Victor Genovesi

One of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors of an exciting new generation of featherweight fighters to have appeared in BJJ post 2010, Victor Genovesi is also the son of marathon runner Dani Figueiredo and her husband (one of the top BJJ coaches in the world) Alexandre Paiva who has coached many great fighters such as: Tererê and Leo Leite, with whom Victor has trained since his teenage years.

Victor Genovesi Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Victor Figueiredo Genovesi

Nickname: Vitinho, which is a friendly way of saying Victor.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Alexandre Paiva > Victor Genovesi

Main Achievements:

• IBJJF London Open Champion (2015)
• IBJJF São Paulo Open Champion (2016)
• CBJJ Brasileiro No Gi Championship 3rd Place (2013)
• IBJJF Pans Championship 3rd Place (2017)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• IBJJF World Champion (2012 brown)
• IBJJF Brasileiro Champion (2013 brown)
• CBJJ Brasileiro No Gi Champion (2010 purple)
• IBJJF European Open Champion (2011 brown)
• CBJJ Brasileiro No Gi Championship 3rd Place (2012 brown)
• CBJJ Brasileiro Championship 3rd Place (2009 blue)
• IBJJF Rio Open Championship 3rd Place (2011 brown)
• IBJJF European Open Championship 3rd Place (2012 brown)

Favorite Technique: Guard Passing

Weight Division: Peso Pena (70kg/141lbs)

Team/Association: Alliance,

Victor Genovesi Biography

Victor Genovesi was born on the 11th of March, 1991 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Victor started training Jiu Jitsu very early in his life, at the age of 3 in the famous Strike academy, being taught by Muzio de Angelis. His instruction also went through Alexandre Puga, one of the coaches at the Alliance academy in Zona Sul.

Victor was very young at the time and unsure of which sport he wanted to follow, he decided to quit Jiu Jitsu at the age of 8 to give Judo a try. Genovesi practiced Judo for 2 years before he had to stop due to an illness, a problem that has haunted Victor since birth, a disease in the stomach which has led to several surgeries (at 10 months of age, 3 years of age, 10 and 13 years of age).

When he recovered from the surgery he came back to Jiu Jitsu and Alexandre Puga’s class before being handed in the capable instruction of his father, the former world champion Alexandre Paiva, at the age of 14. Apart from his father and Alexandre Puga, Fernando Tererê was also an important figure to Vitinho Genovesi’s maturing as a person and a competitor. Tererê lived with the Genovesi’s for a long period and was one of Alexandre Paiva’s top students, being an inspiring figure to the young Victor on and off the mats.

Victor has been unlucky with his health throughout his Jiu Jitsu career, and at the age of 18 he had another big injury to the wrist which kept him away from BJJ competition for over a year. In 2011 Victor Genovesi made his come back to Jiu Jitsu competition after his year off due to wrist surgery. Still bothered by his wrist and with returning stomach problems, Genovesi had to be hospitalized the week previous to the World Championship. Though he was asked not to compete, he managed to convince his father to put him on the B team of Alliance for the “Mundial” so he wouldn’t damage the team’s hopes to medal and score points in the most important tournament of the year. Even fighting with a diminished health, Victor managed to win all his fights, reaching the quarter finals where he conceded passage to Pedro Torres, the competitor of Alliance’s A team.

In 2012 came the brown belt, and a good year competition wise which led to his black belt being awarded on the 22nd of August 2013.

Victor Genovesi vs Ilke bulut

Victor Genovesi vs Gianni Grippo