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Ricardo Liborio

1996 World champion Ricardo Liborio helped found Brazilian Top Team and American Top Team before bringing jiu-jitsu teaching to UCF.

Biography

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1967, Ricardo Liborio began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a teenager at the Carlson Gracie Academy. Carlson Gracie awarded him his black belt in 1993. That teacher-student relationship frames a career that moved from competition to building teams and, later, teaching. At the 1996 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, official IBJJF results place Liborio first in the adult black-belt super-heavy division and second in the adult black-belt open class. ADCC's 2000 results later list him as the silver medalist in the -88 kg division. Together, those records mark the competitive part of a career that did not stop at the mat. In 2000, Liborio and several teammates helped found Brazilian Top Team. After moving to the United States in 2001, he established American Top Team. Those are historical roles: in 2017, he left the MMA industry to build Martial Arts Nation, which describes the move as a new direction for his teaching. That focus reached a university setting. The University of Central Florida reported in 2019 that Liborio became the instructor for its beginning and intermediate Brazilian jiu-jitsu courses after supporting its BJJ club and helping develop the accredited offering. A 2024 report on his coral-belt ceremony identified the promotion as seventh degree and described teaching at UCF as his present focus.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, "Ricardo Liborio" (accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes identifies Antonio Ricardo Jardim Liborio as born in 1967 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

      Where in the source: Full Name: Antonio Ricardo Jardim Liborio; Ricardo Liborio was born on the 13th of July 1967 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes states that Liborio was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

      Where in the source: born ... in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

      Accessed:

  • Martial Arts Nation, "History" (accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • Martial Arts Nation's official history says Liborio began Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Carlson Gracie Academy as a teenager and received his black belt from Carlson Gracie in 1993.

      Where in the source: At age 15, he began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Carlson Gracie Academy; In 1993, he received his black belt from Master Gracie

      Accessed:

    • Martial Arts Nation's official history says Liborio helped found Brazilian Top Team in 2000 and, after moving to the United States, established American Top Team in 2001.

      Where in the source: 2000 – Liborio and several teammates found Brazilian Top Team; 2001 – ... moves to the United States, where he founds American Top Team

      Accessed:

    • Martial Arts Nation says Liborio left the MMA industry in 2017 and created Martial Arts Nation to take his teaching in a new direction.

      Where in the source: in 2017, he left the MMA industry to build Liborio's Martial Arts Nation

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1996" results (accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official 1996 World Championship results list Ricardo Liborio of Carlson Gracie first in the adult black-belt super-heavy division and second in the adult black-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Super Heavy — 1 Ricardo Liborio Carlson Gracie; Adult / Black / Male / Open Class — 2 Ricardo Liborio Carlson Gracie

      Accessed:

  • ADCC News, "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2000" (accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • ADCC's official 2000 results list Ricardo Liborio as the silver medalist in the -88 kg division.

      Where in the source: 2000 RESULTS — -88kg — Silver — 2nd — Ricardo Liborio

      Accessed:

  • Camille Dolan, University of Central Florida, "Internationally Known Martial Artist to Teach Brazilian Jiu-jitsu this Fall" (published 2019-08-23; accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • The University of Central Florida reported in 2019 that Liborio became instructor for its beginning and intermediate Brazilian jiu-jitsu courses after supporting its BJJ club and helping develop the accredited offering.

      Where in the source: PEM 2402, Beginning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and PEM 2403, Intermediate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Instructor Ricardo Liborio; worked for about a year to add BJJ to UCF's course offerings

      Accessed:

  • Marcelo Alonso, Sherdog, "Ricardo Liborio Receives 7th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" (published 2024-03-18; accessed 2026-09-13).(opens in a new tab)

    • Sherdog reported that Liborio received a coral belt at a March 2024 ceremony at Brazilian Top Team headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

      Where in the source: coral belt (seventh degree black belt) graduation of Liborio

      Accessed:

    • Sherdog identifies Liborio's March 2024 coral-belt promotion as seventh degree and says his present focus is teaching jiu-jitsu at the University of Central Florida.

      Where in the source: coral belt (seventh degree black belt); today Liborio dedicates himself to teaching jiu-jitsu at the University of Central Florida

      Accessed:

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
YearEventResultDivision
2015ADCC 2015Source: adcombat.comNo-giVerified1st placeNo-giVerified
2000ADCC 2000Source: adcombat.com-88 kgNo-giVerified2nd place-88 kgNo-giVerified
1999ADCC 1999Source: adcombat.com-88 kgNo-giVerified3rd place-88 kgNo-giVerified
1996IBJJF World ChampionshipSource: en.wikipedia.orgAbsoluteGiVerified2nd placeAbsoluteGiVerified
1996IBJJF World ChampionshipSource: en.wikipedia.org-100 kgGiVerified1st place-100 kgGiVerified

Lineage

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Trained under

Students9