Recently, many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling stars have made the move to showcase their talent on the ONE Championship global stage. One of the most exciting new acquisitions is Diogo Reis, joining the ranks of Marcelo Garcia, Fabricio Andrey, Dante Leon, Giancarlo Bodoni, and many more. Hailing from the grappling-rich land of Brazil, let’s talk about what we can expect from Baby Shark’s quest to capture the ONE Submission Grappling Championship belt.
Who Is Diogo Reis?
Also known as “Baby Shark,” Diogo Reis is a BJJ black belt from Manaus, Brazil, under Melqui Galvao, who has also produced some of today’s top grappling talents like Mica Galvao, Fabricio Andrey, and Thalison Soares. Diogo represents Fight Sports and is part of Melqui’s competitive squad. He began making a name for himself early on, competing in the juvenile and colored belt divisions.
As a juvenile, Diogo achieved the BJJ Grand Slam in 2019 by winning four of the most prestigious IBJJF tournaments: the World, Pan, Brazilian, and European Championships. Since then, Diogo has been on a tear in his professional career. He earned his black belt in 2020, just seven months after being promoted to brown belt. Since then, he has won numerous major submission grappling tournaments against some of the best competitors of his generation.
At just 20 years old, Diogo won the most prestigious submission grappling tournament in the world, the 2022 ADCC World Championships. He repeated the feat in 2024, again winning the ADCC 66kg division by defeating Fabricio Andrey, Josh Cisneros, and Diego “Pato” Oliveira.
The Shark On The Hunt
Diogo is known for his dynamic fighting style, constantly hunting for takedowns and submissions while keeping relentless pressure on his opponent. At the highest level, Diogo can play from any position, whether its recovering from a failed takedown attempt or scrambling his way to top control. Like the apex predator he’s nicknamed after, Baby Shark hunts with precision.
2022 ADCC Trials
There are two ways to qualify for ADCC: a direct invite or winning one of the regional trials (Europe, North America, South America, or Asia & Oceania). Diogo made a statement in the professional submission grappling world by dominating the first 2022 ADCC South American Trials.
Relentlessly attacking in the stand-up, Diogo often looks for single-leg takedowns to work behind his opponent and establish control. Instead of using takedowns that land him in various guard positions, he opts for body-lock takedowns that allow him to slide behind his opponent’s back and start hunting for submissions.
On the ground, Diogo is confident in the leg lock game and has a deep arsenal of defensive tactics to escape dangerous positions, not limited to heel hooks. He is also known for actively pursuing leg submissions and engaging in those exchanges. One of his preferred techniques is using the reverse De La Riva guard with the “kiss of the dragon” to take the back. If that fails, he seamlessly wrestles up to gain top position.
In his 2022 ADCC Trials run, Diogo proved he was a serious threat in the 66kg division, beating top competitors like Diego “Pato” Oliveira and former teammate Fabricio Andrey.
2022 ADCC World Championship
Diogo’s 2022 ADCC World Championship campaign was one of the most challenging, featuring a stacked bracket. Nevertheless, he rose to the occasion and conquered the 66kg division, defeating elite opponents such as Fabricio Andrey, Gabriel Sousa, Ashley Williams, and Joshua Cisneros.
His wrestling stand-up gives him explosive takedown ability, along with the skill to shoot in and retreat safely. He also excels at wrestling up from the guard position to regain control. While fans hoped for a finals showdown between Diogo and Fabricio Andrey, the two former teammates met earlier in the quarterfinals. In a close match, Diogo emerged victorious by referee decision.
2024 ADCC World Championship
The 66kg division in the 2024 ADCC World Championship featured stacked talent from all over the world. Diogo opened his campaign by submitting Asia & Oceania’s trial winner Huaiqing Xu with a D’Arce choke.
In the quarterfinals, he once again faced Fabricio Andrey in a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle filled with scrambles, takedowns, and explosive transitions. In the semifinals, Diogo outlasted top American grappler Josh Cisneros, winning by points.
In the finals, he took on fellow Brazilian and multiple-time IBJJF World Champion Diego Oliveira. After surviving a deep heel hook in a leg entanglement, Diogo stood up, passed the guard, and secured the mount with an arm-triangle setup. He then dismounted to side control and finished with a textbook katagatame (arm-triangle choke).
ONE Championship Debut
This was not Diogo’s first encounter with Shoya Ishiguro—they had previously faced each other in the finals of the 2025 IBJJF European Championship, where Diogo came out on top.
In his ONE Championship debut, Diogo faced Shoya once more. Five minutes into the match, Diogo was working from headquarters, trying to pass guard. He stood up and launched into a rolling Kimura, landing in the north-south crucifix and finishing with a Kimura submission.
Conclusion
Fans can continue to expect Diogo Reis to continue showcasing his electrifying, aggressive, and high-paced grappling style. Whether it’s takedowns, back takes, or explosive scrambles, Baby Shark brings danger at every phase. And with his ongoing rivalry with Fabricio Andrey, there’s a strong possibility we’ll see them clash again under the bright lights of the ONE Championship stage—possibly at featherweight, if Diogo decides to move up.
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