Scout Watch, Rising Featherweight Talent And #1 IBJJF Brown Belt Vinicius Machine

Talent, hard work, and solid coaching are, arguably, the 3 fundamental ingredients of the competitive success “pie” across all sporting platforms. Miss a slice of the pie and you will truly struggle to make your way to the top. Luckily for Vinicius “Machine” Silva, he’s got all of those bases covered.

Born and raised on Paquetá Island in Rio de Janeiro – a region famous for being the birthplace of Grand Master Oswaldo Paquetá (RIP) the OG of video content in jiu-jitsu – Vinicius started grappling at an early age (11), with coaches Jenailton Silva and Thiago Sorriso. Two influential figures in the young Carioca’s upbringing.

Vinicius’ path towards professional jiu-jitsu was not unlike many others. He started early, worked hard, became a full-time athlete during his mid-teens, and gradually earned the rewards of his labor. What is indeed unusual about the Machine’s progress is that he has stayed with the same team from day 1, the team being Brazil 021.

Led by coach André Terêncio and Hanette Staack, the 021 team has grown leaps and bounds since its inception, a growth strongly supported by its talent hubs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Chicago, Illinois, U.S., the symbioses of which has carried Silva to the frontline of jiu-jitsu.

Vinicius’ very first instructor, Thiago Sorriso, is a direct student of Terêncio, who coached Sorriso from white to black belt. Always in touch with his affiliates, André witnessed Silva’s growth first hand and saw great potential in Silva early on. With that in mind, in 2017 he decided to bring the young stud to the United States, exposing Machine to a new level of competition in events such as the World and the Pan American Championships as well as the professional setting of Fight 2 Win.

This “progressive loading” type approach has reaped plenty of benefits for the young Brazilian talent over these past few years. One of Vinicius’ breakthroughs took place at last year’s IBJJF No-Gi Pans where the featherweight conquered a venerable bronze medal. In 2021 he improved on his previous mark, competing as a brown belt, Vinicius took home a gold medal without a single point being scored against him throughout the tournament. A very impressive feat considering how talent dense the 149 lb division is.

Currently standing as the #1 ranked featherweight in the IBJJF’s no-gi division, things are looking great for the young prospect, who we expect to see plenty of in the next few months on the pro-circuit.

Follow Vinicius on Instagram @vinicius_silvajj
Follow BR021 on Instagram @brazil021chicagohq