Table of content
1. Yuri Simões Background
Name | Yuri Costa Simoes Martins da Silva |
Nickname | “Novinho” |
Born | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Date of Birth | June 18, 1990 |
Nationality | Brazilian |
College/University | N/A |
Last Fight | ADCC World Championship 2022 |
Last Weigh In | Open Weight Category |
Weight Class | Meio Pesado (88 Kg / 194 lbs) |
Weight | 88 Kg / 194 lbs |
Reach | 76.8 |
Height | 6’0’’ |
Career Disclosed Earning | N/A |
Fighting out of | Brazill |
Foundational Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
Favorite Technique | Drop Seoi Nage and Open Guard |
Rank | 3rd-Degree BJJ Black Belt |
Awarded by | Ricardo Vieira |
Head Coach | Ricardo Vieira |
Current Head Coach | Caio Terra |
Lineage | Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Ricardo Vieira > Yuri Simoes |
Team Association | Caio Terra Association (CTA) |
2. Yuri Simões Biography
Yuri Simões is a 3rd-degree BJJ Black Belt under Ricardo Vieira of the Vieira brothers. Ricardo Vieira is the co-founder of CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu. Simões competes in both middleweight and light heavyweight classes. His exceptional and unique fighting style awarded him fame in the BJJ community despite still being in the colored belt divisions. Simões is the adopted brother of Ary Farias, a fellow BJJ Black Belt.
2.1. Yuri Simões Early Life
Yuri Simões was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 18, 1990.
2.2. Yuri Simões and Judo
Yuri Simões was only four years old when he started judo in his early school life.
2.3. Influence of Yuri Simões’ Father
Being an active child, Simões’ father, who himself trained in BJJ, enrolled his son in a BJJ class. Simões was only nine years old when he attended his first Gi BJJ class. Simões had seen his father practicing, so he saw him as a source of inspiration.
Another reason for Simões’s interest in BJJ was because of a documentary on Rickson Gracie. Simões became fascinated by a choke demonstrated by Gracie in the documentary, watching the video many times. However, Simões’s father played the biggest role in his interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
2.4. Role of Mauricio Behring
While Mauricio Behring wasn’t Simões first instructor, he still taught Simões a lot. Mauricio Behring urged his student to compete in BJJ. Simões didn’t have plans to pursue BJJ professionally until Behring pushed his young charge to put his talents to use.
2.5. Effect of Mauricio Behring’s Death on Yuri Simões
The untimely death of Mauricio Behring left Yuri Simões feeling all alone. Behring was murdered by a gunshot wound inflicted by his ex-fiance’s father in 2006. It was a great shock to the BJJ community and to his student Simões. Simões stayed off the mats for some time to grieve for his instructor.
2.6. Ricardo Viera - Yuri Simoes’ New Coach
After some time, Yuri Simões returned to jiu-jitsu and started training under Ricardo Vieira. Ricardo Vieira is a 3rd-degree BJJ Black Belt under Master Romero Cavalcanti.
2.7. Joining CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu
Ricardo Vieira was Yuri Simões's coach at CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu. Simões’s time at CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu was the most significant part of his BJJ journey. Though he gave credit to Behring for convincing him to compete in BJJ, Vieira is also credited for being a good instructor.
At CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu, Simões came to know other practitioners and learned a lot from them.
2.8. Yuri Simoes’s Career in England
In 2009, Simões went to England and competed in international BJJ competitions hosted by the IBJJF. It was the peak moment in his career as a colored belt.
2.9. Joining Atos Jiu-Jitsu
Simões’s brother, Ary Farias, trained at Atos Jiu-Jitsu. In 2010, Simões left CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu and joined Atos Jiu-Jitsu situated in São Paulo.
2.10. Return to CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu
Simões spent only a little bit of time at Atos Jiu-Jitsu before returning to CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu to resume his training under Master Ricardo Vieira.
2.11. Joining the Caio Terra Association
Simões left CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu to join the Caio Terra Association in 2013.
2.12. Head Instructor at Pineapple MMA
Simões became the head instructor at Pineapple MMA, a martial arts school in Singapore. Simoes teaches Gi and No-Gi BJJ classes.
3. Yuri Simões’s BJJ Matches
3.1. Promoted to Purple and Brown Belt
Simões was promoted to purple, then later to the brown belt by Ricardo Vieira at the Fight Zone BJJ Academy.
3.2. IBJJF World Champion
In 2009, Simões won first place at the IBJJF World Championship as a purple belt.
3.3. IBJJF European Open Champion
In 2009, Simões became the IBJJF European Open Champion as a purple Belt.
