Kennedy “Cobrinha Jr.” Maciel

Kennedy Leonardo Maciel, known as “Cobrinha Jr.,” was born in São Carlos, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, on January 2, 1997. He is the son of Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, an IBJJF Hall of Famer, five-time world champion and three-time ADCC champion at 66 kg. He grew up on his father’s mats, and Cobrinha is still his coach. He gave Kennedy his black belt in June 2018. Kennedy trains at Cobrinha BJJ in Los Angeles, an Alliance academy.

Before black belt, he won world titles in several divisions: as a juvenile in 2014, at purple belt in 2016 and at brown belt in 2017 and 2018. As a black belt, he won the 2018 No-Gi Worlds and took silver at ADCC in 2019, in the same division his father ruled.

His big breakthrough came in 2024. Kennedy won the Europeans, the Pans and the Brazilian Nationals at featherweight, beating Fabricio Andrey in the Pans final, the same opponent who had beaten him in the 2022 Brazilian Nationals final. That year he also won the ADCC Brazilian Trials. In 2025, he took silver at the Europeans and fought twice in UFC BJJ, beating Ademir Barreto and losing to Sam Nagai.

In 2026, he won his second European title with two submissions, a triangle and an armbar, and a last-second sweep to come from behind against Cole Abate in the final. He took bronze at the Pans and, in September in Kraków, Poland, won ADCC gold at 66 kg representing the United States, with wins over Diego “Pato” Oliveira and Fabricio Andrey. He matched his father’s achievement at the same event and in the same division.

The weight of the family name has followed him his whole career. In an interview with VF Comunica at the 2026 Worlds, Kennedy admitted the comparisons bothered him “at first.” “But I think now I can see that Kennedy is Kennedy, Cobrinha is Cobrinha, and it’s one continuous story. From here on, it’s me,” he said. Cobrinha sees the other side: “The pressure isn’t only on him. What about the guy on the other side thinking: I’m going to fight Cobrinha’s son?”

The one title still missing is the IBJJF World Championship at black belt, which his father won five times.