Leonardo Alcantara Vieira (born March 23, 1976)[1] commonly known as Léo Vieira or Leozinho is a Brazilian submission grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor.

Léo Vieira
Vieira in May 2019
Born (1976-03-23) March 23, 1976 (age 48)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Other namesLeozinho
DivisionFeatherweight
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu
TeamCheckmat
Rank6th deg. BJJ black belt
Years active1997–2013; 2017
Léo Vieira
Medal record
Representing  Brazil
Grappling
ADCC
Gold medal – first place 2003 São Paulo, Brazil -66kg
Gold medal – first place 2005 California, USA -66kg
Silver medal – second place 2007 New Jersey, USA -66kg
Silver medal – second place 2011 Nottingham, UK -77kg
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship
Silver medal – second place 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -76kg
Gold medal – first place 1998 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -76kg
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -76kg
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Pan American Championship
Gold medal – first place 2002 California, USA -69kg
Gold medal – first place 2004 California, USA -69kg

He is the eldest of the Viera brothers (Ricardo and Leandro), who lead and fight for Checkmat.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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Leo Vieira began training Jiu-Jitsu under Romero 'Jacare' Cavalcanti at the age of 6.[2] He has won numerous medals, such as the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, Pan American Championships and the prestigious ADCC world championships. After being on break from Jiujitsu Gi competition, Vieira competed again on July 16, 2017, at the age of 41.[3][4] He competed in Absolute Championship Berkut Jiu-Jitsu 6 in Moscow and lost the fight via terra footlock. On September 25, 2017, Vieira competed in the ADCC against former Ultimate Fighting Championship title contender, Chael Sonnen in the absolute division. Vieira lost the fight via referee's decision.[5] Vieira returned after more time away from competition at BJJ Stars 7 on November 6, 2022, where he defeated Cleber Luciano 8-0 on points in a superfight.[6]

In 2022, Vieira was hired as the Vice President of Grappling for ONE Championship.[7]

CheckMat Jiu-Jitsu Team

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One of the most successful teams in contemporary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, CheckMat's worldwide headquarters is in São Paulo, Brazil. CheckMat was established in 2008 by Leo and his brothers. Since its creation, Checkmat has become one of the top teams in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Team CheckMat is the 2008 and 2009 NoGi World Champion Team.[8] Team Checkmat also came in first for the Brazilian Nationals (Gi) 2010 [9] and Brazilian Nationals (No-Gi) 2010.[10]

Instructor lineage

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Mitsuyo MaedaCarlos Gracie, Sr.Helio GracieRolls GracieRomero Cavalcanti → Léo Vieira[11]

References

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  1. ^ Gracie Mag Brazilian BJJ Nationals 2012 "In the stands Fábio Gurgel, Léo Vieira, Ramon Lemos, Rodrigo Cavaca and André Marola represented some of the traditional powerhouse teams that were in the running."
  2. ^ Lindsey, Alex (14 March 2023). "Leo Vieira Explains The Benefits Of Finding Jiu-Jitsu And Romero 'Jacare' Cavalcanti". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  3. ^ "BJJ Legend Leo Vieira Returns to Competition at 41 Years of Age". BJJHeroes.com. 27 June 2017.
  4. ^ Djokovic, Iva (27 June 2017). "Leo Vieira Returns to Competition at Age 41". Bjjee.com.
  5. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (24 September 2017). "ADCC 2017, Day 2 results: Chael Sonnen defeats Leo Vieira". MMAFighting.com.
  6. ^ "BJJ Stars 7 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  7. ^ Rogers, Kian (11 May 2022). "Leo Vieira Hired As ONE Championship Vice President Of Grappling". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Checkmat conquista o bi no Mundial No Gi". Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  9. ^ Carlos Eduardo Ozório. "No-Gi Brazilian Nationals decisive day". Graciemag.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  10. ^ Carlos Eduardo Ozório. "Brazilian team champion issues provocation: "The dream of the grand slam is over"". Graciemag.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  11. ^ "Leonardo "Leozinho" Vieira". BJJHeroes.com. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
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