Diogo won bronze in both his weight class and the absolute division at the European Championship
Black belt Diogo Oliveira earns two bronze medals in Portugal in January and then takes absolute gold in Florianópolis in February, establishing himself as one of the standout names in the IBJJF circuit.
At 41 years old, Diogo Oliveira kicked off the 2023 IBJJF season with strong performances, solidifying his position as a top competitor in the Master 3 black belt division, collecting important podium finishes both internationally and in Brazil.
At the European Championship in January, held in Portugal, traditionally the opening event of the IBJJF calendar, the Brazilian showed consistency from the opening rounds. In the super heavyweight division, he won his first two matches convincingly, 6 – 0 in his debut and 5–0 in the following bout, displaying tactical control and confidence in his game. His run ended in the semifinals in a closely contested match, decided on advantages after a 0–0 tie.
“At the Europeans, I had six matches in total. I managed to dominate my first two fights, imposing my game. The semifinal was decided on an advantage, it was a very even match,” said Diogo, who has been a black belt since 2011.
In the absolute division, he delivered another high-level performance. After winning his first match and submitting his second with an arm lock, Diogo once again reached the semifinals. In another tight contest, the score ended 3–3, with his opponent holding one advantage, earning Diogo a second bronze medal in the open weight division.
“I was able to secure a submission in the absolute and kept progressing well. The semifinal was also decided in the details, which shows the high level of the competition,” he added.
Diogo Oliveira returned to victory at the CBJJ South Brazilian Championships
Back in Brazil, Diogo maintained his momentum at the South Brazilian Championship, held in Florianópolis on February 3 and 4. In his weight class, he won his first two matches on points and advanced to the final, where he chose to close out the division with his brother, Felipe Oliveira, taking the silver medal.
At the 2023 South Brazilian, it was a family closeout in the finals, with gold in the absolute and silver in the weight class.
In the absolute division, the story repeated itself, but with a different outcome. After another solid run, the brothers met again in the final and opted for another closeout, this time with Diogo taking gold.
“At the South Brazilian, I also had good matches. I reached the finals in both my weight and the absolute and got to share that moment with my brother, which is something very special,” said the athlete.
With two bronze medals at the European Championship in Portugal and finals appearances at the South Brazilian in Florianópolis, Diogo Oliveira reinforces his position among the top black belts of the 2023 season, proving himself highly competitive
