Marcio Andre on moving to the USA

EXCLUSIVE: Marcio Andre has left Abu Dhabi, his home for the last two years, and has relocated to the United States in order to further his career as a jiu-jitsu competitor.

The 22-year-old Nova Uniao black belt, who hails from Rio de Janeiro, has moved to Tempe, Arizona where he will train at the Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy.


Marcio Andre in action at the IBJJF 2017 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling

The move opens up the opportunity for Andre to compete in more events around the United States. While living in Abu Dhabi and competing as part of the UAEJJ team, Andre would compete in a limited number of IBJJF tournaments, namely the Europeans, Pans, Worlds and No-Gi Worlds.

The new phase of his career starts now with the IBJJF New York Open (April 8-9), and soon after Marcio will compete in the Las Vegas Open.

Now I will compete in more IBJJF Opens, which will see me better prepared for the big competitions. I want to fight more and more, this is my life. Where I come from, fighting is a natural thing. I love to compete.

Andre most recently competed in the IBJJF 2017 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship last weekend where he won the silver medal in the lightweight division.

His extensive resume includes
• Abu Dhabi World Pro champion 2016
• IBJJF World No-Gi champion 2016
• IBJJF World Championship silver medalist 2016
• IBJJF European champion 2015, 2016, 2017


Marcio Andre after winning the Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2016. Photo: William Burkhardt / BJJPix.

From Rio de Janeiro to Abu Dhabi to Arizona

For a full biography of Marcio Andre click here

Marcio Andre began training jiu-jitsu as an 11-year-old in Bangu, one of the most populous and gang-ridden neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. His father died when he was two years old, and Marcio worked at a car wash and in supermarkets to pay the entrance fees for tournaments.

Andre -- still only 16 years old -- made his first trip to the U.S. in 2011 to fight in the world championships as a blue belt. He won the adult blue belt category even though he was a juvenile. In the following years, he rose through the ranks -- Andre won Worlds at purple belt in 2012 and 2013 and at brown belt in 2014.

The Nova Uniao black belt moved to Abu Dhabi in 2015 to train full-time and teach jiu-jitsu. While part of the UAEJJ Team, he won the Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Cup in 2016, beating Paulo Miyao in the final.

In 2017 Andre moved to train at the Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Tempe, Arizona. Dantas is a fourth degree black belt from Nova Uiao, and is the creator of the The BJJ Mental Coach as well as being vice president of the Arizona BJJ Federation.

Reporting by Vitor Freitas and Hywel Teague