Márcio Corleta

Márcio Corleta reached the top of the ultra-heavyweight division at the 2001 Worlds. In the semifinal he tied 2-2 with Márcio “Pé de Pano” Cruz and advanced on advantage; in the final he submitted American Garth Taylor with an armbar. It was the biggest title of a career built on an attacking closed guard.

Born in Porto Alegre in 1975, he started training in 1993 with Ricardo Murgel and, still a blue belt, opened his own academy, Winner. After earning his purple belt he moved to Rio de Janeiro to train with the Behrings and received his black belt from Sylvio and Maurício Behring in October 1999. Before that he was world runner-up at purple belt in 1997 and at brown belt in 1999.

At black belt he returned to the Worlds podium with bronze in 2003, silver in 2005, when he lost the final on advantage to Francisco “Chico Cuiabá” Fernandes, and bronze in 2009. That same year he won the Pans, submitting Rodrigo Cavaca with an armbar in the final.

Over his career he took Winner Behring beyond Brazil, taught seminars in Europe and helped develop Fabrício Werdum early in the future UFC champion’s career. He now lives in the United States, in San Diego.