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ONE Championship appoint Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Leo Vieira as Vice President of grappling

ONE Championship has appointed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Leo Vieira as the Grappling department's Vice President following the rise in submission grappling seen at ONE X and ONE 156.

Leo Vieira

Bengaluru, May 11: ONE Championship has appointed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Leo Vieira as the Grappling department's Vice President following the rise in submission grappling seen at ONE X and ONE 156.

At ONE X, Mei "V.V" Yamaguchi and Danielle Kelly fought to a draw, but Kelly earned a US$50,000 performance bonus. The same result occurred between Reinier "The Dutch Knight" De Ridder and Andre "Deco" Galvao.

Moreover, at ONE 156 the debuting Mikey Musumeci forced legendary Masakazu Imanari to tap out, which also earned him the US$50K prize.

With so much potential in the discipline, The Home of Martial Arts named Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Leo Vieira as Vice President of its Grappling department.

"It is my honor to announce that Leo Vieira, one of the most accomplished and respected Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in history, has decided to join ONE Championship as Vice President of Grappling," ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said.

"Leo is a true trailblazer in martial arts, and as we continue to add depth to our grappling roster, his guidance will be invaluable. ONE is proud to continue providing the world's best martial arts athletes with a platform to showcase their unique talents and skills."

Vieira is a sixth-degree BJJ black belt who won the 1998 BJJ World Championship in the 76-kilogram division. He also took home the gold medal in the 66-kilogram division in the 2003 and 2005 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.

Ruotolo brothers to debut at ONE 157 on May 20Ruotolo brothers to debut at ONE 157 on May 20

Additionally, Vieira was victorious in the 69-kilogram division in the 2002 and 2004 Pan American Championship. He also founded the CheckMat grappling team in 2008 with his brothers Leandro and Ricardo. Some of the grapplers who have been a part of CheckMat are Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, Michelle Nicolini, and Jackson Sousa.

"I am thrilled to join ONE as Vice President of Grappling. I appreciate the trust and opportunity Chatri and the ONE team have given me to shape ONE's submission grappling divisions.

"As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt for over 25 years, I have been able to positively impact lives as a competitor, professor, and team leader, and I will continue to do so at ONE," Vieira expressed.

"It is a dream come true to work alongside people who share similar values and beliefs about martial arts as I do. I am committed to building the world's most exciting submission grappling promotion with ONE's amazingly talented roster."

ONE Championship returns to action at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot. Watch the event live on Disney+ Hotstar beginning with the lead card at 2 PM IST on May 20. Meanwhile, the main card will broadcast live on Disney+ Hotstar at 6 PM IST.

Source: Media Release

Story first published: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 16:12 [IST]
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