Harryson Pereira

Main Achievements

• 2nd Place — IBJJF European Championship (2026)
• 1st Place — IBJJF Sul-Americano Championship (2023 Absolute Champion)
• 3rd Place — IBJJF World Championship (2024 Bronze Medalist)
• 2x 3rd Place — IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 / 2026 Absolute)
• 2x 3rd Place — CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2023 / 2026 Weight & Absolute)
• 1st Place — IBJJF Portland International Open (2023)
• 1st Place — IBJJF Southern Brazil Championship No-Gi (2020)
• 2x 2nd Place (Colored Belts) — IBJJF World Championship (2018 / 2019 Brown Belt Silver Medalist)
• 2nd Place (Colored Belts) — IBJJF South American Championship No-Gi (2019 Brown Belt)

Overview

Harryson Santana Pereira is an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor representing the respected Ataque Duplo banner. Competing at the absolute pinnacle of the Super-Heavyweight (Super Pesado) and open-weight divisions, Pereira has carved out a distinct and highly unique reputation on the IBJJF international major circuit. He stands as a rare example of a modern, world-class athlete who balances a demanding, elite grappling career at the highest levels against non-professional, external work commitments outside of full-time martial arts instruction.

Early Life & Diverse Athletic Background

Harryson Pereira was born on December 13, 1994, in the coastal city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Raised in the neighboring municipality of Biguaçu, physical athletics served as a primary cornerstone of his structural upbringing. Long before discovering submission grappling, Pereira dedicated nine years of his childhood—from ages five to fourteen—to mastering the rhythmic transitions, balance, and explosive core control of Capoeira.

His introduction to the gi materialized at age ten, heavily influenced by his father and an older cousin who were already active practitioners. He initiated his formal, structured training under the expert guidance of coach Elexsandro Silvestre Machado. Because Machado possessed an extensive, highly competitive background in Judo, classic Japanese throwing mechanics and balance-breaking upright frames were integrated into Pereira’s daily matrix from his very first day on the mats. He spent his youth split between competing at high-level regional tournaments in both Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, ultimately electing to narrow his focus exclusively to BJJ during his brown belt campaign.

Global Breakthrough & Black Belt Promotion

Pereira first commanded the undivided attention of the global grappling community during his exceptional run through the adult brown belt divisions. Showing an elite competitive ceiling, he captured back-to-back silver medals at the ultra-prestigious IBJJF World Championships in 2018 and 2019, battling through massive brackets packed with international prospects.

Demonstrating a fierce, unwavering loyalty to his martial roots, Pereira remained under the daily instruction of Elexsandro Silvestre Machado from his introductory training sessions through every single colored belt milestone. This lifelong athletic dedication culminated on June 6, 2019, when Coach Machado officially promoted Pereira to the rank of black belt.

Competitive Style & Professional Profile

On the international stage, Pereira is widely recognized for a highly aggressive, submission-oriented game plan that completely rejects stalling or passive positional play. Utilizing his large, imposing physical frame and an extraordinarily explosive base forged during his early judo days, he specializes in a highly sophisticated distance passing system.

Rather than engaging in close-quarters pressure passing, Pereira uses lateral movement, heavy collar ties, and high-velocity angles to systematically dismantle complex modern open guards from the feet. This clinical passing style has yielded exceptional black belt success, highlighted by a silver medal finish at the 2026 IBJJF European Championship, a weight-class bronze at the 2024 IBJJF Worlds, and absolute open-weight podium finishes at the Pans and Brazilian National Championships. Today, Harryson Pereira remains a principal vanguard for the Ataque Duplo empire, demonstrating that competitive longevity and world-class mastery can coexist with a balanced professional lifestyle.