Gabriel Almeida

Gabriel Almeida is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo and Leonardo Vieira, having also worked extensively with Eduardo Flexa, while being a representative of the Checkmat team in the sport’s international circuit. Almeida earned the reputation of being one of the top competitors of his generation by conquering medals in important events such as the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World, Pans and European Championships as well as United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) Abu Dhabi Pro.

Gabriel Almeida Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Gabriel Salles Muniz Almeida

Nickname: Gabriel is often referenced as “Todd”, the byname started being used by Almeida’s first coach, Mr. Eduardo Flexa, right at the start of his BJJ training. The reason for the nickname came from Gabriel beginning his BJJ tuition together with his cousin Raphael, the two sharing very similar features, being mistaken as brothers. Gabriel and Raphael were also raised Catholic, and were known as regular churchgoers; given these characteristics coach Flexa (who was known for handing nicknames to all his students) compared the two cousins to The Simpsons characters, Rod and Todd, sons of Ned Flanders. The nickname carried on through Almeida’s career from then on.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie (senior) > Hélio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti (Jacaré) > Ricardo Vieira (Rico)/Leonardo Vieira (Leozinho) > Gabriel Almeida

Main Achievements:

• SJJIF World Championship 2nd Place (2018)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• IBJJF World Champion (2014 blue)
• ACBJJ World Champion (2018 brown)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro Champion (2014 blue, 2018 brown)
• CBJJ Brasileiro No-Gi Champion (2014/2016 purple, 2017 brown)
• IBJJF European No-Gi Open Champion (2017 brown)
• ACBJJ European Open Champion (2018** brown)
• IBJJF American Nationals Champion (2018** brown)
• IBJJF World Championship 2nd Place (2017 brown)
• IBJJF European Open 2nd Place (2018 brown)
• IBJJF Pans 2nd Place (2014 Blue, 2016 purple)
• CBJJ Brasileiro 2nd Place (2017 brown)
• CBJJ Brasileiro No-Gi 2nd Place (2017* brown)
• IBJJF American Nationals 2nd Place (2018 brown)
• IBJJF Pans No-Gi 2nd Place (2018 brown)
• IBJJF World Championship 3rd Place (2017*/2018 brown)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro 3rd Place (2017 brown)
• IBJJF Pans 3rd Place (2014* Blue)
• CBJJ Brasileiro 3rd Place (2015** purple)
• IBJJF American Nationals 3rd Place (2018* brown)

Favorite Position/Technique: Single Leg X

Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88,30 kg / 195.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Checkmat

Gabriel Almeida Biography

Gabriel Almeida was born on June 4, 1992, in Niteroi, a well-known city in southeast Brazil, connected to Rio de Janeiro by a bridge across Guanabara Bay.

During his teenage years, Almeida’s fascination for jiu-jitsu led him to sign on to a grappling gym, Eduardo Flexa being his very first instructor and the man who graded Gabriel with his blue belt.

An outstanding student from the get-go, Almeida’s path became somewhat of an uncommon one in this sport. After coach Eduardo Flexa realized Gabriel’s tremendous potential for grappling and that his small gym was not suited to explore his athleticism to the fullest, he helped and incentivized his student to find a suitable home for progress. They found it in Fight Zone Rio de Janeiro (Checkmat) with Ricardo “Rico” Vieira (an honorable gesture reported by BJJ Heroes in 2014, in the piece “Being a Master“).

From the time he joined Checkmat, Almeida’s accomplishments stacked up, with medals in our sport’s biggest events, both in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF). The two most important governing bodies in BJJ.

With his path closely followed by 3 of the world’s best, Rico and Leonardo Vieira as well as one of the senior Checkmat team members, Thiago Sá, it didn’t come as a surprise when Almeida was accepted by the Rising Stars BJJ scholarship program (May 2018). The initiative aimed to help 5 of the sport’s rising stars in the colored belt divisions, by giving them high-level coaching, a residence, food and an opportunity to earn a living from competing. Almeida was selected from a list of over 1000 candidates and became one of the program’s most familiar faces.

The intense schedule put forward by Rising Stars bore fruit, and on October 13, 2018, Gabriel Almeida was promoted to black belt by his longtime coaches Rico and Leo Vieira.

Gabriel Almeida vs Abdulbari Guseinov