Mario Reis- The Formidable BJJ Black Belt Monster!

Table of content

1. Mario Reis Details 2. Mario Reis’s Biography 2.1. Mario Reis’s Early Life & Amateur Fighting 2.2. Mario and Fabricio Werdum 2.3. Mario Reis’s Pro BJJ Combat 2.4. Mario Reis’s Efforts for BJJ Schools 2.5. Mario Reis’s Union with Gracie Barra 2.6. Mario Reis’s Passion for Jiu-Jitsu 2.7. Mario Reis’s Secret to BJJ Success 2.8. Mario Reis’s Instructorship 2.9. Mario Reis’s Historic Fights 3. Mario Reis’s Main Achievements ( Belts) 3.1. Black Belt 3.2 Colored Belts 4. Mario Reis’s BJJ Professional Record Breakdown 4.1. Submission Methods W/L 5. Mario Reis’s BJJ Fight History 6. Mario Reis’s Top Fights (Video Links)

1. Mario Reis Details

Name	Mario Sergio Names Reis
Nickname	N/A
Born	Porto Alegre, Brazil
Date of Birth	February 23, 1979
Nationality	Brazilian
College/University	N/A
Last Fight	BJJ Stars 5 Superfight in 2021
Last Weigh In	70 kg
Weight Class	Featherweight (70kg/154lbs)
Weight	70 kg
Height	N/A
Career Disclosed Earnings	$1.5 Million
Foundational style	Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
FavoriteTechnique	Triangle
Rank	Black Belt
Awarded By	Sylvio Behring
Head Coach	Sylvio Behring
Lineage	Mitsuyo Maeda -> Carlos Gracie -> Helio Gracie -> Alvaro Barreto -> Sylvio Behring -> Mario Reis
Team/Association	Alliance (formerly BTT, Winner-Behring, and Gracie Barra)

2. Mario Reis’s Biography

Mario Reis has won numerous competitions on the BJJ platform. Reis’s aggressive fighting style has made him prominent in the Jiu-Jitsu world. He is famous for using the triangle choke and is also admired for his remarkable guard passes in BJJ fights. Mario is one of the most entertaining jiu-jitsu athletes in the featherweight division and is famous among students for his fabulous dance steps.

2.1. Mario Reis’s Early Life & Amateur Fighting

An Eventful Childhood

Mario Reis was born to Raul Meireles Reis in southern Brazil in 1979, and was raised in Porto Alegre in the Gaucho state of Brazil. Little is known about Reis’s childhood, even his mother’s name is unknown.

Beginning of BJJ Journey

Reis' BJJ journey started with the legendary BJJ coach Zé Mario Sperry who is the co-founder of Brazilian Top Team. He remained under training with Sperry for many years and was awarded a blue and purple belt from him. Time brought a boom in Mario’s life and he eventually became the most widely acknowledged fighter in BJJ history.

2.2. Mario and Fabricio Werdum

Mario's interest in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was piqued when he met a local Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Fabricio Werdum, at a Jiu–Jitsu gathering. Their friendship grew stronger day by day, and then Mario decided to join Werdum's academy named Winner-Behring, where Sylvio Behring became the new coach Mario Reis.

2.3. Mario Reis’s Pro BJJ Combat

In 2003, Reis’s success graph reached new heights when he was promoted to the black belt level by his coach Behring after he won the IBJJF World Championship and the CBJJ World Cup. At that time, he was 23 years old, and secured a win against featherweight champions Fredson Paixao in the semifinal and Alexander “Soca” in the final.

2.4. Mario Reis’s Efforts for BJJ Schools

In 2006, Mario Reis traveled to Europe to participate in seminars organized for the awareness and growth of the Jiu-Jitsu community. In all his plans, Fabricio Wedrum constantly supported him. It was Wedrum’s guidance that Mario was able to open a few BJJ schools in England and Spain.

2.5. Mario Reis’s Union with Gracie Barra

In 2006, when Mario came back to Brazil, Reis joined the Gracie Barra, a move well-received by his sponsors. In the same year, he was offered to join the MMA roster but he refused as he wanted to focus on Jiu-Jitsu. Afterward, Reis joined the Alliance Team.

2.6. Mario Reis’s Passion for Jiu-Jitsu

Mario Reis, two-time world champion, Pan-American, and European Champion took a short break from BJJ and dedicated all the time to his gym in Porto Alegre. He decided to come back in 2015 and won the fight against black belt Leon Amancio.

