Emmanuela Oliveira 
Watching the season in search of outstanding athletes at brown-belt is the same as discovering talents working in the very near future, at black-belt. One of these discoveries is Henrique Camargo. Representative of Gracie Barra and athlete of Ulpiano Malachias, the fighter followed a golden path in 2023: Pan-American champion, double gold at the Houston Open, runner-up in the World Championship, all of IBJJF and No Gi, and ADCC trials medalist.
Due to the good results, looking back on the year, Henrique says that 2023 was the year to gain experience. In the ADCC trials, he was able to get used to the tournament rules and in other events, when gold was not a reality, learning always had its value. “I have 10 months as a brown-belt, I ended the year as number 1 in the IBJJF in the lightweight category and 4th overall, I’m in a very good moment and I’ve been fighting against black-belts in the ADCC Opens, which gives me a lot of experience and confidence to the next level”, he analyzes, suggesting a notable participation in ADCC next year.
Born in Brazil, Henrique Camargo now lives in Texas
The Brazilian, now living in Texas, in the United States, spoke a little about the change of scenery and the process of adapting to the new country. Family and Brazilian food are the things he misses most. Determined, Henrique told VF Comunica that he will only return after having achieved all his goals.
“The adaptation process wasn’t that difficult, as I had my friend Bruno Matias with me at the beginning, the whole time, like an older brother. He made me feel at home and helped me a lot with this transition. My teacher Ulpiano welcomed me from the first day and, from that moment on, he is a great teacher to me, not just a gym owner, but a guy who takes care of his students, cares about them and helps them achieve greater things. Ulpiano is certainly my biggest supporter and mentor in Jiu-Jitsu.”, he explains, highlighting the qualities of Ulpiano Malachias, a Gracie Barra professor who has been developing dominant work in the United States.
When sharing more details about his training routine, the brown belt-highlighted that the difference is the technical diversity. No Gi trains every morning, drill sessions in the afternoon and, at night, the plan is to alternate gi Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling.
“It’s a strength of our team, we have great Wrestling teachers, Olympic medalists and experienced teachers who have made our standing game different,” he says.
Jiu-Jitsu has a special place in his heart, but better opportunities are in grappling
Henrique Camargo is the type of fighter who has that special affection for Jiu-Jitsu. However, amid the war for survival as an athlete, leaning into grappling was a necessity. “Grappling has increasingly caught the public’s attention because it provides more interesting fights and because Americans invest heavily in this market. I’m a Jiu-Jitsu guy so I always like fighting in the gi, but lately I’ve only been fighting in the Gi, as the opportunities for match fights and championships are much better.”, he states.
When talking about inspirations, Henrique Camargo analyzed the game of Victor Hugo, the three-time IBJJF world champion without gi who now promises to make a name for himself in grappling. According to the Gracie Barra athlete, Victor is that humble guy who delivers shows. “I’ve been a fan of his since I was a brown-belt, when he used to do a lot of flying triangles even though he was from the ultra-heavyweight division. He’s a complete guy in the gi, he plays guard and passes very well, he has good positioning in the standing game. In the No Gi, I had the opportunity to see his last fight up close against “Big Dan”. I missed sharper wrestling, he ended up being taken down, but when he got to the ground he showed why he is a world champion several times, he showed a very technical guard against a much heavier opponent, he swept and submitted him. I believe that, if he improves in Wrestling, he will be next to face Gordon Ryan with a good chances.”, he projects.
