By Michael Sears 

The lightweight division has always been one of the deepest in terms of talent. The last two brown belt world champions at lightweight, Edwin Najmi and Renato Canuto, immediately made an impact at the black belt level. Following in their footsteps is Hugo Marques. 

The Soul Fighters product and the 2017 brown belt world champ is looking to replicate the success of his predecessors in 2018, and his first test at a major competition comes at the IBJJF European Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, this week.

Hugo Marques during the 2017 IBJJF World Championships. Photo: Michael Sears

After falling short in his first attempt at a brown belt world title, losing to Renato Canuto in the 2016 final, Marques had a stellar run in 2017. Although he finished in third place at the 2017 Pans, Marques would go on to win the Brasileiro (Brazilian national championships) and head into Worlds on a roll. At the 2017 IBJJF World Championships in Long Beach, CA, Marques attained his second IBJJF world title, after earlier achieving the distinction as a blue belt. 

To make the final, Marques had to get through a series of tough competitors in Pedro Ramalho, Angelo Claiborne, and Alexandre Molinaro in the earlier rounds. In the final, Marques came out on top in a hard-fought battle against GFT prospect Dante Leon. Shortly after Worlds, Marques was awarded his black belt by instructor Leandro “Tatu” Escobar.

Success at the colored belts in no way equals certain success at black belt, and Marques knows he is dealing with a new standard of opponent. 

“Now the game really starts," he said. "Everyone is professional, and the level rises naturally. You can afford to make less mistakes, one mistake can cost victory.”

Marques grew up in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Tijuca, not far from the legendary Maracana Stadium. The name of the neighborhood may sound familiar to jiu-jitsu fans, as the Tijuca Tenis Clube was the site of the IBJJF Worlds for years before the event relocated to California.

As a youth, Marques was interested in training jiu-jitsu but was kept away from the sport by his mother, who did not like the bad boy image associated with jiu-jitsu fighters at the time. Instead he would stay active playing sports like soccer and water polo. Eventually as a teenager, Marques would get his wish and began his jiu-jitsu training under Alexandre Salgado.

Marques was joined in this venture by his brother Rafa, who currently holds the rank of brown belt. The two initially trained under Salgado at Soul Fighters. In time, the brothers additionally trained under Salgado’s Soul Fighters teammate, the aforementioned Tatu.

Hugo Marques and Leandro “Tatu” Escobar. Photo: Michael Sears

Three years into his training, Marques won the IBJJF Worlds in 2013 as a blue belt. Not long after, he was promoted to purple belt and reached the top of the podium at No-Gi Worlds in 2014. At purple belt, he also collected a Brazilian Nationals gold medal.

Alongside his twice-a-day training routine, Marques also trains CrossFit. The cardio, speed, and explosiveness acquired from this combination of training can be seen in his dynamic passing style. He will often blitz an opponent’s guard, using the openings created in a scramble to take the back or hit a submission. 

Our first chance to see this young prospect in action at the highest level is at this week's IBJJF European Championships in Lisbon.

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