FloGrappling would like to wish Mario Sperry a very happy 50th birthday! 

A three-time BJJ world champion, two-time ADCC champion, three-time ADCC superfight winner and prolific MMA fighter, Mario Sperry was one of the most dominant grapplers of the late 90s and was instrumental in developing one of the powerhouse teams of the time, Brazilian Top Team. 

Sperry was born in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil. He trained jiu-jitsu with the legendary Carlson Gracie in Rio de Janeiro, and judo under the enigmatic yet well-respected coach Georges Mehdi. 

In 1996 Sperry won the first jiu-jitsu World Championships. He repeated the feat in 1997 and in 1998 he was crowned the absolute division.

He competed in the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, winning the -99kg division in 1998. In 1999 he faced and beat Enson Inoue in the first ADCC superfight. He would return in 20011, 2013 and 2015 for 'veteran' superfights against Renzo Gracie, Fabio Gurgel and Ricardo Liborio respectively. 

Sperry was also a prolific MMA fighter, amassing a 17-fight career between 1995 and 2007. As one of the founders of the Brazilian Top Team, he trained and managed fighters such as former UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira, among others. 

He now lives in Miami, Florida and regularly can be found on the mats at Roberto Cyborg's gym Fight Sports.