Pablo Silva

Pablo Silva reached the 2010 light-featherweight world final after three tough wins, the last of them a 3-1 advantage win over Daniel Beleza in the semifinal. Across from him was Samuel Braga, a Gracie Barra teammate he had trained with at Rômulo Barral’s academy in the United States before the event. The two closed out the final, and the gold went to Pablo, who did not yet have a world title.

Born on October 17, 1986, in Mariana, Minas Gerais, he started at 14 after his brother took up the sport. His first instructor was Hussen, a Jiu-Jitsu brown belt and judo black belt. He then trained under Marcelo Azevedo, known as Uirapuru, at Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte, who gave him his black belt at 21.

At black belt he won the Europeans in 2009 and took silver in 2010, won the Asian Open in 2010 and took bronze at the 2012 Worlds, losing to Guilherme Mendes. He moved to the United States, spent time at Gracie Barra Texas and opened his own academy in Houston, Pablo Silva BJJ, whose kids team now competes at the major IBJJF events.

As a veteran he won the 2024 Pans, the 2025 Asian Open Masters, back in Japan after 15 years, and the 2026 Europeans. “Competing one last time came with many obstacles, but when something truly matters, you find solutions, not excuses,” he wrote after the European title.