page in his career, and he continued to do more to compete and help grow BJJ as an instructor and mentor.


Antônio Braga Neto carries this excellent technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is notable for the years spent training and competition. He is well known for his submissions and ground control, hence perfect for such aspects of mixed martial arts.


His grappling ability, exceptional technique, and profound knowledge of positional control make him a relentless foe in MMA. Over time, he has built incredible resilience, will, and adaptability in the octagon, which has harnessed the barest semblance of what fuels his fighting skills.

3. Antonio Braga Neto's historic fights

3.1.Antonio Braga Neto VS Antonio Peinado

IBJJF, Pan Championship match Antonio Braga Neto v Antonio Peinado, occurred in 2009. The two candidates, Antonio Braga Neto and Antonio Peinado, were against each other. The fighters were competing in the ultra-heavyweight division. Both competitors exerted maximum effort to control the other from the beginning of the match and did a double collar grip. Both of them are tough competitors. They have gone for various submissions to submit to each other, from flying arm to kneebar. Antonio Braga used sweeping motion on his opponent, and the game lasted 11 minutes and 39 seconds, ending with Antonio Braga Neto's victory.

Year Event Opponent W/L/D Method Stage Weight Class
2009 Pan Championship  IBJJF Antonio Peinado Win  Pts: 3x0 Final  ULTRA-HEAVY

3.2. Antonio Braga Neto v Rodrigo Cavaca

IBJJF, the World Championship match Antonio Braga Neto v Rodrigo Cavaca, occurred in 2011. The two candidates, Antonio Braga Neto and Rodrigo Cavaca, were competing against each other. The fighters were competing in the super heavyweight division. Both competitors have exerted maximum effort to control the other from the beginning of the match. Antonio Braga Neto was stuck in a tricky shoulder position but moved out. The game lasted 11 minutes and 40 seconds, ending with Antonio Braga Neto's victory.

Year Event Opponent W/L/D Method Stage Weight Class
2011 IBJJF Rodrigo Cavaca  Win  Pts: 7x0 Final  SUPER-HEAVY

4. Antonio Braga Neto's Athletic Record

4.1. Major Accomplishments in MMA and BJJ

Year Title Position
2008 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals 1st
2008 IBJJF World Championship  1st
2009 IBJJF World Championship NoGi  1st 
2009 IBJJF World Championship NoGi  2nd 
2010 IBJJF Pan Championship 1st 
2010 IBJJF Pan Championship 2nd
2010 IBJJF World Championship 3rd
2011 IBJJF World Championship 1st 
2011 IBJJF Pan Championship 2nd

4.2. Antonio Schembri Nino's Main Achievements (Colored Belt)

Year Title Belt Position
2006 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Purple Belt
2007 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Brown Belt
2008 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Brown Belt
2008  European Jiu-Jitsu Championship Brown Belt
2008 Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship Brown Belt)
2009 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship: (Black Belt
2010 Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship Black Belt)
2010 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship: (Black Belt
2011 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship  Black Belt
2011 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship: Black Belt

4.3. Antonio Schembri Nino's Professional Breakdown

Matches 58 wins 22 Losses
By points 31 9
By advantages 5 1
By submission 19 10
By decision 2 1
By penalties 0 0
By EBI / OT 1 1
Draw 0

4.4. Methods of Submission

Methods 19 Wins 10 Loss
Choke from back 6 1
Kimura 2 0
Calf slicer 1 0
Mounted X choke 1 0
Triangle 1 1
Choke 3 0
Omoplata 2 0
Wristlock 1 0
Toe Hold 1 1
Paper cutter choke 1 0
Botinha 0 1
Ezekiel 0 1
Bow and arrow 0 2
Guillotine 0 1

