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Vinicius Liberati

Brazilian black belt who beat his own Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate, Erich Munis, on advantages in both the 2026 Brasileiro and World finals.

Biography

Vinicius Liberati is a Brazilian black belt with Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu who won the super-heavyweight division at the 2026 IBJJF World Championship. His opponent in that final was his own teammate, Erich Munis, whom he had already beaten for the Brasileiro title. Both finals were level on points and went to Liberati on advantages, the tiebreaker used when the score is even. The account of his early years comes from his BJJ Heroes biography. It says he was born and raised in Bariri, a municipality in São Paulo state, and that he played competitive football between the ages of 8 and 15. Once he stopped, he put on weight, and trying to get fit again is what brought him into a jiu-jitsu gym. His first instructor, in Bariri, was Rafael Ultramare. He was already training close to full time, the biography continues, when he met Cicero Costha at a grappling tournament. He asked whether he could visit Costha's team headquarters in São Paulo, and Costha agreed. After the visit he applied for a place in Costha's jiu-jitsu scholarship program, was accepted in January 2017 and moved to São Paulo. Competing for Cicero Costha as a blue belt, he took double gold at the 2018 IBJJF European Championship in Lisbon, winning both the heavyweight division and the open class, where all weights meet; the open-class final was a walkover. BJJ Heroes also credits him with the blue belt title at that year's Brazilian Nationals. According to BJJ Heroes, an injury on a 2019 tournament trip to Europe then kept him out of training for a year and came close to ending his career. He was competing again by 2021. Among the brown belt titles BJJ Heroes lists are the Brazilian Nationals in 2021 and 2022, the 2021 South American Championship, and the AJP World Pro and AJP Grand Slam in Rio in 2022. He received his black belt on the Brazilian Nationals podium on May 14, 2022, and BJJ Heroes records him as a black belt under Costha. In May 2023, after more than six years with Costha's team, Liberati announced that he was joining Fratres, a new professional squad. That November he won black belt heavyweight at the Curitiba BJJ Pro as one of the Fratres athletes who took divisions there, beating Lotus Club's Hygor Brito in the final. At the 2024 World Championship he took silver at heavyweight for Fratres, losing the final to CheckMat's Adam Wardzinski. IBJJF's recap described Wardzinski as the first Polish world champion in its history and noted that he won every match by submission, the final with a head-and-arm choke. BJJ Heroes' fight records show Wardzinski beating Liberati several times in 2024 and 2025, at the European Open and the Brasileiro as well as in that World final. BJJ Heroes also lists Liberati third at the 2025 World Championship, where he lost the 100 kg semifinal to Munis, 4-2 on points. IBJJF's preview of the 2026 European Championship in Lisbon named Liberati as a Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate of Munis and called him a world-class competitor and a "perennial medalist at major events." His super-heavyweight final there against Harryson Pereira was a cautious one. After an early penalty for passivity, Liberati alternated between closed and open guard under Pereira's pressure; Pereira then drew two more passivity penalties, and they gave Liberati a 2-0 win on points. IBJJF's Pans preview later called that gold his breakthrough and described him as explosive, with heavy pressure from on top. BJJ Heroes, for its part, gives open guard as his favorite position. At the Pan Championship that followed, in Kissimmee, Florida, he lost the super-heavyweight final to Nolan Stuart. Liberati scored first, taking Stuart down as Stuart pulled guard, but Stuart took his back after Liberati left the competition area. Liberati swept him late and kept up the pressure from on top, but the score stayed 6-4 for Stuart. The Brasileiro final in May 2026 put him against Munis, whom IBJJF's preview described as a six-time world champion and the world's top-ranked black belt, and whom FloGrappling called the leader of their team. Liberati came up from double guard pulls, when both athletes pull guard at once, and the two teammates traded sweeps. With the points level, a footlock attempt added an advantage for Liberati, and he controlled the rest of the match. It finished 6-6 on points and 3-2 on advantages in his favor. He entered the World Championship as the No. 2 seed in super-heavyweight, holding the European and Brasileiro titles, while Munis was the reigning world champion. Liberati won three matches: he submitted Kalum Klausner in the quarterfinal, beat Windson Torres by two points in the semifinal and faced Munis again in the final. He opened the scoring by coming up from a double guard pull, and the two swept each other repeatedly until it stood 6-6. Late on, Munis went for a triangle and a hook sweep, but Liberati stayed on top and won 1-0 on advantages. IBJJF's recap called it his first world title. With it he held the European, Brasileiro and World titles of 2026. In July 2026 he won double gold at the IBJJF São Paulo Open, submitting his opponents in five of his six matches.

