Léo Vieira facts for kids
Léo Vieira, whose full name is Leonardo Alcantara Vieira, is a famous Brazilian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert and teacher. People often call him Léo Vieira or Leozinho. He was born on March 23, 1976. Léo is the oldest of the Vieira brothers, who are all very skilled in Jiu-Jitsu. His brothers, Ricardo and Leandro, also lead and compete for their team, Checkmat. Léo Vieira is known for winning many big competitions in Jiu-Jitsu and a related sport called submission grappling.
Quick facts for kids Léo Vieira |
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Vieira in May 2019
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| Born | March 23, 1976 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Other names | Leozinho |
| Division | Featherweight |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Team | Checkmat |
| Rank | 6th deg. BJJ black belt |
| Years active | 1997–2013; 2017 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Brazil |
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| Grappling | ||
| ADCC | ||
| Gold | 2003 São Paulo, Brazil | -66kg |
| Gold | 2005 California, USA | -66kg |
| Silver | 2007 New Jersey, USA | -66kg |
| Silver | 2011 Nottingham, UK | -77kg |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | ||
| World Championship | ||
| Silver | 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -76kg |
| Gold | 1998 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -76kg |
| Bronze | 2000 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | -76kg |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | ||
| Pan American Championship | ||
| Gold | 2002 California, USA | -69kg |
| Gold | 2004 California, USA | -69kg |
Léo Vieira's Jiu-Jitsu Journey
Léo Vieira started learning Jiu-Jitsu when he was just 6 years old. His first teacher was Romero 'Jacare' Cavalcanti. Over the years, Léo became incredibly skilled.
He won many important medals in the sport. These include the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships and the Pan American Championships. He also won the famous ADCC world championships, which is a top competition for submission grappling.
After taking a break from competing in Jiu-Jitsu with the traditional uniform (Gi), Léo returned in 2017. He was 41 years old at the time. He competed in Moscow but lost his fight. Later that year, he faced Chael Sonnen in the ADCC competition and lost by the referee's decision.
Léo took another break from competing. He returned again on November 6, 2022, at an event called BJJ Stars 7. In this match, he won against Cleber Luciano by a score of 8-0.
In 2022, Léo Vieira took on a new role. He became the Vice President of Grappling for ONE Championship. This means he helps lead and organize grappling events for this big sports organization.
Building the CheckMat Team
Léo Vieira and his brothers started the CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu team in 2008. Their main training center is in São Paulo, Brazil. CheckMat quickly became one of the most successful teams in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
The team has won many awards. CheckMat was the NoGi World Champion Team in both 2008 and 2009. They also won first place in the Brazilian Nationals (Gi) in 2010. In the same year, they won the Brazilian Nationals (No-Gi) as well.
Léo Vieira's Teachers
In Jiu-Jitsu, it's important to know who taught whom. This is called an "instructor lineage." Léo Vieira learned from a line of very famous teachers:
- Mitsuyo Maeda
- Carlos Gracie, Sr.
- Helio Gracie
- Rolls Gracie
- Romero Cavalcanti
- Léo Vieira
