Thiago Abreu

Thiago Abreu, commonly known as Thiago “Baiano” is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Cavaca and a representative of the Checkmat team in the sport’s competitive circuit, having conquered medals in some of the main tournaments of the grappling world, including the World Championship (Gi and No-Gi) as well as the Pan American Championship and Sao Paulo Open.

Thiago Abreu Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Thiago Aragão de Abreu

Nickname: “Baiano” in Portuguese is representative of someone born in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The typical Bahia person is often depicted as a lazy character in Brazilian satire, it was this quality that got Thiago his nickname after a childhood event, when one of his friends passed by his house to call him but Thiago was fast asleep. Abreu is also nicknamed “Paraíba” by some of his friends, this usually reflects someone with unusual strength (and slightly empty headed) also within Brazilian popular culture.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Élcio Figueiredo > Rodrigo Cavaca > Thiago Abreu

Main Achievements:

• World No-Gi Champion (2009 brown weight & absolute, 2014)
• Brazilian National Champion (2009 purple)
• Sao Paulo Open Champion (2015, 2014)
• Sao Paulo No Gi Open Champion (2015)
• World No-Gi Championship Runner-up (2011)
• Pan American No-Gi Championship Runner-up (2010)
• World Championship 3rd Place (2012)
• World No-Gi Championship 3rd Place (2015)

Favorite Position/Technique: Footlocks

Weight Division: Peso Leve (76kg/167lbs)

Team/Association: Checkmat

Thiago Abreu Biography

Thiago Abreu was born on the 2nd of May, 1983 in Santos on the coast of Sao Paulo – Brazil.

Unlike many of jiu jitsu’s top competitors who tend to begin their grappling activities during their teenage years, Thiago Abreu didn’t start training until his 21st birthday – influenced by his good friend Ingmar Santos, who taught at a local gym.

Santos was a friend of Thiago and knew how much he enjoyed the idea of martial arts, having never found the time to enter a combat sports gym. After some persuasion Ingmar convinced Abreu to try one of his classes at the Integração Jiu Jitsu in Santos, an academy that had a run of important coaches through the years, including Ingmar himself, Rodrigo Cavaca or Teco Shinzato.

In his first class, Thiago Abreu was paired up with a much smaller partner, Roger Clavijo who was a blue belt then. Baiano was toyed with, when sparring, by Clavijo and immediately decided this was something he
had to do.

Thiago abreu was graded by Ingmar Santos as a blue belt, but shortly after Baiano started training at his university campus in FEFIS (Faculdade de Educação Física de Santos) for convenience purposes. In the meantime, Ingmar and his friend Rodrigo Cavaca left Integração and joined Brasa Clube de Jiu Jitsu, forming their own academy.

By the time Thiago re-started training with his old coaches, Ingmar re-located to a different town. From their on, Cavaca took control of Abreu’s tuition awarding him his purple, brown and black belts, the latter on on the 6th of July 2010.

In 2012 Thiago Abreu and his friend Gabriel Rollo opened their own academy, a gym that grew in the region with several affiliates and hard competitors.

Thiago Abreu vs Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira

Thiago Abreu vs Ricardo Rocha