Matheus Lutes

Matheus Lutes is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Marcelo Garcia, who also worked extensively with Murilo Santana and Rodrigo Pena. Lutes became widely recognized as one of the top middleweight (82,30 kg) competitors of his generation while representing the Alliance team (New York City branch) in several of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) main tournaments as well as professional promotions such as Kasai Pro and Polaris Invitational.

Matheus Lutes Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Matheus Francisco Lutes

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Fabio Gurgel >Marcelo Garcia > Matheus Lutes

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2017 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2015 blue, 2016 purple, 2018** brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship NOGI (2015 blue, 2016**/2017** purple, 2018** brown)
• 1st Place KASAI Elite Challenge (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2018 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pans Championship No-Gi (2015* purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2018 brown)
• 3rd Place KASAI Pro III (2018)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Blitz Style Passing

Weight Division: Peso Médio (82,30 kg / 181.5 lbs)

Team/Association: Alliance

Matheus Lutes Biography

Matheus Lutes was born on January 27, 1996, in Belo Horizonte (BH), the capital city of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Martial arts and sports, in general, became part of Matheus’ lifestyle from a very young age. By the time he was 12 years old, Lutes joined a local judo club at the Aglomerado da Serra, the biggest favela in BH. A place where Matheus gave his first steps towards competing in combat sports.

Lutes spent 2 years in judo, while also attempting a career in football (soccer). During his 14th birthday, the pastor of the presbyterian church Matheus attended, who was also a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, invited the teenager to come and train in one of his BJJ classes, which he taught out of a church room twice per week, this being Lutes’ first experience in this grappling style.

With time the Pastor, Mr. Rodrigo Pena, became not only a reference for Matheus in church and on the mats, but also a fatherly figure for the young athlete. Pena’s love for jiu-jitsu was also a major influence in Lutes’ decision to pursue a career in combat sports.

During his mid-teens, Matheus moved to Portugal, settling around the Carcavelos area (Lisbon), where he continued to train jiu-jitsu. During his time in the Southern European country, Lutes met and befriended a few students of Cicero Costha, among them Paulo and João Miyao, who were lodged in his apartment during their 2014 stay in Lisbon for the IBJJF European Open.

Matheus and the Miyaos trained together during their stay, after which Lutes was invited to come to New York and train with them at the Unity Jiu-Jitsu Academy. The opportunity was a tremendous gift, but the young BH native did not have the financial stability necessary to make the move, as such he was forced to decline. During a talk with a fellow training partner in Lisbon, Mr. Luigi Mazzetti di Pietralata (an Italian entrepreneur stationed in Portugal), regarding this once in a lifetime chance, Luigi kindly offered to sponsor Lutes’, thus setting Matheus on the path to North America.

During his first few months in New York, Matheus became good friends with Marcelo Garcia and his team, whom he saw regularly at tournaments. In 2017, then a purple belt with a pregnant wife and a world of important decisions ahead, Lutes decided to switch teams, moving to the Alliance Academy, while keeping a good relationship with his previous training partners and coach.

After a hectic period, with a new baby, the relocation of his family and many sporting events along the way, in 2018 Matheus was finally able to focus solely on his grappling. The excellent results obtained would lead to his black belt promotion, in December 2019.

Matheus Lutes vs Jeremiah Vance