Leon Mendonca

Leon Mendonça is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and a black belt under Rodrigo Feijão, who worked extensively with Vinícius Gimenes. Mendonça first made waves in the sport at the colored belt level, the amateur circuit, while representing Clube de Jiu-Jitsu Rodrigo Feijão, particularly with the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) where he conquered numerous important medals including multiple World, Pan American, and Brazilian National titles in the purple and brown belt divisions.

Leon Mendonça Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Leon da Silva Mendonça

Nickname: Often referenced as “Geladeira”-the Portuguese word for Chest Freezer, the label was handed by his training partners for Leon’s size and how heavy he felt when sparring.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Rodrigo Feijão > Leon Mendonça

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2024)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2022** purple, 2024 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022 purple, 2024 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2021* purple, 2024 brown)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2023 brown)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, RJN (2021 purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2023 brown)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2021 purple)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2023 brown)
• 3rd Place Copa Podio Purple Games (2022 purple)

Main Achievements (Teen / Juvenile):

• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2014 / 2015 / 2017 / 2019)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2016)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019*)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Well Rounded

Weight Division: Pesadissimo (over 100,50 kg / 222.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Clube Feijão Jiu-Jitsu

Leon Mendonça Biography

Leon Mendonça was born in March 2002 in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, in a small countryside city called Campos dos Goytacazes, where he grew up.

When he was 8, Leon’s father decided to start training jiu-jitsu and took the young Mendonça with him to practice. The experience was very positive and the young Rio de Janeiro native fell in love with the sport from the get-go, becoming a dedicated practitioner and competitor.

Vinícius Gimenes was Leon’s first instructor and the coach who guided him through all the junior belts. A natural born athlete, Mendonça quickly gained success in the regional kids circuit, going on to achieve national success as a junior, teen, and juvenile athlete.

By the time he was a yellow belt, Leon Mendonça was already working towards a full-time career in jiu-jitsu and as he reached the blue belt rank, he felt it was time to change camps and train with a professional team. He ended up finding what he was looking for in coach Rodrigo Feijão’s camp, in the state of Parana, over 1000 km from his home.

Mendonça arrived at Rodrigo Feijão’s team as a blue belt and worked under the guidance of the legendary Nova União lightweight through the remaining ranks, earning his black belt on September 14, 2024. During his time at the Rodrigo Feijão Team, Leon also represented team Vision, a Qatar-based association that partnered with RFT for a while.