Leandro Lo was a Brazilian black belt from the east side of São Paulo and one of the best gi competitors of his era. He won eight IBJJF World titles in five divisions, from lightweight to heavyweight and the absolute, between 2012 and 2022. He was killed in August 2022, the same year he won his final world title, and the IBJJF inducted him into its Hall of Fame the following year.
Background and lineage
Lo started jiu-jitsu at 14 in Cicero Costha's social project, Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem, and competed for Barbosa JJ at blue belt. Costha promoted him to black belt in July 2010. His lineage runs through Rickson Gracie and Marcelo Behring. In 2015 he founded NS Brotherhood, stepping down as head coach in November 2018. From 2021 he trained at Unity Jiu Jitsu in New York.
Competition highlights
- IBJJF World Championship: gold at −76 kg in 2012 and 2013, −82.3 kg in 2014, −88.3 kg in 2015 and 2016, the absolute in 2018, −94.3 kg in 2019 (awarded after Kaynan Duarte was stripped for a doping violation) and −88.3 kg again in 2022.
- Other IBJJF: eight Pan titles and European Open double gold in 2017.
- Professional events: five Abu Dhabi World Pro titles, and the first fighter to win Copa Pódio grand prix titles in three weight classes (2016).
- Hall of Fame: inducted posthumously into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2023.
Style and signature techniques
Lo was a complete guard player and passer. A 2012 BJJEE breakdown described his spider guard as his primary guard. He often mixed it with one-leg and X-guard positions to sweep, and nearly a quarter of his sweeps that year came from the X-guard single-leg. On top, the same analysis noted the knee slice, torreando and leg drag passes, and called his passing "as good as his guard game".
Notable matches
- Gilbert Burns, Copa Pódio (2013): a submission win over the future UFC welterweight.
- Gordon Ryan, ADCC West Coast Trials (April 2017): a 4–0 superfight win.
- Craig Jones, ADCC 2017: a first-round rear naked choke loss as the top seed.
- Isaque Bahiense, Worlds 2022: his eighth and final world title, at −88.3 kg.
Death and legacy
On 7 August 2022, Lo was shot in the head at a São Paulo nightclub after an altercation and declared brain dead in hospital. He was 33. A police officer, the alleged shooter, was arrested the next evening after turning himself in. Lo was buried at Morumbi Cemetery on 9 August 2022.