Sources for this profile

  • IBJJF, '2026 World Championship Black Belt Recap', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 06/04/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • Vinicius Liberati won the adult male black belt super-heavyweight division at the 2026 IBJJF World Championship, beating Erich Munis in the final; IBJJF called it his first World title.

      Where in the source: Section 'Super-Heavyweight', paragraph under the photo — 'his first World title'

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    • IBJJF's recap describes Liberati and Erich Munis as two Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu athletes who met in the 2026 World super-heavyweight final, repeating the 2026 Brasileiro final that Liberati had also won.

      Where in the source: Section 'Super-Heavyweight', first sentences — 'A pair of Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu athletes'

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    • Liberati won three matches at the 2026 World Championship: he finished Kalum Klausner in the quarterfinal, beat Windson Torres by two points in the semifinal and beat Erich Munis in the final.

      Where in the source: Section 'Super-Heavyweight', middle of the paragraph — 'three victories'

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    • IBJJF's recap says Liberati finished the 2026 season with the European, Brasileiro and World titles.

      Where in the source: Section 'Super-Heavyweight', last sentence — 'European, Brasileiro, and World titles'

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  • IBJJF, 'Vinicius Liberati - Athlete Results'.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's athlete results page lists Vinicius Liberati with the team Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu.

      Where in the source: Athlete card, line under the name — 'Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu'

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    • IBJJF's athlete results page lists Vinicius Liberati as a black belt.

      Where in the source: Athlete card, belt line under the team — 'Black'

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  • IBJJF, '2024 IBJJF Worlds Black Belt Results and Recap', by Danny O'Donnell, published 06/05/24.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2024 IBJJF World Championship, Liberati took silver in the adult male black belt heavyweight division, listed for Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, behind champion Adam Wardzinski of CheckMat.

      Where in the source: Results list, 'ADULT MALE BLACK HEAVY' — '2 VINICIUS LIBERATI, Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu'

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    • IBJJF's 2024 recap says heavyweight champion Adam Wardzinski, the first Polish World Champion in IBJJF history, won every match by submission and won the final with a head-and-arm choke.

      Where in the source: Paragraph on Adam Wardzinski — 'the finals with a head and arm choke'

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  • IBJJF, 'Curitiba BJJ Pro Results: Fratres Jiu-Jitsu Shines in the Black Belt Division', by Danny O'Donnell, published 11/13/23.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the Curitiba BJJ Pro on 11 November 2023, Liberati was one of the Fratres athletes who won their divisions; he won black belt heavyweight, beating Hygor Brito of Lotus Club in the final.

      Where in the source: Paragraph naming the Fratres winners — 'two more Fratres athletes'; 'heavyweight division'

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  • IBJJF, 'Adult Black Belt Division Previews | 2026 European Championships', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 01/20/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's preview of the 2026 European Championship named Liberati as a Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate of Erich Munis in the super-heavyweight division and described him as a world-class competitor and perennial medalist at major events.

      Where in the source: Male super-heavyweight paragraph — 'Fellow Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu contender'; 'perennial medalist at major events'

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  • IBJJF, '2026 Pans Black Belt Preview', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 03/27/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's 2026 Pans preview called his super-heavyweight gold at the 2026 European Championship his breakthrough and described him as an explosive athlete known for heavy top pressure.

