Gabriel Sousa

Gabriel Sousa may be a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom, but he wasn’t always cut out for sports.

The Fortaleza native dabbled in futsal as a young kid, but he lacked the athletic ability displayed by his counterparts. What he didn’t lack, however, was heart and determination — both of which he would carry into BJJ as a 12-year-old boy.

Sousa discovered “the gentle art” just before becoming a teenager and was hooked instantly. After working his way through the ranks and earning his color belts, he began competing internationally. In fact, as a purple and brown belt, he stood on the first-place podium 14 times.

He later received his black belt from the esteemed Lucas Rocha, and the accolades kept pouring in.

The Brazilian placed in the top three 17 times in various prestigious submission grappling tournaments. But perhaps his biggest win came in 2021 when he scored a north-south choke on future ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci.

Sousa, who has over 120 victories to his name, joined ONE Championship in 2024, and he now looks to put a stranglehold on the promotion’s bantamweight submission grappling division.