# Bruno Fernandes ("Molenga")

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## Overview

**Name:** Bruno Fernandes

**Nickname:** Molenga

**Date of Birth:** April 06, 1978 (age 48)


## Bio

A four-time world champion (three as a brown belt in 1998, 1999, and 2000) who reached the black belt podium while still a medical student, Bruno Fernandes is a rare example of elite-level Jiu-Jitsu achieved on part-time training. Raised in Copacabana and Botafogo, he started at the Carlson Gracie Academy under Alberto Santos before moving to Gracie Barra Barra da Tijuca, where he earned his black belt at age twenty under a lineage that includes Marcelo Saporito. His signature competitive moment came at the 2001 Mundial, where after an extended period of minimal training and a Canadian internship without a gi, he reached the semi-final and lost a tied match to Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro by choke. Fernandes later relocated to Montreal for ophthalmology, coached at Tristar MMA, and opened his own Gracie Barra affiliate, producing black belts including George Saint Pierre.

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/bruno-fernandes)