After his remarkable victory, Mario shared his views about his super fight with BJJ stars.

“I kept the competitive energy alive inside me.”

About Reis's fitness level he shared,

“I do my physical, emotional, and mental preparation. I also train with my toughest students to know how to control emotions, where the energy is heavier but fighting, is extinct, so I usually train my state of mind in those moments, so that I can get to the fight and seek what is mine. I don't have expectations, because expectations generate frustrations. I prefer to focus on bringing my best version to the fight. I try to do my best in training, physically and mentally, in the technical part and connect with myself, so that I can perform better within my preparation as a whole. This is my focus.”

MarioReis has not taken part in any fights since 2015. When inquired about his little participation in the competitions, he shared that training with my IBJJF World Champion student Nicholas Meregali energized my passion for Jiu-Jitsu.

“The fact that I haven't fought in a long time won't be a problem because I kept the competitive energy alive inside me. When a student of mine struggles, I try to enter on the same frequency as him. So that energetic frequency, I know many won't understand what I'm talking about, but it's a frequency like I'm living inside their body. I try to get into exactly the same vibe. By being present at all World Cups since 1999, I kept that World Cup energy. Even if it's there with a student, I feel the same adrenaline he is feeling. It's like I'm playing video games and I have an emotional joystick. This vibe is very much alive inside of me, and I believe that time will not interfere with anything.”

2.7. Mario Reis’s Secret to BJJ Success

In his 13 year- long BJJ career, Mario Reis has won two gold medals, three silver medals, and eight bronze medals. He revealed his secret to remaining on the black belt podium for more than a decade:

“I have actually been on the podium since 2000, as a blue belt. I guess my secret is to keep motivated and to hang around the right people, including my Professors throughout my career. Ze Mario Sperry taught me to live like an athlete; Silvio Behring taught me to deal with my self-confidence; The time I spent at Gracie Barra was unique, as I drank straight from the source with Master Carlos Gracie Jr. Now, at Alliance, with Fabio Gurgel I sharpened my Jiu-Jitsu with modern techniques and also it helped me become a better Professor and academy owner. I am always around people that believe in my potential and are able to extract the best in me. God has blessed me to be with people who always motivated me to be not just another one. Another key point is to set up goals and work hard to achieve them.”

Furthermore, he shared:

“I have never had rivals. My goal was to always be the best I could. I had great opponents and all of them helped me to be stronger and go after my weakness. I kept with me the notion that I am my biggest opponent. The dearest moment was the first world title in 2003 when I finished Fredson with the triangle and then beat Soca in the final. That result allowed me to get international exposure. It was the event that gave me the boom I needed in my career. Other than that, I also hold dear the open class title at the 2006 European. That was also a milestone in the history of the sport, as I am still the lightest athlete to win an open class division in the male black belt in one of the four most important events of the calendar [European, Pan, Brazilian Nationals, Worlds].”

2.8. Mario Reis’s Instructorship

Reis retired in 2021 after winning the BJJ Stars 5 superfight against Leon Amancio and became the head coach of Core Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. The other qualified instructors of his team are David Ross, Dan Novaes, and Ed Wilson in the US.

Mario Reis’s BJJ library digital course, the guard series, is also available online.

2.9. Mario Reis’s Historic Fights

Mario Reis vs Roberto Satoshi

Roberto Satoshi won this fight by points in the third round. Mario Reis attempted to control the opponent by guard pass, but Satoshi escaped from it well. Satoshi's efforts to mount Reis and attempt a triangle choke made this fight memorable.

Year	Event	Opponent	W/L/D	Method	Stage	Weight Class	Location
2015	World Pro	Roberto Satoshi	Loss	Points	3RD	75KG	Abu Dhabi

Mario Reis vs Rafael Mendes

In 2015, Rafael Mendes showed an outstanding performance against Mario Reis in the 70kg division. Mario’s submission attempts were ruthless, but Rafa successfully countered all of Reis’s attacks and subdued Reis.

