Mathias Luna

Jose Mathias Macedo de Lira Luna, commonly known as Mathias Luna, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo Feliciano (Pantcho) and Lucas Leite of the Checkmat Team, who worked extensively at the Barreto Brothers Academy in Natal, RN – Brazil, namely with Bruno and Thiago Barreto. Mathias and his twin brother Matheus Luna ascended to the top of jiu-jitsu’s competitive rankings as purple belts a status they further cemented on their path to black belt.

Mathias Luna Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Jose Mathias Macedo de Lira Luna

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Leonardo Vieira > Lucas Leite / Ricardo Feliciano > Mathias Luna

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2025)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2021 / 2023)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2019)
• 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2023*)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2015 blue, 2018 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2016 blue, 2018 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NoGi (2019 brown)
• 1st Place SJJIF World Championship (2017 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2018 purple)
• 1st Place ROYAL III Invitational (2018 purple)
• 1st Place ACBJJ American Nationals (2018 purple)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2017 purple)
• 3rd Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2019 brown)
• 3rd Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, LA (2018 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2017 purple)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Distance Guard Passing

Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88,30 kg / 195.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Checkmat

Mathias Luna Biography

Mathias Luna was born on February 21, 1995, together with his twin brother Matheus Luna, in Recife, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco, moving to Natal – state of Rio Grande do Norte at the age of 8.

Growing up both Mathias and Matheus were active kids, playing a variety of ball sports, from football (soccer) to handball, to volleyball and basketball throughout the school system. At the age of 16, however, influenced by their neighbor, who had started training jiu-jitsu at a local social project, Mathias joined jiu-jitsu, which consumed Luna.

At the local social project, Mathias met coaches Fábio Rodrigues and Júlio e Rodrigo Salustino, who taught there, but it didn’t take long before the Luna brothers started becoming more serious about their intentions in the sport, then joining the Barreto Brother’s Academy (Thiago and Bruno), one of the most successful gyms in the region.

Luna went from white to purple belt under Thiago and Bruno Barreto, but in 2017, accepted an offer from Ricardo Feliciano (Pantcho) – a member of the Checkmat affiliation to which the Barreto brothers were affiliated, to move to the United States, a country that provided the best tournament circuit in the world had where the Mathias and Matheus would have more opportunities to earn a living from this sport.

Mathias would earn his brown belt from Pantcho and in 2018 also join the academy of another famed Checkmat coach, Lucas Leite. It would be Leite and Feliciano who promoted Mathias and his brother, Matheus, to black belt on August 24, 2019.

Mathias Luna vs Jay-Jay Wilson