# Leonardo Castello Branco

> Black Belt | Brazil

## Overview

**Name:** Leonardo Castello Branco

**Belt Rank:** Black Belt

**Nationality:** Brazil

**Gender:** Male

**Weight:** 99 kg


## Bio

Leonardo Castello Branco was born in 1967 in Brazil. He was graduated as a black belt by a true jiu-jitsu legend, Fernando Guimaraes “Pinduka”, though he became a famous fighter competing for  Romero Cavalcanti’s  Alliance. He competed against some of the best fighters in the world such as  Murilo Bustamante  (in one of the most celebrated fights of the 1990s) and he handed  Ricardo Liborio  his first competitive loss in 1993 (at the brown belt division). His fight with Liborio was also very talked-about amongst the BJJ media circuit, mainly because of  Carlson Gracie ’s (Liborio’s coach) words before the fight: “He (Leonardo) will tap in less than a minute”.

Leonardo also tried his luck at MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in the late 1990s. His debut was in 1997, straight away with an MMA Legend, Igor Vovchanchyn. The fight lasted a grueling 35 minutes with no breaks and was declared a draw.

Castello Branco was the first fighter to abandon ship when trouble hit the Alliance team at the turn of the century. He was not happy with the team’s direction at the time and decided to leave on his own. shortly after several other fighters followed him, figures such as:  Demian Maia ,  Leo Vieira ,  Ricardo Vieira ,  Ratinho  and many others. He would become one of the leading figures in the creation of the Brasa Team.

Castello Branco’s Academy 
 Academia Castello Branco . 
Address: Rua Farani 42, sobreloja 101, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. 
Email :  [email protected] 
Instagram: @castellobrancobjj
## Achievements

- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (1999*)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (1996)
## Lineage

- Carlson Gracie (Red Belt)
- Fernando de Mello Guimarães (Black Belt)

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**Last Updated:** September 08, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/leonardo-castello-branco)