Ighor Horta is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo Marques who was once a part of Marques’ very successful workgroup, Brazilian Top Team – Juiz de Fora, a squad that included big names such as Bernardo Faria, Leonardo Saggioro, Leon Brito, Waldyr Filho, Gabriel Procópio, to name a few. After his work with Marques, Horta went on to open his own BTT-affiliated BJJ school in North America.
Ighor Horta Jiu-Jitsu
Full Name: Ighor Luis Alvim Horta
Nickname: Sméagol. Unlike American combat sports nicknames, designed to boost the fighter’s profile for marketing purposes, Brazilian/Portuguese nicknames originate from familiar interactions such as banter between training partners and friends. The latter is the case of Ighor whose colloquial name came from an innuendo about his appearance, tying it to the famous creature from the Lord Of The Rings movies, Gollum/Sméagol.
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Sergio Souza > Ricardo Marques > Ighor Horta
Main Achievements (Professional):
- 1st Place IBJJF Rome Spring Open NOGI (2019)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Rome Spring Open (2019)
- 2nd Place IBJJF London Winter Open (2020)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Phoenix Open (2021)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Poznan Open (2019)
- 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2021)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Bello Horizonte Winter Open (2018)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Rio Fall Open (2018)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Phoenix Open (2021)
Main Achievements (Masters):
- 2nd Place IBJJF Masters North America Championship (2022)
Main Achievements (Colored Belts):
- 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2012 purple, 2015 brown)
- 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2013 purple)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2013 purple, 2016 brown)
Favorite Position/Technique: Half Guard
Weight Division: Peso Pena (70,00 kg / 154.5 lbs)
Team/Association: Brazilian Top Team
Ighor Horta Biography
Ighor Luis Alvim Horta was born on June 4, 1992, in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
BJJ appeared in Ighor’s life when he was 13 at the Paulo Alves Academy near Horta’s neighborhood, where he trained under coach Paulo Pianta. As he became more serious about his goals in competitive jiu-jitsu, he switched to a workgroup with similar ambition and a proven track record, finding what he was looking for at the Brazilian Top Team academy, one of the most successful grappling programs in the country.
Ighor trained with coach Ricardo Marques at BTT throughout the colored belts, earning his black belt rank in 2017.
In 2019, Ighor Horta moved to Europe and taught at various gyms in the United Kingdom. He would later shift gears to the United States, settling in Portland.
