Leandro Lo

Early life Leandro Pereira do Nascimento Lo was born on 11 May 1989 on the east side of São Paulo, Brazil. He started practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) at the age of 14, after joining a program for low-income children and adolescents, winning silver the following year, and bronze at the 2006 Brazilian National Championship competing as a featherweight. As a purple belt, Lo won silver at the 2006 World Championship but suffered a serious injury that kept him from most tournaments, using that time to heal and refine his technique, Lo then won silver at the 2008 CBJJE Brazilian Cup. Lo received all his belts from Costha's hands, and in July 2010, was promoted to black belt. and won the Brazilian Nationals. That same year Lo won the 2011 Abu Dhabi World Pro defeating Michael Langhi, who at the time was unbeaten in the lightweight division for three consecutive years, one of the best jiu-jitsu lightweight competitor at the time. Competing in No-Gi Lo became two-time Brazilian National No-Gi champion after winning gold for two consecutive years in three divisions; in 2012 Lo won silver in Absolute at the 2012 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, losing the final to Xande Ribeiro via advantage.

In 2012 he won another Brazilian Nationals title, the Pan American championship. and that same year, Lo won his first black belt world title becoming the 2012 lightweight world champion after beating Lucas Lepri in the final. Lo won again the 2013 World lightweight division the following year. Lo held an unbeaten winning streak at the Copa Podio Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013, one of the biggest professional jiu-jitsu events in Brazil, winning the 2013 edition in Rio de Janeiro after submitting UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns in an epic 20 minutes match. Until then a two-time lightweight world champion and already considered the best lightweight in the world,

Lo entered the 2014 World Championship moving up a weight class to middleweight (under ). After defeating Otavio Sousa Lo became the 2014 middleweight world champion, also winning Pan Am and Abu Dhabi Pro that year. Going up a weight class again to medium heavyweight (under ), Lo won the 2015 World (his fourth title in a row ), the Pan Am and the Abu Dhabi Pro tournaments. Lo won the last heavyweight title without conceding a single point. In addition to the three Copa Podio Grand Prix, Lo won the IBJJF World and Pan championships as well as the UAEJJF World Pro that year.

In 2017 Lo went again up another weight class by entering the IBJJF tournaments at heavyweight (under ), that year he won silver in absolute and silver in heavyweight at the world championship, after losing to Nicholas Meregali in the final. Lo then won double gold at Pan after defeating ultra heavyweight João Gabriel Rocha in the open weight final.

During the ADCC North American West Coast Trials, held in Anaheim California on 15 April 2017, Lo defeated Gordon Ryan in a Superfight by 4×0 pts. Invited to the 2017 ADCC World Championships in Espoo, Finland, competing for the first time for the - title, Lo was eliminated in the first round by Asia and Oceania Trials winner Craig Jones. After achieving a double Grand Slam, gold medals in weight and absolute divisions in the four main IBJJF tournaments: Euros, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds, Lo placed #1 in the IBJJF 2016–2017 ranking,

2018–20: Eighth Pan Am and record IBJJF World titles Lo became two-time Absolute Pan Champion, after winning the heavyweight and absolute divisions at the 2018 tournament taking place in March in Irvine, California. Lo defeated Tanner Rice in the heavyweight finals and Gutemberg Pereira in the finals of the Absolute division, furthering his record to eight Pan titles. (Lo earned eight gold medals in five different weight classes: one at lightweight, two at middleweight, one at medium-heavyweight, two at heavyweight, and two in open weight.)

In May 2018 Lo entered the world championship as super-heavyweight (under ) but dislocated his shoulder twice during the super-heavyweight final and was unable to continue; in a surprising move, his close friend Marcus Buchecha, who he was supposed to face in the Absolute final, forfeited his match to give Lo the 2018 open weight title, the only title missing in his career. In November Lo announced that he was stepping down from his role as NS Brotherhood head coach, to focus on competition and on his career.

Lo went back to heavyweight at the 2019 World Championship, winning silver after losing to Kaynan Duarte in the final. Competing for the open weight title, Lo defeated Keenan Cornelius in the semi-final but made the final a close out when he gave Buchecha the victory, returning the previous year favour. However, after Kaynan Duarte was stripped of his victory for failing a USADA Test, Lo was crowned world heavyweight champion, making him a record world champion in 5 different weight classes, thus dethroning the record held for 20 years by Saulo Ribeiro. On September 6, 2020, Lo competed against Nicholas Meregali at BJJ Bet, fighting him to a draw. He was then invited to compete in the middleweight grand prix at BJJ Stars 4 on November 14, 2020. Lo defeated three opponents on points and managed to win the tournament.

2021–22: Eighth and last IBJJF World title Returning at medium-heavyweight for the first time since 2016, training at Unity Jiu Jitsu in New York, Lo won bronze at the 2021 World Championship and at the 2022 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship; he then became the 2022 World Jiu-Jitsu Champion after defeating Isaque Bahiense in the medium heavyweight final; winning his eighth and last world championship title, an accomplishment only reached at the time by three others in IBJJF history.

Lo was booked to compete against Alex Munis in the main event of BJJ Stars 5 on February 6, 2021. Lo submitted Munis with a collar choke to win the match. He then competed in the main event of Big Deal Pro 3 on July 11, 2021 against Henrique Ceconi and defeated him by advantages. Lo was then invited to compete in the no gi grand prix at BJJ Bet 2 on August 1, 2021. Lo won his first two matches against Rafael Paganini and William Tackett but was submitted by Lucas 'Hulk' Barbosa by rear-naked choke in the final.

Recognition His guard technique earned Lo recognition as one of the "best pound for pound grapplers to have ever graced the mat." The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation called Lo "one of the greatest athletes our sport has ever produced" and "an example of a true black belt, martial artist and champion on and off the mats".

On May 11, 2023 the IBJJF announced that they would be posthumously inducting Lo into the IBJJF Hall of Fame.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitive summary Main achievements as black belt Achievements at major competitions: ) IBJJF European Open Champion (2017) BJJ Stars Middleweight Grand Prix Champion (2020) / 2019) 2nd place IBJJF World No-Gi Championship (2012) 2nd place IBJJF Pans Championship (2016 / 2014) 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2015 / 2021 ) 3rd place CBJJ Rio International Open Champion (2011 Lo was taken to hospital where he was declared brain dead. The alleged shooter, a police officer, was arrested the next evening after turning himself in.

Lo's funeral took place on 9 August 2022 at Morumbi Cemetery in São Paulo. Lo's fellow athletes, many wearing their Jiu-Jitsu Gi, lined the way from the chapel to the cemetery in a guard of honour, while his body was being carried in an open coffin.

The initial hearing for Lo's murder trial was scheduled for February 3, 2023. The day before the initial hearing was due to take place, it was postponed to March 24, 2023.

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