Paulo Miyao is a Brazilian black belt from Andirá, Paraná, and the twin brother of João Miyao. A featherweight trained by Cicero Costha, he won the IBJJF Worlds in 2015 and 2019 and took ADCC bronze in 2017 and 2019. He also won the 2016 Worlds but was stripped of that title after a positive test for clomiphene.
Background and lineage
Like João, Paulo is a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian who trained full time at Cicero Costha's social project, PSLPB, in São Paulo, alongside Leandro Lo. He won the IBJJF Worlds at purple belt in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, still a brown belt, he won the brown belt absolute at the Worlds by beating Keenan Cornelius. The twins received their black belts together on 25 June 2013. Paulo became head coach of Dream Art Jiu-Jitsu in July 2022, and in 2023 the brothers opened Studio 1908.
Competition highlights
- IBJJF World Championship: featherweight gold in 2015, with a back choke on Daniel Beleza in the final, and again in 2019. Silver in 2014 after an advantage loss to Guilherme Mendes.
- IBJJF Pans: gold in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019, plus Pan No-Gi titles in 2015 and 2021.
- ADCC: bronze in 2017, after a semi-final loss to Rubens "Cobrinha" Charles, and again in 2019.
- Other: European Open gold in 2019 and 2022, Abu Dhabi World Pro gold in 2018 and 2019 and the 2014 Brazilian Nationals.
Style and signature techniques
BJJ Heroes lists the berimbolo as his favourite technique, and his finishing record shows the back as his target. Of his 75 submission wins on BJJ Heroes, 41 are chokes from back control. The rest include 9 armbars, 5 rear naked chokes and a handful each of clock chokes, calf slicers, omoplatas and reverse triangles. Like his brother, he has no recorded submission losses on BJJ Heroes.
Doping case and later career
Paulo tested positive for clomiphene at the 2016 Worlds. He argued through an arbitrator that he had been unaware of the anti-doping rules but received a two-year suspension from September 2016 and lost the title. After returning in 2018 he won the 2019 Worlds. More recently he has competed in professional grappling: he heel hooked Alexandre Vieira at BJJ Stars 9 (2022) and won decisions at Pit Submission Series 8 and ADXC 7 in 2024.