Nathannael Fernandes is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and a black belt under Melqui Galvão, who is part of a well-known generation of top-tier grapplers developed by coach Galvão from his academy in Manaus, Brazil, a team that built names such as Mica Galvão, Fabricio Andrey, and Diogo Reis. Fernandes had a fruitful career as a colored belt, though he first made big waves in the sport during his black belt debut, at the 2021 Abu Dhabi World Pro tournament where he beat big names of the sport such as Pan & European champion Thalison Soares and European and Brazilian Nationals gold medalist Rodnei Barbosa.