Fernando Margarida Pontes

Main Achievements

• 2x 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship (2001 Heavyweight & Absolute Double-Gold Champion)
• 2x 1st Place — IBJJF Pan American Championship (2000 / 2001 Champion)
• 1st Place — CBJJ Brazilian National Champion (2000)
• 2x 2nd Place — IBJJF World Championship (2000 Heavyweight & Absolute Silver Medalist)
• Historical Milestone — Became the first competitor in history to submit legendary master Fábio Gurgel in official competition.

Overview

Fernando Pontes, universally recognized across the global martial arts community by his iconic nickname “Margarida” (Daisy), is a legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former open-weight World Champion. Emerging as one of the most exciting, aggressive, and irreverent grapplers of the early 2000s golden era, Margarida left an indelible mark on the sport. His larger-than-life personality and flamboyant charisma were backed by elite, high-class technical abilities and an uncompromisingly lethal submission game.

Early Life & Global Education

Fernando was born in São Paulo, Brazil, into a highly academic family of medical professionals. His entry into professional sports was largely unexpected; after briefly experimenting with basketball as a youth, his intense energy and a penchant for street fights prompted his parents to enroll him in traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 13.

He took his very first steps on the mat at the Academia Formula under the guidance of pioneering legends Fábio Gurgel and Fernando Yamasaki. Displaying an immediate, immense natural talent for spatial mechanics, his development soon took him across the globe to the United States. He sharpened his growing arsenal in Washington, D.C., and Southern California, cross-training extensively under Mario Yamasaki and Fabio Santos.

The Flamboyant Origin of “Margarida”

His legendary moniker “Margarida” (Portuguese for Daisy) was generated during his formative training days under Fábio Gurgel. During the festive Brazilian Carnival season, a young Fernando playfully requested that his orthodontist install multi-colored elastic bands onto his dental braces. When he arrived at the academy showcasing the bright, festive neon palette, Gurgel found the aesthetic hilariously flamboyant and lightheartedly dubbed him “Daisy”—a contrast to his fierce fighting style that stuck with him throughout his entire historic career.

Competitive Peak and Historical Triumphs

Margarida ascended to the absolute peak of the sport at the turn of the millennium. Upon returning to São Paulo, his elite status was finalized when he was promoted to black belt in 2000 by Roberto Godoi and Otávio de Almeida. He instantly validated the promotion by capturing the Brazilian Nationals and the Pan American Championships.

His competitive zenith arrived at the 2001 IBJJF World Championships (Mundial), where he orchestrated one of the most dominant and shocking campaigns in grappling history. Margarida captured the ultra-rare Double-Gold crown, winning both the Heavyweight division and the prestigious Adult Absolute (Open Weight) bracket. During this historic run, he became the first human to ever submit his former teacher, Fábio Gurgel, in official competition, and famously defeated the legendary Saulo Ribeiro twice in the same weekend utilizing his patented upper-body choking configurations.

Tactical Legacy and Fighting Style

On the mats, Margarida was revered for a “never-back-down” attitude and an astonishingly high submission-to-win ratio, finishing over 50% of his black belt victories. He operated as a premier innovator of the modern aggressive guard passing game, utilizing heavy hip pressure, explosive cartwheels, and relentless standing passes to dismantle complex open guards.

Once on top, he weaponized a terrifying upper-body submission arsenal. He remains most famous for his surgical cross chokes, precise armbars, and his trademark Baseball Bat Choke—referred to in Portuguese as the “Alicate” (pliers) due to the crushing force of his grips. His willingness to train with legends like Rickson Gracie, combined with his colorful gi selections and unmatched mat charisma, permanently cemented Fernando “Margarida” Pontes as one of the most recognizable and beloved icons of sport Jiu-Jitsu.