Antônio Ricardo Jardim Libório

Ricardo Libório
Co-Founder of American Top Team & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pioneer

Antônio Ricardo Jardim Libório (born July 13, 1967, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a world-renowned martial artist, widely regarded as one of the most technical black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) history. He is a 7th-degree BJJ coral belt under the legendary Carlson Gracie academy and holds a 2nd-dan black belt in Judo.

Key Achievements & Career Highlights
World Champion (1996): Won the gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the inaugural IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where he was also named the “Most Technical Black Belt.”

Academy Co-Founder: Co-founded two of the most dominant powerhouse camps in mixed martial arts (MMA) history: Brazilian Top Team (BTT) and American Top Team (ATT).

Elite Coach: Nominated for “Coach of the Year” at the 2009 World MMA Awards and ranked 13th on Fight! magazine’s “Power 20” list of the most influential people in MMA in 2012.

Hall of Fame Inductee: Inducted into both the NAGA Grappling Hall of Fame (2005) and the Official World Grappling Hall of Fame (2010).

Academic & Community Impact
Following his departure from ATT in 2015, Libório shifted his focus toward integrating martial arts into the education system and community outreach through his company, Martial Arts Nation.

University of Central Florida (UCF): In 2019, Libório created the first-ever Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academic course offered at a major U.S. university. Under his guidance, the UCF BJJ club grew into the university’s largest sports club.

Public School Programs: Partnered with Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to establish the first public school martial arts program at Edgewater High School, focusing on anti-bullying, self-defense, and character development.

Advocacy for the Visually Impaired: Inspired by his daughter’s vision loss, Libório developed community programs specifically certified to teach Judo and martial arts to visually impaired students.