3.4. Mundial Championship
In 2011, Simões won the Mundial Championship in the brown belt Division.
3.5. IBJJF World No-Gi Champion
In 2011, Simões became the IBJJF World No-Gi Champion as a brown belt.
3.6. Promoted to Black Belt
On December 29, 2011, Simões was promoted to a Black Belt by Ricardo Vieira after his successive wins in the IBJJF Championships.
3.7. ADCC World Championship
In 2022, Simões competed and defeated Nicholas Meregali at the ADCC World Championship. He had previously won the 2015 and 2017 ADCC World Championships as well.
4. Yuri Simões’s MMA Career
4.1. MMA Debut at ONE Championship
Yuri Simões also found an interest in MMA. In 2020, Simões decided to go for his MMA debut. In August 2020, Simões signed a fighting contract with ONE Championship. His first fight was at ONE Championship: Inside the Matrix 3 against Fan Rong. The fight went on for three rounds, ending with Rong winning the fight via unanimous decision.
“It took them so long to give me a fight that when they did, I suffered a serious spinal injury a week later but couldn’t pull out of the fight. I was asking for a fight for so long, how was I going to turn it down? I had to fight no matter what. I don’t regret it, I still think I had a great fight. They gave [Fan] the decision, but I think I did better in the fight. I expected things to move smoothly after that and get more fights, but that wasn’t the case.”
4.2. ONE: Full Circle
Simões’s next ONE Championship fight was at ONE: Full Circle in 2022. He fought against Daniyal Zainalov and lost via split decision.
4.3. Contract Ended with ONE Championship
After the two consecutive losses, ONE Championship released Simões from his contract.
“I won’t say I regret (signing with ONE) because I was following my heart at that moment. It’s hard to say I regret it, man. Many promotions shut down due to the pandemic. I know it’s a complicated situation, but I’ve heard that many other athletes were dealing with this issue [before the pandemic]. In that sense, it’s really frustrating.”
5. Yuri Simões’s Historic Fights
5.1. Yuri Simões Vs. Nicholas Meregali
Nicholas Meregali is a BJJ Black Belt under Mario Reis. He is famous for his lethal Omoplata attacks and dominating fighting style. The 2022 ADCC World Championship was the most anticipated event of the year. The finals was between Nicholas Meregali and Yuri Simões. Both fighters came prepared for the championship.
Simões knew about Meregali’s aggressive fighting style so he countered with the same. It was Nicholas Meregali’s tremendous No-Gi debut at ADCC. Simões went for the takedown but Meregali protected himself by sitting down, which earned him a negative point. Known for his efficient leg game, Meregali tried to take down Simões, but he proved not to be an easy contender.
Meregali earned another negative point and Simões won the fight via penalty. Yuri Simoes won the 2022 ADCC World Championship in the Open Class Division.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | ADCC World Championship | Nicholas Meregali | W | Pts: 0x0, Penalty | Final | Absolute | Las Vegas, USA |
5.2. Yuri Simões Vs. Felipe Abad
At the 2017 San Jose Summer Open, Felipe Abad, a BJJ Black Belt, was dominating at the start of the fight. Relying on his grip, Abad tried to keep Yuri Simoes subdued. Simões countered by going for a takedown, then a submission. Simões got around to Abad’s back, then applied a cross collar choke. Simões submitted Abad in 1 minute and 52 seconds and became the 2017 IBJJF World Champion.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | IBJJF World Championship | Felipe Abad | W | Submission By Cross Collar Choke | Final | Ultra Heavyweight | Bogota, Colombia |
5.3. Yuri Simões Vs. Scott Thometz
At the 2018 World No-Gi, Yuri Simões competed against Scott Thometz, a strong and bulky fighter. Competing in the Open Class, Yuri was sure of his victory he submitted Thometz via a Rear Naked Choke within 2 minutes.