Year	Event	Opponent	W/L/D	Method	Stage	Weight Class	Location
2015	World Champ	Kevin Mahecha	Loss	Wristlock	SF	70kg	Long Beach, California

Mario Reis vs Leon Amancio

Year	Event	Opponent	W/L/D	Method	Stage	Weight Class	Location
2021	BJJ Stars 5: Heavyweight Grand Prix	Leon Amancio	Win	Decision	SPF	Heavyweight	São Paulo

3. Mario Reis’s Main Achievements ( Belts)

3.1. Black Belt

Year	Event	Belt	Position
2003, 2004	World Championship	Black	1st
2008	World Cup Championship	Black	1st
2010	World Cup Championship	Black	1st
2005	Pan-American Championship	Black	1st
2014	Pan-American Championship	Black	1st
2006	European Championship	Black	1st
2009	European Championship	Black	1st
2005	World Championship	Black	2nd
2006	World Championship	Black	2nd
2007	World Championship	Black	2nd
2008,2009, 2010, 2014	World Championship	Black	3rd
2006, 2007, 2009	Pan American Championship	Black	2nd

3.2 Colored Belts

Year	Event	Belt	Position
2000	World Champion	Blue	1st
2002	World Champion	Brown Belt	1st
2002	World Cup Champion	Brown Belt	1st
2002	Brazilian National Champion	Brown Belt	1st

4. Mario Reis’s BJJ Professional Record Breakdown

Professional Jiu-Jitsu Record Breakdown
81 Matches	57 Wins	24 Losses
By Submission	26	8
By Points	25	10
By Decision	1	2
By Penalties	0	0
By Advantage	5	3
By DQ	0	1

4.1. Submission Methods W/L

Submission Method	26 Wins	8 Losses
Bow and Arrow	0	2
Wristlock	0	2
Choke	3	1
Armbar	9	1
Choke from Back	2	2
Brabo Choke	1	0
Baseball Choke	1	0
Triangle	5	0
Submission	2	0
Omoplata	1	0
Verbal Tap	1	0
Kneebar	1	0

