Welerson Goncalves

Welerson Gonçalves da Silva, commonly referenced as Welerson Gonçalves (phonetically sounds like Welerson Gonsalves), is a professional grappler and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Polengue Dias who represents team Nova União in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) Tour’s circuits. Gonçalves is well recognized as one of the top players in Brazil, a status earned through his numerous medals in important tournaments such as the IBJJF South American, European, and the Brazilian National Championships.

Welerson Gonçalves Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Welerson Gonçalves da Silva

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Marlon Sandro > Polengue Dias > Welerson Gonçalves

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2021)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2022 / 2023)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2021 / 2022 / 2023)
• 3rd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2022)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2022)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2015 blue, 2017 purple, 2019 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Team Nationals (2018 purple)
• 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2019 brown)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2016 blue, 2019 brown)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2018 purple)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2014)

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard

Weight Division: Peso Galo (57,50 kg / 127.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Nova União

Welerson Gonçalves Biography

Welerson Gonçalves was born on January 09, 1997, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, growing up in the Morro de Santo Amaro a favela (slum) located in the South Zone of the famous South American city.

As a young boy, Welerson was embedded into football (soccer) culture, and like many Brazilian boys of his age, aspired to become a professional player but ended up joining a local jiu-jitsu club at the age of 7, influenced by his older brother who was already a BJJ blue belt at the time.

Gonçalves started competing as a grey belt in internal tournaments as he could not afford any paid events. But these early experiences opened the young Santo Amaro resident to the experience of performing in public and helped shape his desire to follow this sporting path.

Although interested in jiu-jitsu, the sport was not a main goal for Gonçaves, early on. An adolescence spent in a favela can often lead a young man down a dangerous path and many of Welerson’s closest friends were living a life outside of the law. It was by watching his friends go to prison and be murdered in the dangerous streets of his favela – including his closest friend – that Gonçalves started rethinking his life and making better decisions for his future. Part of this realization led him to pursue grappling as a career path, a step he took as a blue belt.

Under the guidance of coach Polengue Dias – who taught at a satellite gym of Nova União in Santo Amaro, Welerson Gonçalves became one of the rising stars on the national circuit. His good form and outstanding results helped the Rio de Janeiro native progress through BJJ’s belt ranking system, leading to his black belt in a promotion that took place on December 21, 2020.