Leonardo Mario

Leonardo Mário Pereira Júnior, commonly known as Leonardo Mario, is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and a black belt under Cicero Costha, who is widely recognized as one of the top light-featherweights in the sport, a reputation earned during his brown belt campaign when he received an AJP Tour award for Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the league (2021) after his World Pro, Grand Slam, and Brazilian Nationals titles. Leo Mario went on to cement his claim as one of the sport’s top grapplers in his first year as a black belt with wins at the South American Championships and Brazilian Nationals.

Leonardo Mario Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Leonardo Mário Pereira Júnior

Nickname: Commonly known as “Leo” which is short for Leonardo.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie > Marcelo Behring > Waldomiro Perez > Roberto Godoi > Marco Barbosa > Cicero Costha > Leonardo Mario

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2022 / 2024)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, RJN (2022 / 2023)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2025)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship (2023 / 2025)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2024)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• #1 Brown Belt – MVP In AJP Tour (2021)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2017 blue, 2021 / 2022 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2021 brown)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2021 brown)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, RJN (2020 / 2021 brown)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2018 blue)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2015)

Favorite Position / Technique: Well-Rounded

Weight Division: Peso Pluma (64,00 kg / 141.5 lbs)

Team / Association: Cicero Costha

Leonardo Mario Biography

Leonardo Mario was born on May 21, 1999, in Ceilândia a town located in Brazil’s Federal District.

Growing up, Leonardo played football (soccer) at a high level, making the Brasiliense FC’s junior squad, a Serie A team at the time (Brazil’s main league).

At the age of 13, Leonardo was injured and couldn’t play with the squad, this lack of activity led the young athlete to join his friends to a jiu-jitsu class at a local club with a borrowed kimono from his good mate Guilherme “Guima”.

Mario felt a connection with the sport instantly, and it didn’t take him long before he started competing, guided by his first coach, Mr. Roniel Oliveira, and Oliveira’s assistant, Victoria.

The first few years of Leonardo Mario had a few different instructors due to the relocation of his gym’s coaches, therefore, after Roniel, Mario was instructed by Francisco Carlos “Chico”, as well as Rodrigo Natalino and Sandro Almeida of team Strong Fighters, who promoted the young athlete to blue belt.

In 2015, after earning his first Brazilian Nationals gold medal as a juvenile, Leonardo crossed paths with the legendary instructor Cicero Costha at the podium. Mario immediately recognized the well-known coach and came to greet him. After a short exchange of words, Cicero jokingly invited the Federal District’s youngster to come and have a few rolls at his own gym in São Paulo.

The short chat with Cicero lit a fire under Leonardo and his desire to move to the sport’s main state in Brazil – São Paulo. A few months after the Nationals Master Cicero held a workshop in Brasília, not too far from Ceilândia, which Mario attended, taking his mom with him to convince Costha to accept Leonardo at his gym under a scholarship.

In January 2016 Leonardo Mario finally joined Cicero Costha’s academy in São Paulo, where he became one of the top colored belts in the nation and, later, in the world.

The good form shown by Leonardo Mario led to his black belt promotion, on May 13, 2021, by coach Cicero Costha.