# João Assonitis

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## Overview

**Name:** João Assonitis


## Bio

A product of Rio de Janeiro’s competitive pipeline, João Assonitis transitioned from soccer, skating, and striking into grappling under the influence of a luta livre black belt father and a jiu-jitsu stepfather, starting his tuition at Darwin Falcão’s gym. Seeking a sharper tournament focus, he moved to Rafael Formiga’s Double Five squad as a purple belt, where he was promoted through brown and black—the latter in December 2023—before returning to Falcão to receive the rank as a sign of respect to his first mentor.

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**Last Updated:** September 23, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/joao-assonitis)