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Mica Galvão is a Brazilian black belt from Manaus who won major black belt titles as a teenager. His father, Melqui Galvão, promoted him to black belt at 17 in 2021. In 2024 he won both ADCC gold at −77 kg and the IBJJF World lightweight title, and Wikipedia reports that he became the second person to complete the IBJJF super grand slam that year.

Background and lineage

Micael Ferreira Galvão grew up training under his father, a jiu-jitsu and Luta Livre black belt, and has a sister, Sammi, who also competes. He was the IBJJF juvenile world champion in 2019, received his brown belt in October 2020 and his black belt on 9 July 2021. A few months earlier, his mentor Totonho Aleixo had given him a Luta Livre black belt. He represented Fight Sports from 2021, and his family academy, Melqui Galvão Jiu-Jitsu, split from it in January 2023. He has also trained judo and freestyle wrestling, and in 2024 he announced plans to try for Brazil's Olympic freestyle wrestling team.

Competition highlights

  • ADCC: silver at −77 kg in 2022, losing the final to Kade Ruotolo, and gold in 2024, beating Luiz Paulo, Oliver Taza, PJ Barch and then Vagner Rocha by submission in the final.
  • IBJJF: he beat Tye Ruotolo in the 2022 World lightweight final but was stripped of that title after a doping violation. In 2024 he won the Worlds at lightweight and the Pans and Europeans at middleweight.
  • WNO: middleweight runner-up in 2021, welterweight champion in 2023 and a 2025 middleweight title win over Jonnatas Gracie.
  • BJJ Stars: middleweight grand prix winner in 2022 and the no-gi grand prix in 2025.

Style and signature techniques

Wikipedia notes that Galvão built his reputation by submitting older and heavier opponents as a teenager. His 2022 BJJ Stars run is a good example: he beat Leandro Lo on a decision and finished Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa with a bow and arrow choke from back control. He finished Kody Steele with a rear naked choke at WNO in 2023.

Notable matches

  • Tye Ruotolo, WNO (2021): a split decision loss in no-gi.
  • Tye Ruotolo, Worlds 2022: a win in the lightweight final that was later voided.
  • Leandro Lo and Lucas Barbosa, BJJ Stars 8 (2022): a decision over the eight-time world champion and a choke in the final.
  • Vagner Rocha, ADCC 2024 final: a submission for −77 kg gold.
  • Dante Leon, ADCC 2024 absolute: a quarter-final submission loss.

Doping case

After the 2022 IBJJF Worlds, Galvão tested positive for clomiphene. USADA found that a doctor had prescribed it, but he had not obtained a therapeutic use exemption. He accepted a one-year suspension from 22 July 2022, and IBJJF results from 5 June 2022 onward were disqualified.

Major Titles & Notes

ADCC World Champion (2024, −77 kg)ADCC silver (2022, −77 kg)IBJJF World Champion (2024, lightweight)IBJJF Pan Champion (2024) and European Champion (2024), middleweightWNO welterweight champion (2023)BJJ Stars middleweight grand prix champion (2022, 2025)

Signature Techniques

Back controlBow and arrow chokeRear naked choke

Related Techniques

Back ControlBow and Arrow ChokeRear Naked Choke

Fight History

OpponentResultMethodEventDivisionStageDateSource
Vagner RochaWinSubmissionADCC World Championship-77 kgFinal2024Source
Dante LeonLossSubmissionADCC World ChampionshipAbsoluteQuarter-final2024Source
Kade RuotoloLoss—ADCC World Championship-77 kgFinal2022Source
Lucas BarbosaWinSubmission (bow and arrow choke)BJJ Stars 8—Final2022Source
Leandro LoWinDecisionBJJ Stars 8——2022Source

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Mica Galvão?

Mica Galvão was born on 8 October 2003 in Manaus, Brazil, according to Wikipedia. His father promoted him to black belt in July 2021, when he was 17.

What is Mica Galvão's record?

Neither Wikipedia nor BJJ Heroes publishes a complete win-loss count for Mica Galvão. His recorded losses at the top level include a split decision to Tye Ruotolo at WNO (2021), the 2022 ADCC −77 kg final to Kade Ruotolo and a 2024 ADCC absolute quarter-final submission by Dante Leon.

What team is Mica Galvão on?

He competes for Melqui Galvão Jiu-Jitsu, his father's academy, which split from Fight Sports in January 2023.

What belt is Mica Galvão?

He is a first-degree black belt under his father, Melqui Galvão. He also holds a Luta Livre black belt from Totonho Aleixo.

Was Mica Galvão stripped of a world title?

Yes. He tested positive for clomiphene at the 2022 IBJJF Worlds. USADA found the drug had been prescribed by a doctor, but he had no therapeutic use exemption, so he lost the 2022 title and served a one-year suspension from July 2022. He won the IBJJF Worlds again in 2024.

Sources