Yuri Simões (Checkmat)
Yuri Simoes
Yuri Simões is one of Jiu Jitsu’s rising stars and a representative of the Checkmat academy fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Awarded with his black belt on December 2011, Yuri made a name for himself in the lower ranks after wining several important competitions such as the Mundial, the World Nogi Championships, the European Open to name a few. Yuri Simões is also the adopted brother of another BJJ starlet, Ary Farias.
Yuri Simoes in Detail
Full Name: Yuri Costa Simoes Martins da Silva
Nickname: “Novinho” which can mean Youngster or Brand New depending on the context. At this point BJJ Heroes cannot assert the reason for the nickname.
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Ricardo Vieira > Yuri Simões
Main Achievements:
- World Champion (2009 purple weight & absolute, 2011 brown)
- World Nogi Champion (2011 brown weight & absolute)
- European Champion (2009 purple weight & absolute, 2010, 2011 brown)
- World Cup Champion (2007 purple – CBJJE)
- South American Champion (2007 blue/jumior)
- Brazilian National Nogi Silver Medallist (2010)
- European Silver Medallist (2011 brown absolute)
- World Bronze Medallist (2010 brown)
- Pan American Bronze Medallist (2010 brown absolute)
- Rio Open Bronze Medallist (2010)
Favourite Position/Technique: Drop Seoi Nage & Open Guard
Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88kg/194lbs).
Team/Association: Checkmat BJJ.
Sponsors:
Yuri Simoes Biography
Yuri Simões started practicing Jiu Jitsu influenced by his father who also trained BJJ, he was 9 years old when he first put on a kimono. Although Yuri’s first instructors name has been lost in the corners of his mind, his second coach, Mauricio Behring, was truly fundamental in Simoes’s life as a competitor, it was Behring who instigated Yuri to compete and where he found his true calling.
In 2006 Mauricio Behring was shot and killed by the father of his ex fiancé. After the shock and a natural grieving period, Yuri returned to the mats, seeking Ricardo Vieira as his new master and earning his purple and brown belt from Ricardinho at the famous Fight Zone. At Checkmat, Yuri Simoes’s career started to shine with several fantastic wins at the world’s most important tournaments. After a series of good results, Yuri Simoes spent some time in and out of Europe, namely in England where he trained and competed extensively in 2009.
In 2010 Yuri Simoes had a change of heart and switched camps moving with his brother to the rival Atos academy in Rio Claro (Sao Paulo). This move, however, was short lived and feeling that he did not adapt well to the Atos team, he returned to Checkmat and Ricardinho Vieira’s guidance, leaving Atos and his brother behind (Ary Farias stayed at Atos earning his black belt from Ramon Lemos). After a tremendous year of 2011 where Yuri Simoes won the Mundial, the Nogi Worlds (weight and absolute), and the European Open, he was awarded his long awaited black belt by the hands of his instructor on the 29th of December, 2011.
Yuri Simoes Fight Videos
Yuri Simoes vs Andy Roberts, 2009
Yuri Simoes vs Faranz Pyrell, 2009
Yuri Simoes vs DJ Jackson, 2011
Yuri Simoes at the European Open, 2010
Yuri Simoes is a future black belt Jiu-Jitsu World Champion! I had the pleasure of training with him when was at Orange County Jiu-Jitsu with Lucas Leite, getting ready for the no-gi Mundials.