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Stage | Weight Class | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | IBJJF World No-Gi Championship | Scott Thometz | W | Submission By Rear Naked Choke | R1 | Open Class | Long Beach, California |
6. Yuri Simões Championship
Year | Event | Belt | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | CBJJ Brazilian Nationals | Black | 2nd |
2012 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Black | 1st |
2014 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Black | 1st |
2015 | ADCC World Championship | Black | 1st |
2015 | FIVE Grappling Super League | Black | 2nd |
2016 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Black | 3rd |
2017 | ADCC World Championship | Black | 1st |
2022 | ADCC World Championship | Black | 1st |
7. Yuri Simões Championship (Medals)
7.1. ADCC World Championship
Year | Weight Division | Medal |
---|---|---|
2015 | 88 Kg | Gold |
2017 | 99 Kg | Gold |
2022 | Absolute | Gold |
7.2. IBJJF Pan American Championship
Year | Weight Division | Medal |
---|---|---|
2014 | 94 Kg | Gold |
7.3. IBJJF World No-Gi Championship
Year | Weight Division | Medal |
---|---|---|
2014 | Over 97.5 Kg | Gold |
2014 | Absolute | Gold |
2016 | Over 97.5 Kg | Gold |
2016 | Absolute | Gold |
8. Yuri Simões Main Achievements (Belts)
Year | Event | Belt | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | IBJJF South American Championship Juvenile | Juvenile | 1st |
2009 | IBJJF World Championship | Purple | 1st |
2009 | IBJJF European Open Championship | Purple | 1st |
2010 | IBJJF European Open Championship | Brown | 1st |
2010 | IBJJF World Championship | Brown | 3rd |
2010 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Brown | 3rd |
2011 | IBJJF World Championship | Brown | 1st |
2011 | IBJJF World Championship No-Gi | Brown | 1st |
2011 | IBJJF European Open Championship | Brown | 1st |
2011 | IBJJF European Open Championship | Brown | 2nd |
9. Yuri Simões Main Achievements
9.1. Gi Tournaments
Year | Event | Weight Class | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | IBJJF Rio Open Championship | Ultra Heavyweight | 3rd |
2012 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Ultra Heavyweight | 1st |
2014 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Ultra Heavyweight | 1st |
2016 | IBJJF Pan American Championship | Ultra Heavyweight | 3rd |
9.2. No-Gi Tournaments
Year | Event | Weight Class | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | IBJJF World Championship No-Gi | Absolute | 1st |
2016 | IBJJF World Championship No-Gi | Absolute | 1st |
10. Yuri Simões BJJ Professional Record Breakdown
92 Matches | 88 Wins | 25 Losses | 1 Draws |
---|---|---|---|
By Submissions | 21 | 4 | 0 |
By Points | 42 | 13 | 0 |
By Advantages | 4 | 2 | 0 |
By Decision | 16 | 5 | 0 |
By Penalties | 3 | 0 | 0 |
By EBI / OT | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Draws | 0 | 0 | 1 |
10.1. Submission W/L Methods
Submission Method | 21 Wins | 4 Losses |
---|---|---|
Armbar | 9 | 1 |
Ezekiel | 1 | 0 |
Bow and Arrow | 1 | 0 |
Choke from Back | 1 | 1 |
Submission | 1 | 0 |
Toe Hold | 1 | 0 |
Rear Naked Choke | 2 | 1 |
Cross Choke | 1 | 0 |
Mounted X Choke | 1 | 0 |
Kata Gatame | 1 | 0 |
Choke | 1 | 0 |
Inverted Triangle | 1 | 0 |
Reverse Omoplata | 0 | 1 |
11. Yuri Simões MMA Professional Record Breakdown
2 Matches | 0 Wins | 2 Losses | Draws |
---|---|---|---|
By Knockout | 0 | 0 | 0 |
By Submission | 0 | 0 | 0 |
By Decision | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Draw | 0 | 0 | 0 |
12. Yuri Simões’ MMA Fight History
Date | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Location | Time | Round |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 25, 2022 | ONE: Full Circle | Daniyal Zainalov | L | Split Decision | Kallang, Singapore | 5:00 | 3 |
Nov 13, 2020 | ONE Championship: Inside the Matrix 3 | Fan Rong | L | Unanimous Decision | Kallang, Singapore | 5:00 | 3 |
13. Yuri Simões’ BJJ Fight History
