Daniel Diniz

Daniel Aquino Diniz Coelho Santos, commonly known as Daniel Diniz, is a professional grappler and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Lucas Leite, who also worked extensively with other coaches such as Leonardo Vieira, Pedro Franzosi, Diego, and Tiago Pereira. Daniel Diniz first made waves in the sport as a colored belt, taking medals in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) South American and Pan American Championships, later cementing his status as a black belt.

Daniel Diniz Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Daniel Aquino Diniz Coelho Santos

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Leonardo Vieira > Lucas Leite > Daniel Diniz

Main Achievements:

• 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2021)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu CON (2021)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championships (2018 / 2019 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2020 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF South American Championships (2017 purple)

Other Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF San Jose Open (2020 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF San Diego Spring Open (2019 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Brasilia Open (2019 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Brasilia Open NOGI (2019 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Curitiba Spring Open NOGI (2019 brown)
• 1st Place AJP Brasilia National Pro (2017 purple)

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard

Weight Division: Peso Pena (70,00 kg / 154.5 lbs)

Team/Association: Checkmat

Daniel Diniz Biography

Daniel Diniz was born on August 24, 1997, in Florianópolis, the capital of southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, where he lived up until his 13th birthday, a time when Diniz moved with his family to the Brazilian capital, Brasília.

Naturally drawn to sports, Daniel went through an array of activities, including surfing and swimming, the latter being the first sport in which he competed. Jiu-jitsu appeared in Diniz’s life when he was 12-years-old by the influence of his first cousin, André Santos, a black belt (who later moved to the USA and opened the Gracie Barra Champions gym in Texas). At the time André was already a well-known BJJ instructor and it was he who became Daniel’s first grappling coach.

Sadly for Daniel, his cousin André moved out of Brazil, settling in the US only a few months after Diniz had started his tuition. Finding himself without a coach but already in love with the sport, Diniz started looking for a new team to train with, finding what he was looking for at Diego and Tiago Pereira‘s academy, two coaches who graded Daniel with his blue belt.

After working with the Pereira family, Daniel Diniz switched camps once again due to logistical issues, settling at Pedro Franzosi of team Checkmat, where the Florianópolis native earned his purple and brown belts.

After graduating from university in 2019, Daniel decided to fulfill his dream of pursuing a career as a jiu-jitsu athlete under a full-time regimen. To further increase his chances of reaching his full potential in this sport, Diniz moved to the United States, where the biggest BJJ tournaments take place, there joining the local Checkmat academies of La Habra (Lucas Leite) and Sigan Hill (HQ with Leonardo Vieira).

In November 2020, Daniel Diniz was promoted to black belt by his instructor Lucas Leite.