Jefferson Goteu: “The World Pro is among the biggest competitions in Jiu-Jitsu”
The leader of the AJP ranking at under 77kg tells VF Comunica he will always prioritize the Abu Dhabi tournament and praises the UAEJJF’s support for athletes
Jefferson Goteu, the leader of the AJP ranking in the under 77kg division, puts the World Pro among the top priorities on his calendar. In an exclusive interview with VF Comunica, the Brazilian black belt explained why the Abu Dhabi tournament always has a place in his season.
The World Pro is the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, held every year in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
“The World Pro is among the biggest competitions in Jiu-Jitsu. I will always prioritize this competition because, besides being a world title, it is a very meaningful title and a very hard one to win,” he said.
The UAEJJF’s support for athletes
Goteu also talked about how the UAEJJF, the jiu-jitsu federation of the United Arab Emirates, treats people who make a living from the sport. “For me, the UAEJJF is one of the federations that values the Jiu-Jitsu athlete the most, because it recognizes the athlete’s effort and understands that he also depends on financial support to compete,” he said. In his view, that support is what allows a competitor to “pay his expenses and live as a professional athlete.”
He also pointed to the history of the tournament, naming champions such as Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Rodolfo Vieira, Nicholas Meregali, Felipe Pena, Lucas Lepri, the Mendes brothers and Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles.
“It is not an easy title. Many athletes have tried to win the World Pro and couldn’t. The event shows that the level is very high,” he added. According to Goteu, even with rules that are different from other circuits, the tournament gains more prestige on the international scene every year.
Who is Jefferson Goteu
Born in Natal, in northeastern Brazil, Goteu is 24 years old and started jiu-jitsu at 13 in a social project run by the city of Parnamirim, with coach Edinaldo Beleza. He is a student of brothers Thiago and Bruno Barreto, who gave him his black belt, and he represents Commando Group, a team based in Abu Dhabi that he has competed for on the AJP tour since he was a teenager.
His history with the World Pro goes back to the colored belts. Goteu won the tournament as a purple belt in 2022, the same year he won the IBJJF World Championship, and as a brown belt in 2023, when he finished the season as number 1 in the AJP ranking for his belt. He got his black belt right after that edition, in November.
As a black belt, his first titles came in 2024: gold at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro, beating Natan Chueng in the final, and at the Dallas Grand Slam, where he beat Matheus Luna 7-4. That year he was also runner-up in Istanbul, in a final against Lucas Protasio, the current World Pro champion at under 77kg, who also spoke to VF Comunica about the tournament.
World Pro 2026: dates and registration
The World Pro 2026 takes place from November 19 to 21 at the Mubadala Arena, in Abu Dhabi. Registration is open until October 25, and the event has more than US$ 800,000 in prizes.
Read also: Felipe Bezerra leads the AJP ranking in the under 120kg division.
Is Jefferson Goteu the favorite for the World Pro title at under 77kg? Leave your opinion in the comments.
