Luan Carvalho - World’s Most Decorated Jiu-Jitsu Competitor

Luan Carvalho is one of the toughest and most powerful BJJ black belts in the world. He is one of those competitors who has gained immense popularity as a black belt in the top international circuit of Jiu-Jitsu.

Despite winning several tournaments at the lower belt level, he was not a prominent name in the BJJ community. However, Luan’s sheer dedication and hard work changed that as he emerged as one of the most feared and accomplished BJJ black belts. Luan Carvalho also competed in MMA at a professional level, but he later returned to BJJ, competing in both Gi and No-Gi competitions. From IBJJF World Championships to Brazilian Nationals, Pan American Championships, World Pro Championships, Grand Slam Championships, and Asian Open Championships, Luan Carvalho has demonstrated an unprecedented level of grappling and sparring skills on various prestigious platforms. Through his remarkable victories, the Nova Uniao representative has climbed up the ladder of success in less time, becoming one of the best lightweight athletes of his generation.

Luan Carvalho was born on  July 22, 1991, in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the age of 10, Luan first participated in the capoeira, a dance-fighting activity. After practicing extensively in this sport, Luan initiated his BJJ career. At the age of 11, one of Luan’s friends decided to leave BJJ after getting an injury. Luan’s interest arose when his friend offered his BJJ Gi to him. Luan initially trained under Ernesto, who was running a social project for local children. The main purpose of that project was to keep the children away from negative activities by developing their interest in Jiu-Jitsu.

Luan had a heartfelt desire to perform more effectively in top Jiu-Jitsu competitions. So he left Ernesto and joined one of the biggest teams in the region, Nova União (NU). Master Cláudio Joanino, a first-generation black belt under Wendell Alexander,  trained  Luan and helped him develop strong fighting skills.  At Joanino’s gym, Luan experienced the toughest levels of BJJ training, which always left him crying at the end of training sessions. Master Cláudio was aware of the financial crisis in Luan's family, so he never charged him any training fees. By training numerous times per day, Luan always expressed his appreciation to Master Cláudio.

In 2014, Luan Carvalho competed in the World Championship but unfortunately lost  in the quarter-finals. On June 4, 2014, Luan returned home after the completion of the championship. Luan was very disappointed as he lost the chance to show his worth at the renowned tournament. But Luan was surprised when his mother appreciated him by calling him a black belt. When his mother was tying the belt on Luan's body, she said: “Keep working hard; your time to shine is coming.”

Luan showcased his incredible grappling skills in various BJJ tournaments. He gained fame by winning numerous championships in the lightweight division. In 2015, Luan secured winning titles at the Brazilian Nationals and Rio Fall Open Championships by defeating two top BJJ champions, Juan Caio Kamezawa and Michael Langhi. In 2013, Luan secured a bronze medal in the Brazilian National Championship. In the 2015 Pan American Championship, Luan faced the top veteran Rodrigo Caporal, and earned success. Luan Carvalho is a highly determined and focused BJJ athlete. Once, in an interview, he said:

He further added:

Luan turned heads towards him by earning a black belt under Master Cláudio Joanino. After a year, Luan grabbed attention by defeating the multiple-time world top fighter Michael Langhi.

In the 2017 European Open Championship, Luan Carvalho secured the winning title against Masahiro Iwasaki in the lightweight division. The audience witnessed the breathtaking battle on the mats. In the last few minutes, Luan applied the triangle technique and won the match.

In the 2020 European Open Championship, Luan Carvalho faced Jonnatas Gracie. Both fighters tried for submission, but unfortunately, Luan lost the match via referee's decision.

In the 2018 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Luan Carvalho competed against Thomas Mietz. Ultimately Luan won the match based on the points (12x0).

Jansen Gomes v Luan Carvalho / Brasileiro No-Gi 2022

Luan Carvalho VS Sebastian Brosché / Amsterdam Open NoGi 2019

Luan Carvalho vs Brandon Mullins Europa 2012 016

Photo Credit: @luancarvalhobjj