5. Mario Reis’s BJJ Fight History

Year	Event	Opponent	W/L/D	Method	Stage	Weight
2003	World Champ.	Fredson Paixao	W	Triangle	SF	70KG
2003	World Champ.	Alexandre Soca	W	Pts: 8x4	F	70KG
2003	World Cup	Unknown	W	Injury	R1	70KG
2003	World Cup	Gabriel Willcox	W	Armbar	4F	70KG
2003	World Cup	Marcelino Freitas	W	Pts: 8x2	F	70KG
2004	World Champ.	Fredson Paixao	W	Pts: 2x0	F	70KG
2004	World Cup	Rani Yahya	W	Omoplata	R1	70KG
2004	World Cup	Reinaldo Ribeiro	W	Pts: 5x0	F	70KG
2004	GP Blackbelt	Unknown	W	Armbar	R1	70KG
2004	GP Blackbelt	Daniel Moraes	L	Adv	4F	70KG
2005	World Champ.	Gabriel Cataide	W	N/A	R1	70KG
2005	World Champ.	T. Omore	W	Baseball choke	R2	70KG
2005	World Champ.	Renato Migliaccio	W	Armbar	4F	70KG
2005	World Champ.	Fredson Alves	W	Triangle	SF	70KG
2005	World Champ.	Fredson Paixao	L	Armbar	F	70KG
2006	Pan American	Joao Silva	W	Verbal tap	4F	76KG
2006	Pan American	Carlos Portugues	W	Pts: 0x0, Adv	SF	76KG
2006	Pan American	Tiago Alves	L	Choke	F	76KG
2006	World Champ.	Paulo Ubiratan	W	Triangle	R1	76KG
2006	World Champ.	Rafael Barbosa	W	Pts: 2x2, Adv	4F	76KG
2006	World Champ.	Claudio Calasans	W	Referee Decision	SF	76KG
2006	World Champ.	Celso Vinicius	L	Pts: 5x0	F	76KG
2007	Pan American	Unknown	W	Armbar	4F	70KG
2007	Pan American	Bibiano Fernandes	W	Points	SF	70KG
2007	Pan American	Rubens Charles	L	Pts: 2x0	F	70KG
2007	World Champ.	Gabriel Willcox	W	Choke	R1	70KG
2007	World Champ.	Wilson Reis	W	Armbar	4F	70KG
2007	World Champ.	Jonatas Gurgel	W	Armbar	SF	70KG
2007	World Champ.	Rubens Charles	L	Bow and arrow	F	70KG
2008	World Champ.	Wellington Dias	W	Pts: 4x2	4F	70KG
2008	World Champ.	Bruno Frazatto	L	Points	SF	70KG
2008	Capital Challenge	Bernardo Pitel	W	Submission	4F	70KG
2008	Capital Challenge	Rafael Mendes	L	Points	SF	70KG
2009	European	Takumi Nakayama	W	Choke	SF	70KG
2009	European	Wellington Dias	W	Armbar	F	70KG
2009	Pan American	Wellington Dias	W	Triangle	4F	70KG
2009	Pan American	Guilherme Mendes	W	Pts: 10x10, Adv	SF	70KG
2009	Pan American	Rubens Charles	L	Bow and arrow	F	70KG
2009	World Champ.	Rodrigo Ranieri	W	Pts: 2x2, Adv	4F	70KG
2009	World Champ.	Bruno Frazatto	L	Pts: 2x0	SF	70KG
2010	Mundial CBJJE	Isaque Paiva	W	Points	F	70KG
2010	WPC Gr Trials	Celso Vinicius	L	Referee Decision	SF	74KG
2010	World Champ.	Koji Shimasaki	W	Kneebar	R1	70KG
2010	World Champ.	Renan Borges	W	Choke from back	4F	70KG
2010	World Champ.	Rubens Charles	L	Choke from back	SF	70KG
2010	South American	Augusto Mendes	L	Pts: 0x0, Adv	F	76KG
2010	South American	Felipe Teixeira	W	N/A	SF	ABS
2010	South American	Augusto Mendes	L	DQ	F	ABS
2011	World Champ.	Gustavo Ernesto	W	Choke	RDS	70KG
2011	World Champ.	Marcelino Freitas	W	Pts: 4x2	4F	70KG
2011	World Champ.	Rafael Mendes	L	Pts: 4x2	SF	70KG
2011	CBJJE Brasileiro	Gilson Nunes	W	Choke from back	F	70KG
2012	Mundial CBJJE	Isaque Paiva	W	Points	F	70KG
2012	Pan American	Spenser Gilliam	W	N/A	4F	70KG
2012	Pan American	Rafael Mendes	L	Wristlock	SF	70KG
2012	World Champ.	Takuto Kako	W	Submission	R2	70KG
2012	World Champ.	Samir Chantre	W	Armbar	R3	70KG
2012	World Champ.	Marcelino Freitas	W	Triangle	4F	70KG
2012	World Champ.	Rafael Mendes	L	Pts: 2x0	SF	70KG
2013	Pan American	Masahiro Iwasaki	W	Points	R1	70KG
2013	Pan American	Rafael Mendes	L	Pts: 2x0	SF	70KG
2013	Brasileiro	Isaque Paiva	W	N/A	SF	70KG
2013	Brasileiro	Leo Saggioro	L	Referee Decision	F	70KG
2013	World Champ.	Osvaldo Moizinho	W	Pts: 6x2	4F	70KG
2013	World Champ.	Rafael Mendes	L	Adv	SF	70KG
2014	Pan American	Spencer Gilliam	W	N/A	R1	70KG
2014	Pan American	Mayko Borges	W	Brabo choke	4F	70KG
2014	Pan American	Osvaldo Moizinho	W	Pts: 6x4	SF	70KG
2014	World Champ.	Charles Gaspar	W	N/A	RDS	70KG
2014	World Champ.	Wellington Dias	W	N/A	RDS	70KG
2014	World Champ.	Denilson Pimenta	W	Adv	4F	70KG
2014	World Champ.	Rafael Mendes	L	Choke from back	SF	70KG
2015	Brazil Nat. Pro	Rodrigo Almeida	W	N/A	R1	75KG
2015	Brazil Nat. Pro	Mauricio Ferreira	W	N/A	4F	75KG
2015	Brazil Nat. Pro	Isaque Paiva	W	Pts: 10x0	SF	75KG
2015	World Pro	Bruno Cezar	W	Points	R1	75KG
2015	World Pro	Unknown	W	Points	4F	75KG
2015	World Pro	Gabriel Rollo	L	Pts: 3x0	SF	75KG
2015	World Pro	Roberto Satoshi	L	Pts: 2x0	3RD	75KG
2015	World Champ.	Kevin Mahecha	W	Armbar	8F	70KG
2015	World Champ.	Rafael Mendes	L	Wristlock	SF	70KG
2021	BJJ Stars 5	Leon Amancio	W	Pts: 3x0	SPF	70KG