Year | Event | Opponent | W/L/D | Method | Weight Class | Stage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Pan American | Leonardo Iturralde | W | Armbar | 94KG | R1 |
2012 | Pan American | Gustavo Pires | W | Choke | 94KG | R2 |
2012 | Pan American | Rafael Lovato | W | Adv | 94KG | SF |
2012 | World Champ. | Nathan Zigler | W | Toe Hold | 94KG | R1 |
2012 | World Champ. | Alexandre Ribeiro | L | Pts: 3x0 | 94KG | 4F |
2013 | World Champ. | Rodolfo Vieira | L | Pts: 8x0 | 94KG | 4F |
2014 | European | Jackson Sousa | L | Pts: 2x0 | 94KG | F |
2014 | European | Oliver Geddes | W | Inverted triangle | ABS | R1 |
2014 | European | Igor Silva | W | Armbar | ABS | 4F |
2014 | European | Jackson Sousa | W | Pts: 2x0 | ABS | SF |
2014 | European | Alexander Trans | L | Armbar | ABS | F |
2014 | Pan American | Arnaldo Maidana | W | Pts: 17x0 | 94KG | 8F |
2014 | Pan American | Jackson Sousa | W | Adv | 94KG | 4F |
2014 | Pan American | Rafael Lovato | W | Adv | 94KG | SF |
2014 | FIVE Cali. 1 | Sergio Rios | W | Points | ABS | 4F |
2014 | FIVE Cali. 1 | JT Torres | W | Points | ABS | SF |
2014 | FIVE Cali. 1 | Keenan Cornelius | L | Pts: 4x0 | ABS | F |
2014 | World Champ. | Gustavo Pires | W | Pts: 3x2 | 100KG | 4F |
2014 | World Champ. | Bernardo Faria | L | Pts: 8x5 | 100KG | SF |
2014 | SF Open | Alessandro Silva | W | Armbar | O100KG | F |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Ricardo Rezende | W | Pts: 2x0 | ABS | RDS |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Tim Spriggs | W | Pts: 8x2 | ABS | 4F |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Bernardo Faria | W | Armbar | ABS | SF |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Keenan Cornelius | W | Pts: 4x0 | ABS | F |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Felipe Bueno | W | Pts: 7x0 | O100KG | 4F |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Abraham Marte | W | Points | O100KG | SF |
2014 | NoGi Worlds | Gabriel Lucas | W | Pts: 2x0 | O100KG | F |
2014 | Metamoris 5 | Keenan Cornelius | D | --- | ABS | SPF |
2014 | Long Beach Pro | Carlos Farias | W | Pts: 8x0 | O94KG | SF |
2014 | Long Beach Pro | James Puopolo | W | Ezekiel | O94KG | F |
2015 | JJ World League | Arnaldo Maidana | W | Points | 94KG | SF |
2015 | JJ World League | Gabriel Checco | W | N/A | 94KG | F |
2015 | SF Open | Arnaldo Maidana | W | Armbar | ABS | 4F |
2015 | SF Open | Tanner Rice | W | Armbar | ABS | SF |
2015 | SF Open | Magid Hage | W | Cross choke | ABS | F |
2015 | Pan American | Vinicius Agudo | W | Bow and arrow | ABS | R2 |
2015 | Pan American | Gabriel Lucas | W | Pts: 10x2 | ABS | R3 |
2015 | Pan American | Leandro Lo | L | Pts: 4x2 | ABS | 4F |
2015 | World Champ. | James Puopolo | W | Pts: 7x4 | 100KG | 4F |
2015 | World Champ. | Joao Rocha | L | Choke from back | 100KG | SF |
2015 | American Cup | Many Dias | W | Pts: 13x0 | ABS | 4F |
2015 | American Cup | Diego Herzog | W | Pts: 7x0 | ABS | SF |
2015 | American Cup | Carlos Mello | W | Mounted X choke | ABS | F |
2015 | US Open | Eliot Kelly | W | Choke from back | 94KG | F |
2015 | US Open | Eliot Kelly | W | Pts: 5x2 | ABS | GP |
2015 | US Open | David Robles | W | Armbar | ABS | GP |
2015 | US Open | Rafael Barbosa | L | Pts: 4x2 | ABS | F |
2015 | FIVE SL | James Puopolo | W | Pts: 6x2 | ABS | 4F |
2015 | FIVE SL | Joao Assis | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SF |
2015 | FIVE SL | Tim Spriggs | L | Pts: 2x0 | ABS | F |
2015 | ADCC | Ricardo Mesquita | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | R1 |
2015 | ADCC | Zbigniew Tyszka | W | RNC | 88KG | 4F |
2015 | ADCC | Romulo Barral | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | SF |
2015 | ADCC | Keenan Cornelius | W | Pts: 3x0 | 88KG | F |
2015 | ADCC | Hideki Shrek | W | Referee Decision | ABS | R1 |
2015 | ADCC | Dean Lister | W | Pts: 5x3 | ABS | 4F |
2015 | ADCC | Claudio Calasans | L | Referee Decision | ABS | SF |
2015 | Berkut 2 | Felipe Pena | L | Pts: 4x2 | ABS | SPF |
2016 | Pan American | Guybson Sa | W | Armbar | 100KG | 4F |
2016 | Pan American | Luiz Panza | L | Pts: 9x0 | 100KG | SF |