      Where in the source: Super-heavyweight paragraph — 'breakthrough moment'; 'formidable top pressure'

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  • IBJJF, '2026 Brasileiro Black Belts Preview | Male Divisions', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 04/29/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's 2026 Brasileiro preview said Erich Munis, a six-time World Champion, was the world's #1 ranked black belt and that his Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate Liberati had won the 2026 European title and taken Pan silver, losing to Nolan Stuart.

      Where in the source: Super-heavyweight paragraph — 'His Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate'; 'claimed the Pan silver medal'

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  • IBJJF, 'Black Belt Bracket Breakdowns | 2026 World Championships', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 05/30/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • Going into the 2026 World Championship, Liberati was the #2 seed in super-heavyweight as reigning European and Brasileiro champion, while his teammate Erich Munis was the reigning World champion.

      Where in the source: Section 'Super-Heavyweight' — 'as the #2 seed'

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  • IBJJF, 'The Weekend Wrap | Three Events Provide Phenomenal Action', by Kaelan Crisosto, published 07/21/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • In July 2026 Liberati won double gold at the IBJJF São Paulo Open, with five submissions in six matches.

      Where in the source: Section 'São Paulo Open' — 'five submissions across six matches'

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  • FloGrappling, 'Blue Belts Challenge Brazilian Dominance At IBJJF 2018 Euros', Jan 17, 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • As a blue belt representing Cicero Costha at the 2018 IBJJF European Championship in Lisbon, Liberati won double gold in the heavyweight and open-class divisions; the open-class final was a walkover.

      Where in the source: Paragraph after the list of non-Brazilian blue belt champions — 'took double gold'; 'by walkover'

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    • FloGrappling describes Vinicius Liberati as Brazilian.

      Where in the source: Same paragraph — 'Brazilian Vinicius Liberati of Cicero Costha'

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  • FloGrappling, 'Europeu de Jiu-Jitsu 2026: Confira os resultados das finais de faixa-preta', by Carlos Arthur Jr., Jan 23, 2026 (Portuguese).(opens in a new tab)

    • In the super-heavyweight final of the 2026 European Championship in Lisbon, Liberati beat Harryson Pereira 2-0 on points in a cautious match: after an early penalty for lack of combativeness he alternated between closed and open guard against Pereira's pressure, and Pereira picked up two more such penalties, which gave Liberati the two points.

      Where in the source: Final 'Peso Super-Pesado: Vinicius Liberati vs Harryson Pereira' — 'venceu Harryson Pereira por 2 a 0 nos pontos'

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  • FloGrappling, 'Pan 2026: Sarah Galvão vence Gabi no absoluto; Resultados finais', by Carlos Arthur Jr., Mar 28, 2026 (Portuguese).(opens in a new tab)

    • Nolan Stuart beat Liberati 6-4 on points in the super-heavyweight final of the 2026 Pan Championship in Kissimmee, Florida: Liberati scored first with a takedown when Stuart pulled guard, Stuart then took his back after Liberati left the competition area, and Liberati's late sweep and top pressure left the score at 6-4.

      Where in the source: Final 'Peso Super-Pesado: Nolan Stuart vs Vinicius Liberati' — 'venceu Vinicius Liberati por 6 a 4'

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  • FloGrappling, 'Brasileiro 2026: Gabi Pessanha conquista o ouro duplo; Resultados finais', by Daniel Silva, May 2, 2026 (Portuguese).(opens in a new tab)

    • In the super-heavyweight final of the 2026 Brasileiro (May 2026), Liberati beat his Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammate Erich Munis, whom FloGrappling called the team's leader: after 6-6 on points he won 3-2 on advantages, having come up from double guard pulls, traded sweeps with Munis and, with the points level, added an advantage with a footlock attempt before controlling the rest of the match.

