Marcio André

Márcio André Costa Barbosa Júnior is a leading name in Jiu-Jitsu on two fronts, as a competitor and as a coach who develops athletes. A world champion at every colored belt and a four-time European champion at black belt, he founded Marcio André Jiu-Jitsu (MAJJ) in Arizona in 2019. The gym has no affiliates and has produced black belts Tarcisio Santos, Thierry Felipe, Eliza Nascimento and Luiz Victor.

He was born on October 19, 1994, in Bangu, on the west side of Rio de Janeiro, and started Jiu-Jitsu as a child at the social project run by Fábio Andrade, of Nova União, where he trained alongside Isaque Bahiense and Kaué Damasceno.

He was world champion at blue belt in 2011, at purple belt in 2012 and 2013 and at brown belt in 2014, the year he got his black belt from Fábio Andrade.

As a black belt he won Europeans four years in a row, from 2015 to 2018, plus the Abu Dhabi World Pro and No-Gi Worlds in 2016. At the gi Worlds he was a featherweight finalist twice, in 2016 and 2019, and took bronze in 2017 and 2018.

He taught in Abu Dhabi and Arizona before opening MAJJ in Phoenix. The gym’s top names arrived as colored belts and were developed on its own mats. Tarcisio Santos, who got every belt from him, took bronze at the 2026 Worlds in his first year at black belt. Thierry Felipe was world and European champion before his promotion. Eliza Nascimento got her black belt after two bronze medals at the 2026 Worlds. All three were invited by the IBJJF to the 2026 Crown.

Marcio still competes. In 2023 he won Pans at featherweight, beating Fabricio Andrey in the final. In June 2025 he faced Dante Leon at ACBJJ 16 and lost 1-0. In 2026 he competed at Worlds at medium-heavyweight and lost his first match by referee decision.