5. Fighting history

Opponent W/L Method Competition Weight Stage Year
Otavio Sousa W Adv Brasileiro ABS 4F 2008
Unknown W Adv World Pro Trials 92KG 4F 2011
Marcus Almeida L Botinha World Pro. O99KG F 2012
Marcus Almeida L Bow and arrow World Champ. ABS 4F 2011
Gustavo Dias L Bow and arrow Pan American O100KG 4F 2018
M. Vinhas W Calf slicer Pan American ABS 8F 2009
Unknown W Choke Team Nationals O88KG 4F 2006
Igor Silva W Choke Team Nationals O88KG F 2006
Augusto Ferrari W Choke Brasileiro ABS SF 2008
Roberto Abreu W Choke from back Pan American 100KG F 2009
Rodolfo Vieira L Choke from back WPC RJ Trials 92KG SF 2010
Roberto Alencar W Choke from back Pan American 100KG SF 2010
Matt Jubera W Choke from back Pan American ABS R2 2010
Joao Assis W Choke from back San Diego Trials O92 SF 2011
Peter Roberts W Choke from back World Pro. O99KG 4F 2012
Alexandre Cavaliere W Choke from back Gracie Pro ABS R1 2017
Marcio Corletta W DQ World Champ. O100KG 4F 2010
R. Evangelista L DQ Pan American O100KG SF 2019
Alexandre Ribeiro L Ezekiel World Champ. ABS 4F 2008
Joao Assis L Footlocker ADCC 99KG 4F 2011
Sergio Moraes L Footlocker ADCC ABS R1 2011
Cristiano Tide L Guillotine ADCC Trials 99KG F 2007
Unknown W Kimura ADCC Trials 99KG 4F 2007
Marcel Fortuna W Kimura World Champ. 100KG SF 2008
Stephen Hall W Mounted X choke World Champ. O100KG R1 2010
Romulo Barral W N/A Pan American ABS SF 2009
Antonio Peinado W N/A NoGi Worlds 100KG SF 2009
Diego Herzog W N/A California Open ABS F 2010
Luiz Ribeiro W N/A World Champ. O100KG RDS 2011
Unknown W N/A San Diego Trials ABS SF 2011
T. Gaia W Omoplata Brasileiro 100KG F 2008
Rigoney Castro W Omoplata World Pro Trials 92KG SF 2011
Hugo Vasconcelos W Paper cutter choke Manaus Open O100KG SF 2024
Unknown W Points ADCC Trials 99KG SF 2007
Adriano Comolese W Points NoGi Worlds 100KG SF 2008
Roberto Alencar L Points NoGi Worlds ABS F 2009
Marcel Fortuna W Points California Open ABS SF 2010
Bruno Bastos W Points Pan American ABS R1 2010
Daniel Azevedo W Points Pan American ABS 4F 2010
Antonio Peinado W Points Pan American ABS SF 2010
Big Mac W Points Pan American O100KG SF 2011
Joao Rocha W Points World Pro 100KG SF 2013
Gustavo Dias W Points LA BJJ Pro O94KG SF 2019
Alexandre Souza L Pts: 0x0, Adv Brasileiro ABS F 2008
Rafael Lovato W Pts: 0x0, Adv NoGi Worlds 100KG F 2009
Alexandro Ceconi W Pts: 11x0 World Pro Trials 92KG F 2011
Bruno Bastos W Pts: 11x0 Copa Podio 100KG GP 2013
Bernardo Faria L Pts: 2x0 Pan American ABS F 2010
Antonio Peinado W Pts: 2x0 Pan American O100KG F 2011
Andre Galvao L Pts: 2x0 Ultimate Abs. ABS 4F 2011
Joao Rocha W Pts: 2x0 Copa Podio 100KG GP 2013
Jose Junior W Pts: 2x0 World Pro 100KG F 2013
Marcus Almeida L Pts: 2x0 ADCC O99KG R1 2019
Bruno Bastos L Pts: 2x1 Copa Cyclone 99KG SPF 2006
Alexandre Souza W Pts: 2x2 Copa Podio 100KG GP 2013
Rafael Lovato W Pts: 2x2, Adv World Champ. ABS R1 2007
Gabriel Vella W Pts: 2x2, Adv NoGi Worlds ABS F 2008
Otavio Sousa W Pts: 3x0 Pan American ABS F 2009
Lucio Rodrigues W Pts: 3x0 Copa Podio 100KG GP 2013
Robert Drysdale L Pts: 4x0 World Champ. 100KG SF 2007
Marcus Almeida W Pts: 4x0 San Diego Trials O92 F 2011
Jose Filho W Pts: 4x0 Manaus Open O100KG F 2024
Rafael Lovato L Pts: 4x2 Brasileiro 100KG SF 2007
Pedro Agrizzi W Pts: 4x2 Pan American O100KG 4F 2019
Rafael Lovato W Pts: 5x0 World Champ. 100KG F 2008
R. Evangelista W Pts: 5x2 World Pro. O99KG SF 2012
Roberto Abreu W Pts: 6x0 NoGi Worlds 100KG F 2008
Admission Gobi L Pts: 6x2 SP BJJ Pro O94KG 4F 2018
Rodrigo Cavaca W Pts: 7x0 World Champ. O100KG F 2011
Andre Galvao W Pts: 7x0 San Diego Trials ABS F 2011
Leo Nogueira L Pts: 7x0 Copa Podio 100KG SF 2013
Roberto Abreu W Pts: 9x0 World Champ. O100KG SF 2011
Roberto Alencar W Referee Decision World Champ. ABS R2 2011
Joao Assis L Referee Decision F2W 61 100KG SPF 2018
Gabriel Lucas W Referee Decision ADCC SP Trials O99KG F 2019
Marcus Almeida L Toe hold World Pro. O92KG 4F 2011
Mick Wilson W Toe Hold World Champ. O100KG 4F 2011
Roberto Abreu L Triangle World Champ. O100KG SF 2010
Igor Praporschchikov W Triangle ADCC 99KG R1 2011
Guybson Sa W Wristlock Pan American 100KG 4F 2010

