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RONALDO'S STORY

Ronaldo Souza Júnior is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under André Galvão of the Atos JJ team, who worked extensively with Adilson ‘Bitta’ Lima at the Pitbull Academy (Teresopolis – BR). Ronaldo Júnior became widely recognized as one of the top grapplers of his generation while competing in the lower belt divisions of the sport, where he conquered numerous titles in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit, including the Brazilian Nationals, Pan American, and World Championship as well as the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s (UAEJJF) Abu Dhabi World Pro. Ronaldo is also the brother of another well established BJJ black belt, Juan Cleber.

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Full Name: Ronaldo Pereira de Souza Júnior

Nickname: The Human Highlight Reel

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar > André Galvão> Ronaldo Júnior

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Main Achievements:

  • 1st Place IBJJF Fresno Open (2019**)

  • 1st Place IBJJF Long Beach Open (2019**)

  • 1st Place Marianas Open (2019)

  • 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2020)

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Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

  • 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2018 purple, 2019 brown)

  • 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2018 brown)

  • 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2018* purple, 2019 brown)

  • 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi (2018 brown)

  • 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2018** brown)

  • 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi (2018 brown)

  • 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2019 brown)

  • 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019 brown)

  • 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi (2015 purple)

  • 1st Place ROYAL Invitational II (2017 purple)

  • 1st Place ROYAL Invitational III (2018 purple)

  • 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2017 / 2018 purple)

  • 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi (2017* purple)

  • 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2019 brown)

  • 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi (2014 blue)

  • 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2018* purple)

  • 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2017 purple, 2018* brown)

  • 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2018* purple, 2019* brown)

  • 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi (2017 purple)

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Biography

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Ronaldo Souza Júnior was born on August 28, 1996, in Teresópolis, a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in a mountainous region known as Região Serrana.

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Growing up Ronaldo Júnior played football (soccer) recreationally, prior to learning about jiu-jitsu, which happened in 2007. At the time, a local gym was offering a free patch to any student who would bring a friend for a trial class, a marketing strategy that drove one of Ronaldo’s friends to convince him to try one. With the permission of his mother, Ronaldo went for his first-class wearing sweat-pants and an old gi top, provided by the instructor, and he immediately fell in love with this sport/martial art.

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Ronaldo’s first coach, Mr. Luiz Felipe ‘Profeta’ immediately recognized the talent possessed by Júnior, and advised his parents to support their teenage son in the sport, as his future should be as a professional grappler.

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Soon after earning his blue belt from Profeta, Ronaldo started training in Teresópolis’s top jiu-jitsu gym, the historical Academia Pitbull led by Adilson ‘Bitta’ Lima, where he first started climbing the ladder of success in jiu-jitsu.

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At the Pitbull Academy Ronaldo Júnior earned both his blue and purple belts, but by 2017 he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime by André Galvão, to train with the (then) world champion team, Atos Jiu-Jitsu, at the academy’s headquarters, being offered a full scholarship to train with the best.

 

His success at Atos grew exponentially, and by June 2019, after two successful runs at the IBJJF World title, Júnior was promoted to black belt by coach Galvão.

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