André Pederneiras

Carlos André Pederneiras de Castro (born 22 March 1967) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and promoter. A former BJJ competitor, holding today a Red and Black 7th Degree Coral belt, Pederneiras is a six-time Brazilian National jiu-jitsu champion. During his short career as an MMA fighter, he challenged Pat Miletich for the UFC Welterweight Championship in 1999, and fought at the Shooto-run Vale Tudo Japan events. He is widely regarded as one of the best BJJ and MMA coaches in the world.

Among the numerous champions he produced, Pederneiras is best known for training José Aldo, B.J. Penn and Renan Barão who all became UFC champions. Pederneiras is also the President of Shooto Brasil, the Brazilian branch of Japanese MMA promotion Shooto. When he was 17 years old he joined a gym, originally to train with weight for fitness. However the gym offered Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) classes as well so he decided to try it out. He trained with Rodrigo Vieira, a student of Rickson Gracie until he received his Brown Belt. After Vieira left to join another gym, Carlson Gracie became Pederneiras' coach and also offered him a position of instructors of the juniors at the gym. Although is reached success quite fast, it was unable to compete with much larger team like Gracie Barra and the Carlson Gracie Team that won most of the tournaments due to the number of athletes they could field. Nova União would become one of the leading teams in BJJ where it would win many medals in tournaments such as the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. He was the first American to achieve this feat.

Later on, Pederneiras decided make Nova União branch out more into MMA because he saw it as a viable way for many of its gym members who had poor backgrounds to earn a living.

In 2018, Pederneiras stepped down from his duties as leader and head trainer of Nova União to focus on building another gym called Academia Upper. As of 2021, Pederneiras still remains as Aldo's coach. Cláudia Gadelha – Former UFC Women's Strawweight title challenger Eduardo Dantas – Former two-time Bellator Bantamweight Champion Marcos Galvão – Former Bellator Bantamweight Champion

Grapplers

Robson Moura – 5x IBJJF World Champion (Black Belt) Vítor Ribeiro – 3x IBJJF World Champion (Black Belt), ADCC Bronze Medalist João Roque – IBJJF World Champion (Black Belt)

Awards and achievements

7th degree Coral (Red and Black) Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu PVT Magazine (Portal do Vale Tudo) – MMA Coach of the Year 2010 6x Brazilian National Champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Vale Tudo Japan Champion (1998)

Mixed martial arts record Draw

Genki Sudo Draw C2K – Colosseum 2000

Japan Draw

Caol Uno Draw VTJ 1999 – Vale Tudo Japan 1999

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Pat Miletich TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 21

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States Win

Rumina Sato KO (soccer kick and punches) VTJ 1998 – Vale Tudo Japan 1998

Tokyo, Japan