Nicolas e Alexandre Pequeno, estrela do MMA. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

Nicolas Renier, 36, is a black belt who, after making his career as a grappling competitor, undertook the mission of spreading the history of luta livre around the world. Champion of four ADCC tryouts in Europe, he even participated in the biggest grappling event six times – twice being invited by the organization of Mo Jassim, the main organizer of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club.

Today, the Frenchman resides in Rio de Janeiro, specifically in the borough of Jardim Botânico, where he runs his gym NR Fight, specializing in Luta Livre, an art for which Nicolas has a huge passion.

In parallel with his classes, Nicolas takes time to produce and create documentaries that will help popularize Luta Livre. In 2014, he single-handedly produced a documentary called “Luta Livre Spirit” with 12 episodes that brought together personalities such as Roberto Leitão, Leozada Nogueira, and Alexandre Pequeno.

“My mission is to popularize the name of luta livre, to show that there is not only one modality of ground fighting. There’s also luta livre, which can be another option besides Jiu-Jitsu. We can build “a better world” by offering an alternative for practitioners of martial arts. In the documentary, which is available on my YouTube channel, you can get to know how luta livre was important for so many people, and how this modality changed the lives of many Brazilians. I want everyone to know that”, explains Nicolas, a practitioner since 2001, when he had Flávio Peroba as his teacher.

Nicolas also gives his opinion why luta livre did not achieve the same projection as Jiu-Jitsu in terms of visibility.

“We didn’t get a big projection like Jiu-Jitsu because we lacked some thinking minds to use marketing and be able to sell our modality to a larger audience. Jiu-Jitsu fighters learned a lot from luta livre, as there was always this exchange of information between the two. Milton Vieira at BTT, master Roberto Leitão at Nova União…”, comments Nicolas, a black belt for nine years.

Nicolas wants to maintain the growth of his school in Brazil and increase its branches in France, in addition to using the internet to take the philosophy of luta livre to more practitioners.

“I have already conquered everything that my level allowed me to. Nowadays I am proud of what I managed to win and participate to have a name in this modality. Now I want to show my fight in a different way, both on the internet and with the opening of several academies in France”, concludes the professor.

For the first time fighting in Brazil, Jiu-Jitsu black belt Igor Gracie didn’t give Peru’s Richard Palomino an inch of wiggle room during their encounter at Duelo de Titãs last Saturday in the Brazilian town of Cuiabá. The Gracie living in New York needed just 44 seconds to take his pray down and sink an unanswered arm-and-neck choke, earning him the promotional welterweight belt.

The event also marked the MMA debut of Gracie Barra instructor Kléber Buiú, as well as the return of the King of the Guillotine Alexandre Pequeno, a former World Shooto champion.

Duelo de Titãs
Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
March 24, 2012

Igor Gracie subbed Ricardo Palomino via arm-and-neck choke in R1;
Alexandre Pequeno defeated Jean Carlo Payaso via desistance in R1;
Bruno Carvalho defeated Eduardo Pachu via knockout R2;
Sérgio Junior defeated David Cuba via knockout in R2;
Aloísio Dado and David Bull fought to a draw;
Leopoldo Serão subbed Renato “El Tank” via armbar in R1;
Marcelo Broa defeated Chiquinho de Cuiabá via doctor’s intervention in R3;
Ariel Machado defeated Wanderlei Camilo via knockout in R1;
Eduardo Simões subbed José Samuel Lopes via heelhook in R1;
Kléber Buiú subbed Pablo Cascão via arm-and-neck choke in R1;

Lutando pela primeira vez no Brasil, o faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu Igor Gracie não deixou o peruano Richard Palomino nem se mexer no cercado do evento Duelo de Titãs, no último sábado, em Cuiabá. O professor radicado em NY só precisou de 44s para derrubar e encaixar uma variação do katagatame inapelável. Com o resultado, Igor faturou o cinturão da categoria 77kg do evento.

O evento marcou ainda pela estreia do professor da GB Kléber Buiú no MMA, e pelo retorno do rei da guilhotina Alexandre Pequeno, ex-campeão do Shooto.

Duelo de Titãs
Cuiabá, Mato Grosso
24 de março de 2012

Igor Gracie finalizou Ricardo Palomino com um katagatame no R1
Alexandre Pequeno venceu Jean Carlo Payaso por desistência no R1
Bruno Carvalho venceu Eduardo Pachu por nocaute no R2
Sérgio Junior venceu David Cuba por nocaute no R2
Aloísio Dado e David Bull empataram
Leopoldo Serão finalizou Renato “El Tank” com um armlock no R1
Marcelo Broa venceu Chiquinho de Cuiabá por interrupção médica no R3
Ariel Machado venceu Wanderlei Camilo por nocaute no R1
Eduardo Simões finalizou José Samuel Lopes com uma chave de calcanhar no R1
Kléber Buiú finalizou Pablo Cascão com um katagatame no R1

Galera reunida em graduação no BOPE. Foto: divulgação

Foi realizado na última semana, no quartel do BOPE, no Rio de Janeiro, o exame de faixa de luta livre e submission dos caveiras – como são chamados os soldados do BOPE – e da Tropa de Elite da Guarda Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. Quatro caveiras foram graduados à faixa-preta.

Pequeno e Índia treinam com os caveiras. Foto: divulgação

Pequeno e Índia deram um rola no final do evento e ficaram impressionados com a disposição dos caveiras.

BOPE group gathered at promotion ceremony. Photo: Publicity

Last weekend, at BOPE (Brazilian elite police force) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, the luta livre and submission grappling belt promotion exam was held for the caveiras – as BOPE officers are known – and for the Rio de Janeiro Elite Municipal Guard. Four caveiras were promoted to black belt.

Pequeno and Índia roll with "caveiras". Photo: Publicity

The event, organized by BOPE instructor Felix (Mau Mau), a black belt in luta livre and brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu, included the participation of Gilson Fernandes, a Jiu-Jitsu and luta livre black belt and director of Submission Luta Livre Federation events; Daniel D’Dane; vice-president Alexandre Pequeno, an MMA fighter; Master Jefferson (JOP), as well as MMA and Jiu-Jitsu fighter Ana Maria “Índia”, who also practices the style.

Pequeno and Índia performed the final roll and were impressed with the abilities of the caveiras.