André Porfirio

André Porfirio is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Roberto Abreu (Cyborg) who worked extensively with Cicero Costha and the PSLPB team in São Paulo, Brazil. Porfirio made a name for himself in the colored belt divisions when he conquered 4 World titles with the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), which earned him a reputation as one of his generation’s most prominent athletes, a status he would confirm as a black belt by conquering several important titles in the professional circuit in a varied range of rulesets.

André Porfirio Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: André Luiz Novaes Porfirio

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Francisco Albuquerque > Roberto Abreu > André Porfirio

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2021)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, MIA (2021 / 2022)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2020)
• 1st Place Midwest Finishers SO (2022* / 2023*)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2021)
• 3rd Place ADCC Brazilian Trials 1 (2022)
• 3rd Place ADCC Brazilian Trials 2 (2022)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2015 / 2016 blue, 2018 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship Juvenile (2014)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2019 brown)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2016 blue)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2016 blue)
• 1st Place Brazilian Nationals Juvenile (2013)
• 1st Place Brazilian Nationals (2015 / 2016 blue)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2016 blue)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2019 brown)
• 3rd Place Brazilian Nationals Juvenile (2018 purple)

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard

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

Team/Association: N/A

André Porfirio Biography

André Porfirio was born on November 24, 1997, in Santos, a coastal city in Brazil’s São Paulo district.

Drawn to combat sports from a young age, Porfirio entered a Thai boxing gym at the age of 10, influenced by a good friend who also trained the famous striking martial art. From there, one year later, Porfirio added karate to his extra-curricular activities.

In July 2011, Porfirio decided to add jiu-jitsu to his training schedule with Alexandre Ranieri as a coach. He quickly became fascinated with the sport and after 3 months decided to join a gym with a stronger focus on competition, choosing Valdir Canuto‘s (Tio Chico) academy for that purpose, the father of another growing star in the sport, at the time – Renato Canuto.

Although in his teens at the time, André was adamant that his future lied in jiu-jitsu, and with the consent of his parents, in December 2012, he moved to the state capital, São Paulo, to train full time with Cicero Costha, one of the country’s most respected instructors.

Arriving as a white belt, Porfirio earned his blue, purple, and brown belt ranks from Costha, while becoming one of the biggest references in the colored belt divisions by conquering 4 world titles in that category.

During one of André’s visits to the United States to compete, he was offered a coaching position at a Renzo Gracie Academy affiliate in Orlando, Florida, which he accepted. Even though he loved the region, Porfirio quickly felt himself stagnating as an athlete without a strongly competitive environment from which to evolve. He decided to leave RGA but his love for Florida led him to one of the most iconic grappling gyms in the world, Roberto Cyborg‘s Fight Sports in Miami, which he joined in 2019.

Porfirio’s fruitful stay in Miami let to his black belt promotion, an event led by Roberto Abreu on June 17, 2020, and in early 2023, Porfirio would leave team Fight Sports.

The cover photo was taken by Katy Petty – @kpetty_photography