List of fighters from one of the best BJJ and MMA teams in the World. Find out more of it’s fighters and their lives.
Espen Mathiesen is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under José Carlos, who competes for Kimura – Nova Uniao internationally. Originally from Norway, Espen has won Pans and European titles while medalling also in the top BJJ tournaments in the world.
Tommy Langaker is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt from Norway who earned his rank directly from José Carlos of Kimura – Nova Uniao, having also worked extensively with the Mendes Brothers.
Danilo Cherman is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under André Pederneiras of Nova União (NU) and a pioneer for the team in the field of mixed martial arts (MMA), having fought in historic promotions such as Shooto (Japan), Fury FC (Brazil) and Cage Rage (UK).
Gazzy Parman is a pioneer for women’s jiu jitsu and a black belt under John Lewis. A unique character in the female competitive grappling scene throughout the 2000’s decade, Gazzy’s outspoken demeanor and competitive accolades made her a fan favorite across the globe.
André Motta is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under André Pederneiras of Nova Uniao, being one of the team’s top grappling competitors throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, alongside legendary black belts such as Victor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, Robson Moura, Leo Santos and many others. Throughout André Motta’s career, he was mostly known for his incredibly technical spider guard game, a game that earned him many praises and medals, a guard that was only passed once in his career as an adult black belt.
André Luiz Candido da Silva, commonly known in the Brazilian jiu jitsu community as André ‘Marola’ is a black belt under Wendel Alexander, and the head coach of Nova União’s jiu jitsu team, at the academy’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, having replaced the legendary André Pederneira’s position as coach in the team in 2008.
Marcio André is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and one of the top athletes of his generation in the sport, being also one of the prime representatives of the Nova Uniao team in the gi.
Fábio Andrade is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete as well as a highly regarded coach of Nova Uniao’s BJJ team and a prime figure in the revamping of the team within the sport in recent years, mentioned by Protocolo BJJ as having ‘the midas touch’ due to his consistency in bringing new talent through his social project academy in Bangu.
John Lewis is former MMA fighter and a martial artist who holds black belts in a variety of fighting styles, including a black belt in judo awarded by the legendary Gene LeBell and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras, having been mentioned by many as one of the first true mixed martial artists, considering he mastered many different styles in a time when only style specialists were fighting MMA.
A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Andre Pederneiras, Marcos Galvao, also known by his nickname “Loro”, has become one of the top MMA fighters in the world after winning the Bellator Bantamweight tournament in 2012. Marcos Galvao also trains with another legend of the sport, Vitor Ribeiro.
One of the hottest prospects of jiu jitsu in at the turn of the millennium, Thiago Fernandes was a jiu jitsu and submission wrestling competitor with an incredible future ahead before a hideous car crash took his life in 2001. Originally from the Oriente academy in Niteroi, Thiago Fernandes moved to Nova Uniao as a teenager where he developed into one of the best grapplers in the country through wins over well established black belts at the age of 17.
Wagnney Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Wendell Alexander who turned into a professional MMA fighter in the early 2000’s, becoming the IFL (International Fight League) Featherweight Champion. A very successful BJJ competitor in the 1990’s, Fabiano conquered several important trophies such as the Brazilian National Championship and the National Teams tournament. Wagnney Fabiano is also the older brother of the famous 4x BJJ World Cup Champion Leo Santos.
A great martial artis and true competitor, Fernando “Boi” Marques was one of the best heavyweight grapplers of his generation having won a world title in jiu jitsu back in 2001. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras , Fernando Marques is also an accomplished freestyle and Greco roman wrestler, having won national titles and been a part of the Brazilian national wrestling squad for the Pan Americans as well as a former full contact kickboxer.
Jair Lourenço is one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA coaches in the world, having brought to the limelight a legion of incredible fighters such Renan Barão, Michele Tavares, Jussier “Formiga”, Marcelo “Caneta”, Ronny Markes, Claudia Gadelha, Gleison Tibau to name a few, helping to put the northeast region of Brazil on the BJJ map.
Renan Barão is a professional MMA fighter with a Jiu Jitsu background having become the 100th black belt awarded by the Andre Pederneiras in 2011. Originally fighting out of the Kimura/Nova Uniao camp in his naive town of Natal (RN), Barao also trains regularly at Rio de Janeiro with the main Nova Uniao team, sharing the mats with Jose Aldo, Marlon Sandro and many others.
Leandro Nyza is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Wendell Alexander, who was brought to Hawaii by former UFC Lightweight & Welterweight Champion BJ Penn. Nyza has since established himself and his academy as one of the strongest in the region.
A jiu jitsu black belt from the Nova Uniao team, Bernardo Pitel was consistently since the early 2000’s one of the most active competitors in the Pluma weight division. The man from Brasilia, and student of Joao Roque has managed to medal in some of the world’s most important tournaments such as the Pan America, the Mundial and the Brazilian Nationals.
Daniel Garcia, also known as “Neguinho”, is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Feijão from the Nova União team. A World Cup …
Rodney Ellis is an Australian black belt in jiu-jitsu under the legendary instructor, André Pederneiras of Nova Uniao. Ellis became one of Australia’s top …
Jonatas Gurgel, also known as “Tagarela” is one of the top Jiu Jitsu fighters in the famous American Top Team (ATT). With an amazing …