Mahamed Aly

At the 2018 Worlds, Mahamed Aly faced two world champions back to back to win super-heavyweight. After beating Jared Dopp 6-2, he beat Nicholas Meregali 5-0 in the semifinal and met Leandro Lo in the final, which Lo could not continue because of injury. The title crowned three straight podiums in the division: bronze in 2017, gold in 2018 and silver in 2019.

Born on January 11, 1994, in Rio de Janeiro, he grew up in Duque de Caxias and started kickboxing at around 15. After being caught in a triangle in sparring, he went to learn Jiu-Jitsu at Eduardo Brigadeiro’s academy, where he got his blue belt. He spent time at Team Nogueira with an eye on MMA, received his purple belt from Everaldo Penco and, in 2013, went back to Jiu-Jitsu full time. He met Lloyd Irvin that year, joined his team in 2014 and won Worlds at purple in 2014 and at brown in 2015. Lloyd Irvin gave him his black belt in September 2015.

At black belt he won the 2017 Europeans and took silver at Pans in 2018 and 2019. At the 2019 Worlds he beat Tex Johnson, Igor Schneider and Guilherme Augusto and returned to the super-heavyweight final, losing to Meregali by a choke from the back. At that year’s ADCC he lost his first over 99 kg match to Nick Rodriguez and, in the absolute, beat Tim Spriggs before losing to Marcus Buchecha and Lachlan Giles.

In 2020 he took bronze at the Europeans, with an open class win over Mikey Musumeci. In 2021 he won the Miami Grand Slam over Max Gimenis and reached the final of the IBJJF Heavyweight Grand Prix after beating Fellipe Andrew 7-4, but Victor Hugo submitted him with a straight ankle lock. He remains with Team Lloyd Irvin.