2016 | EBI 6 | Evandro Nunes | W | EBI/OT | ABS | R1 |
2016 | EBI 6 | Garry Tonon | W | EBI/OT | ABS | 4F |
2016 | EBI 6 | Gordon Ryan | L | EBI/OT | ABS | SF |
2016 | F2W 8 | Dean Lister | W | Referee Decision | 86KG | SPF |
2016 | Berkut 3 | Romulo Barral | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Tex Johnson | W | Pts: 19x0 | O97KG | SF |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Gustavo Dias | W | Pts: 4x0 | O97KG | F |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Marcus Wilson | W | Kata Gatame | ABS | 8F |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Thiago Sa | W | Pts: 0x0, Adv | ABS | 4F |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Augusto Mendes | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SF |
2016 | NoGi Worlds | Murilo Santana | W | Pts: 0x0, Pen | ABS | F |
2017 | San Jose Open | Felipe Abad | W | Submission | O100KG | F |
2017 | San Jose Open | Breno Bittencourt | W | Points | ABS | SF |
2017 | San Jose Open | Victor Silverio | W | Pts: 2x0 | ABS | F |
2017 | F2W 44 | Travis Stevens | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2017 | ADCC | Roman Dolidze | W | Pts: 2x0 | 99KG | E1 |
2017 | ADCC | M. Perez | W | Referee Decision | 99KG | 4F |
2017 | ADCC | Jackson Sousa | W | Pts: 3x0 | 99KG | SF |
2017 | ADCC | Felipe Pena | W | Pts: 2x0 | 99KG | F |
2017 | Kasai Pro | Gordon Ryan | L | RNC | ABS | SPF |
2018 | ACB 10 | Abdurakhman Bilarov | W | Referee Decision | 95KG | SPF |
2018 | San Jose Open | Nisar Loynab | W | Points | ABS | 4F |
2018 | San Jose Open | Breno Bittencourt | W | Points | ABS | SF |
2018 | San Jose Open | Victor Silverio | W | Referee Decision | ABS | F |
2018 | San Jose NGO | Edmund Kim | W | Pts: 7x0 | ABS | SF |
2018 | ACBJJ 13 | Keenan Cornelius | L | Reverse omoplata | 95KG | SPF |
2018 | World Champ. | Mahamed Aly | L | Pts: 0x0, Adv | ABS | RD |
2018 | WSOG 2 | Gustavo Batista | L | Referee Decision | O81KG | 8F |
2018 | F2W 94 | Tim Spriggs | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Jared Dopp | W | Pts: 19x0 | O97KG | 4F |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Gordon Ryan | L | Pts: 11x0 | O97KG | SF |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | S. Thometz | W | RNC | ABS | R1 |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Robby Malof | W | Pts: 9x0 | ABS | R2 |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Tex Johnson | W | Pts: 5x0 | ABS | R3 |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Thiago Sa | W | Pts: 4x2 | ABS | SF |
2018 | NoGi Worlds | Gordon Ryan | L | Pts: 0x0, Adv | ABS | F |
2019 | F2W 104 | Rafael Lovato | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2019 | ADCC | Elliot Marshal | W | Armbar | O99KG | R1 |
2019 | ADCC | Kaynan Duarte | L | Pts: 3x0 | O99KG | 4F |
2021 | BJJ Stars 5 | Lucas Barbosa | L | Pts: 7x0 | 96KG | 4F |
2021 | F2W 164 | Vagner Rocha | L | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2021 | WNO 7 | Nick Rodriguez | L | Referee Decision | O99KG | SPF |
2021 | F2W 172 | Devhonte Johnson | W | Referee Decision | 124KG | SPF |
2021 | BJJ Stars | Mahamed Aly | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2021 | F2W 185 | Fellipe Andrew | W | Referee Decision | ABS | SPF |
2021 | Raw GC | Jed Hue | W | Points | 94KG | 4F |
2021 | Raw GC | Taylor Pearman | W | Points | 94KG | SF |
2021 | Raw GC | Patrick Gaudio | W | N/A | 94KG | F |
2022 | ADCC | Luke Griffith | W | Referee Decision | 99KG | R1 |
2022 | ADCC | Nicholas Meregali | L | Referee Decision | 99KG | 4F |
2022 | ADCC | Lachlan Giles | W | Pts: 0x0, Pen | ABS | 8F |
2022 | ADCC | Nick Rodriguez | W | Referee Decision | ABS | 4F |
2022 | ADCC | Roberto Abreu | W | Pts: 2x0 | ABS | SF |
2022 | ADCC | Nicholas Meregali | W | Pts: 0x0, Pen | ABS | F |
14. Yuri Simões BJJ Top Fight Links
Yuri Simões vs Jared Dopp / NoGi World 2018
Yuri Simoes vs Scott Thometz / World NoGi 2018
Yuri Simoes vs Dean Lister Fight To Win Pro 8
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