Jefferson Moura

Jefferson Moura won the heavyweight world title in 2003 by finishing his toughest matches. For Gracie Barra he submitted Roberto Traven with a triangle in the quarterfinal, choked Hugo Carioni in the semifinal and locked up another triangle on Roger Coelho in the final. The triangle was his favorite position.

Before the title he had already taken bronze in 2001 and silver in 2002, when he lost the final on points to Fábio Leopoldo. In 2004 he reached the final again and took silver behind Alexandre Ribeiro. He was also Brazilian national champion in 2001, 2006 and 2009.

He started training in 1992 with Carlos Augusto in Freguesia, Rio de Janeiro, and received his black belt from him, in Reylson Gracie’s lineage. A physical education graduate, he later joined Gracie Barra.

When Carlos Gracie Jr. and Márcio Feitosa moved to the United States at the end of 2009, he took over Gracie Barra’s headquarters in Barra da Tijuca, serving as head instructor for about 11 years, and became the team’s regional director in Rio. A sixth-degree black belt, he now lives in the United States and leads Gracie Barra’s expansion in Colorado.