Rafael Trabuco

Rafael Trabuco, often referenced by his nickname, Louva, is a professional grappler and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Felipe Pena (Preguiça), who worked extensively with Alexandre Moreto (Rafael’s father), Jean Fank (Sensei Lobisomem), and Humberto Tavares. Rafael Trabuco first made waves in the sport as a brown belt, in 2024, a period in which he conquered Brazilian Nationals titles in the Gi & No-Gi rulesets as well as an Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour (AJP) World Professional Championship gold medal.

Rafael Trabuco Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Rafael Moreto Souza Trabuco

Nickname: Trabuco is often referenced by his training partners as “Louva” which is short for “Louva-Deus” which is the Portuguese word for the Praying Mantis insect. Trabuco was given this label for his lanky physique, which was particularly evident when he was a teenager.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Vinicius Magalhães (Draculino) > Marcelo Azevedo (Uirapuru) > Felipe Pena (Preguiça) > Rafael Trabuco

Main Achievements:

• 1st Plce ADCC Sao Paulo Open (2025)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2024 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2024* brown)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2024 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship NOGI (2024** brown)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2024 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF South American Championship (2023 brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Well Rounded

Weight Division: Super-Pesado (100,50 kg / 222.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Gracie Barra / FP Gold Team

Rafael Trabuco Biography

Rafael Trabuco was born in Dias D’Avila a city in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

Trabuco’s jiu-jitsu career began through his father, Alexandre Moreto, who started training at a local team in 2011 under instructor Jean Fank (also known as Sensei Lobisomem). Alexandre – who later became an accomplished black belt himself – brought Rafael and Trabuco’s middle brother, João, to class as well when they were 7 (Rafael) and 9 (João).

During this early period of training jiu-jitsu, Rafael and his brother trained with the adults and were the only children in the academy. The drive to the gym and the whole ritual of getting ready to train became somewhat of a family bonding ritual for many years and although João stopped training before his teens, Rafael and his father maintained their consistency on the mats.

Around the time he was a yellow belt, Rafael’s father, Alexandre, was laid off work and started teaching jiu-jitsu in their neighborhood to bring home an extra income. This was when Trabuco started doing multiple training sessions daily and evolving as a grappler in the tournament scene. A success that saw him go through the blue belt rank without ever tasting defeat.

When he was promoted to purple belt, still in his mid-teens, Trabuco’s father and Jean Frank believed he had the potential to become a big player in the professional circuit. To fulfill his potential, the two agreed it would be best to send him to the city of Feira de Santana to train with Master Humberto Tavares, who had a bigger and more structured competition team.

Rafael spent 3 years training in Feira de Santana with Master Tavares but grew disheartened with the sport as, despite winning every major title in the North-Northeast interstate circuit, he could not afford to compete in the IBJJF/CBJJ, where so many of the bigger names made themselves noticed. It was at this point, in the beginning of his brown belt career, that a friend of Trabuco shared an Instagram post that advertised a qualifier event for Felipe Pena‘s Gold Team, a professional squad developed in the famous multiple time ADCC champion’s personal academy in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Rafael attended the trials and was successful at gaining the interest of Pena, who signed him for the workgroup.

In August 2023, Rafael Trabuco left the state of Bahia to live in BH, Minas Gerais. It was there that Trabuco’s talent finally started being noticed at an international level, thanks to his performances at the Brazilian Nationals and AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro. Rafael Trabuco’s good form earned him his black belt on December 2024, in a ceremony led by Felipe Pena.