6. Mentorship

He started teaching BJJ classes at his local academy with technique, discipline, and respect values that he had learned through martial arts discipline.


He participated in numerous outreach programs, training the disadvantaged youth on BJJ. In martial arts, he aimed to provide these children with something positive, something helpful in building a sense of self-confidence through discipline and life skills.


Antonio highly influences his students. During Antonio's time, Antonio's students had reached remarkable achievements, mainly through promotions into higher belt ranks and performances during competitions. Antonio was very proud of seeing his students grow; that success has become even more fueled by his passion for teaching. He continues and states the following:

"Martial arts is 'not just about fighting; it is about building character and resilience."

6.2. A Balanced Approach to Life

Throughout this, he has maintained a balanced approach to the relevance of physical fitness, mental fitness, and development. He believes martial arts will alter the type of athlete or person seeking self-enrichment.

Many great lessons from winning and losing reflect on his experiences:

"Every fight teaches you something. Whether you win or lose, you have the chance to grow."

This philosophy has guided him through the ups and downs of the athletic world with modesty and continued striving for development. He will continue to balance the role of instruction and competing.


He will continue competing at the highest possible level and expand his teaching programs. It will be all about effective positive influence in the martial arts community, inspiring a life of following passion, and looking forward to the journey of self-discovery that comes with training.


He also looks forward to a future where he will open an academy where he can genuinely apply his philosophy about teaching and give the practitioners a welcoming atmosphere suitable for all ages and backgrounds. There has to be empowerment, discipline, and community in martial arts.

6.3. Best match of all time

Antonio Braga Neto vs Jose Silva / Manaus Open 2024 

Antonio Braga Neto vs Jose Silva / Manaus Open No-Gi 2024 

Gustavinho Saraiva x Antonio Braga Neto Gracie Pro 2017 

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu VS Antonio Braga Neto / World Championship 2010 

7. Conclusion

Antonio Braga Neto's mixed martial arts journey is defined by his outstanding grappling ability and pursuit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Bringing hard and raw training experience from his early days in Manaus until he finally could emerge professionally for MMA, Neto always keeps himself for continuous growth and improvement.


His success in events like the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship shows his inspiration for the martial arts world. Antonio Braga Neto inspires the next generation of athletes and martial artists, so dedication and perseverance now are much more essential to achieving top victory levels in competition.

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