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Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa is a Brazilian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, submission grappler, and mixed martial artist. Regarded as one of the most accomplished competitors of his generation, Barbosa has won major titles in both gi and no-gi competition, including the IBJJF World Championship, IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, and multiple medals at the ADCC World Championship.
Early Life
Lucas Daniel Silva Barbosa was born on February 13, 1992, in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. As a child, he participated in several sports, including swimming, basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, judo, and Muay Thai before discovering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 15.
He began his BJJ journey under Diego Lopes before training with Cristiano Carioca and André Fabiano. Later, Barbosa moved to Rio de Janeiro to pursue a full-time competitive career under Márcio Rodrigues, where his exceptional strength and athleticism earned him the nickname “Hulk.”
Grappling Career
Barbosa first gained international recognition in 2014 after standout performances in “THE TEAM,” a Copa Podio web series featuring many of Brazil’s top up-and-coming grapplers. His success led to invitations to major professional events and established him as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
In 2015, Barbosa captured the IBJJF World Championship and Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship as a brown belt before being promoted to black belt by André Fabiano. Shortly afterwards, he relocated to San Diego, California, to join Atos Jiu-Jitsu under André Galvão, where he developed into one of the world’s elite black belt competitors.
Major Achievements
Throughout his black belt career, Lucas Barbosa has won medals at many of the sport’s most prestigious events, including:
- IBJJF World Champion
- Multiple-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion
- IBJJF Pan Champion
- IBJJF European Champion
- IBJJF Asian Champion
- Abu Dhabi World Professional Champion
- Multiple-time ADCC World Championship medalist
His success in both gi and no-gi competition has made him one of the few athletes to consistently perform at the highest level across all major rulesets.
Professional Grappling
In addition to IBJJF competition, Barbosa has competed for many of the world’s leading professional grappling promotions, including:
- ADCC World Championship
- Who’s Number One (WNO)
- UFC Fight Pass Invitational
- Fight 2 Win (F2W)
- BJJ Stars
- Polaris
- Kasai Pro
- Craig Jones Invitational (CJI)
Known for accepting matches against the sport’s top competitors, Barbosa has faced many elite black belts throughout his career.
MMA Career
Alongside his grappling accomplishments, Barbosa has also competed professionally in mixed martial arts. After beginning his MMA career in Brazil, he returned to the sport in recent years, competing in promotions including the Professional Fighters League (PFL). His wrestling, pressure passing, and submission skills have translated naturally into MMA competition.