Emmanuela Oliveira 
It is with enormous pride that Bernardo Passos wants to be known as the highest representative of Luta Livre in the main grappling and MMA events. The athlete born in Ilha do Governador, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, also a Jiu-Jitsu black-belt, made 2023 a year of great achievements. There were 10 gold medals around the neck and 16 submissions, 15 of them by Leg Locks, a specialty. On one of these occasions, he closed the fight by performing a Leg Lock in an impressive 4 seconds of fighting. In the wake of positive results, the title of champion of an ADCC superfight in Scotland was added.
Bernardo Passos is now a ARES FC fighter
The opportunities for Bernardo Passos in the 2024 season are the best possible. Recently signed by ARES Fighting Championship, a prestigious MMA event based in Paris, where Bernardo now lives, the athlete, who has three victories in his professional MMA record, has already revealed the date of his first commitment in the organization.
“I’ve been preparing a lot with my team in Paris, the MMA Factory, and here I have great training partners, who make me constantly evolve. I will be making my debut for Ares FC on April 18th, here in Paris.”, he reveals with enthusiasm.
Since he started getting involved with Luta Livre, still in Rio de Janeiro, the ADCC, the grappling tournament most coveted by competitors, emerged as a goal to be achieved. “I’ve been preparing for ADCC since the day I started training in Luta Livre. So, nowadays I am a different athlete, with more combat experience, I feel very prepared to represent the Luta Livre at the ADCC, I want to show that the sport still produces great world champions.”, he analyzes.
A Luta Livre black-belt, Bernardo is an excellent Leg Locker
Bernardo Passos’ skill in applying Leg Locks was not mentioned previously by chance. In an interview with the VF Comunica team, the expert left some advice for those who want to master the technique, very used in grappling.
“Attack and defense are connected to each other, the main thing in combat is not just focusing on attacking or just defending yourself, but knowing how to use both at the same time. Therefore, I recommend training defending your legs and attacking at the same time, trying to use leg lock adjustments in a way that doesn’t put you in a counterattack situation.”, his tips are valuable.
Given the growing trend of superfights, with the potential for further development throughout 2024, Bernardo Passos said that he does not choose opponents, but “I would like to face the fighters who submit the most today”. On the same topic, Bernardo revealed a name that, according to him, would be a sure bet for good entertainment. “I would like to face Mica Galvão in the future, he is an athlete who progresses in the fight all the time, I’m sure we could put on a big show.”, He concludes, suggesting an interesting duel to say the least.
