Carlos José Junior “Righetti”

Carlos José Luiz Junior, commonly known as Junior Righetti, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Michael Langhi who worked extensively with coach Fábio Gaúcho during his colored belt career. Originally a representative of the Almeida Jiu-Jitsu Academy in São Paulo, Righetti moved to the Alliance workgroup in 2022, where he achieved worldwide success at the amateur level of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit before earning his pro status as a black belt.

Carlos José Luiz Junior Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Carlos José Luiz Junior

Nickname: Carlos is mostly known as “Junior Righetti” or “Righetti” in the jiu-jitsu world, which is his mother’s maiden name. The label started being used when he was a child in his neighborhood, as he was identified as “Righetti’s son”.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Alexandre Paiva > Fernando Tererê > Rubens Charles > Michael Langhi > Carlos José Junior

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 brown)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2024 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2024 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship (2024 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF South American Championship (2023 brown)

Favorite Position/Technique: Guard Player

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

Team / Association: Alliance

Carlos José Luiz Junior Biography

Carlos José Junior was born in October 1999 in São Paulo, Brazil, where he grew up.

When he was entering his teens, Righetti’s curiosity was drawn to a couple of neighbors who had cauliflower ear. Their vibe led Carlos to inquire about which sport they practiced, and it turned out one of them was a jiu-jitsu black belt instructor, Guilherme Carturan. Junior was invited to attend one of his classes, an invitation accepted by the young Paulistano.

Although Righetti started with Carturan, his tuition soon changed hands with Fábio Gaúcho, taking over while he was still a white belt. Mr. Gaúcho helped Carlos Junior climb the ranks of the sport to brown belt.

Fábio Gaúcho ran an affiliate of the Almeida JJ team, where Carlos developed into one of the strongest brown belts in the state, but as Righetti’s talent pointed to a future outside of his home state and into the world-wide circuit, Junior opted to switch camps and join the most dominant squad in the sport at the time, the Alliance Team.

At the Alliance Headquarters in São Paulo, Junior Righetti met Michael Langhi, the workgroup’s head coach. Under this new flag, Carlos José Junior became one of the main figures in the brown belt category, earning medals in the top events on the international schedule. This good form earned him his black belt in a ceremony held on July 3, 2024.