      Where in the source: Final 'Peso Super-Pesado: Vinicius Liberati vs Erich Munis' — 'líder da equipe'; 'por 3 a 2 nas vantagens após 6 a 6'

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  • FloGrappling, 'Mundial 2026: Gabi Pessanha conquista ouro duplo e Erich Munis o absoluto', by Carlos Arthur Jr., May 31, 2026 (Portuguese).(opens in a new tab)

    • The 2026 World super-heavyweight final between Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu teammates Liberati and Erich Munis ended 6-6 on points and Liberati won 1-0 on advantages: he opened the scoring coming up from a double guard pull, both men swept repeatedly, and he held top position while Munis tried a triangle and a hook sweep late.

      Where in the source: Final 'Peso Super-Pesado: Vinicius Liberati vs Erich Munis' — 'subir da dupla puxada'; 'por 1 a 0 nas vantagens'

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  • BJJ Heroes, 'Vinicius Liberati'.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes says he was born and grew up in Bariri, a municipality in São Paulo state, Brazil.

      Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — hometown 'Bariri'

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    • According to BJJ Heroes, Liberati played competitive football from age 8 to 15; after he stopped he put on weight, and getting back in shape is what took him to a jiu-jitsu gym.

      Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph — 'football (soccer)'

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    • His first jiu-jitsu instructor was Rafael Ultramare in Bariri.

      Where in the source: Biography, third paragraph — 'Rafael Ultramare'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says Liberati met Cicero Costha at a grappling tournament while he was already training close to full time, asked whether he could visit Costha's team headquarters in São Paulo, and Costha agreed.

      Where in the source: Biography, third and fourth paragraphs — 'grappling tournament'

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    • After visiting the Cicero Costha academy he applied for Costha's jiu-jitsu scholarship programme, was accepted in January 2017 and moved to São Paulo.

      Where in the source: Biography, fifth paragraph — 'scholarship program'

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    • According to BJJ Heroes, an injury suffered during a 2019 tournament trip to Europe kept Liberati out of training for a year and almost ended his career; he was competing again by 2021.

      Where in the source: Biography, sixth paragraph — 'for a year'

      Accessed:

    • Liberati received his black belt on 14 May 2022 on the podium of the Brazilian Nationals; BJJ Heroes lists him as a black belt under Cicero Costha.

      Where in the source: Biography, seventh paragraph — 'podium steps'; lineage line, which ends with Costha and then Liberati

      Accessed:

    • In May 2023, after more than six years with Cicero Costha's team, Liberati announced that he was joining the new professional squad Fratres.

      Where in the source: Biography, last paragraph — 'Fratres'

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    • BJJ Heroes lists his colored-belt titles as the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals at blue belt in 2018 and at brown belt in 2021 and 2022, the IBJJF South American Championship at brown belt in 2021, and the AJP World Pro and AJP Grand Slam Rio at brown belt in 2022.

      Where in the source: Achievements list for coloured belts, first-place entries

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    • BJJ Heroes lists among his black belt results first place at BJJ Stars Confere (2023), second at the IBJJF World Championship (2024), third at the IBJJF World Championship (2025) and third at the AJP World Pro (2022), alongside the 2026 World, European and Brazilian National titles and 2026 Pan silver.

      Where in the source: Main achievements list, black belt entries

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    • BJJ Heroes' fight history records that at the 2025 World Championship, at 100 kg, Liberati lost the semifinal to Erich Munis 4-2 on points.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, row Erich Munis, 'World Champ.', 100KG, SF, 2025

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    • BJJ Heroes' fight history lists losses to Adam Wardzinski at the 2024 European Open quarterfinal, the 2024 World final (katagatame), the 2025 European Open semifinal and the 2025 Brasileiro semifinal (katagatame).

      Where in the source: Fight history table, rows with opponent Adam Wardzinski, 2024-2025

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    • BJJ Heroes gives open guard as his favourite position.

      Where in the source: Profile facts, favourite position line — 'Open Guard'

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