Sebastian Lalli

Sebastian Augusto Lalli, widely known as Sebastian Lalli, is an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor, highly respected coach, and a pivotal figure in the expansion of Jiu-Jitsu in Southern Brazil. He is internationally recognized as a co-founder of the powerhouse Checkmat team.  

Early Life & Martial Arts Background
Born on June 12, 1976, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lalli moved with his family to Brazil at just three years old, growing up in Curitiba, Paraná.  

His martial arts journey began at age 10 with Taekwondo, followed by Muay Thai at age 14. In early 1995, captivated by Royce Gracie’s historic performances in the early UFC events, Lalli decided to shift his focus entirely to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  

Development and Academy Leadership
At the time Lalli began grappling, Jiu-Jitsu was still in its infancy in the state of Paraná, with only a couple of active academies in Curitiba. He began his formal training under coach Penão, who was later succeeded by Carlos Lima. It was under Lima’s guidance that Lalli earned all of his ranks, culminating in his black belt promotion in 2002.  

Lalli’s passion for coaching emerged early; he began teaching the art as a purple belt, effectively introducing Jiu-Jitsu to the nearby town of Campo Largo. In 2003, as a fresh black belt, he founded his own academy called “Equipe 1,” which rapidly grew into one of the largest and most dominant grappling teams in the region.  

The Founding of Checkmat
A major turning point in Lalli’s career came in 2006 when he met Leonardo “Leozinho” Vieira, who became his primary coach, mentor, and catalyst for his greatest competitive successes. When Vieira parted ways with Brasa Clube de Jiu-Jitsu to forge a new path, he invited Lalli to help build a new global network. Lalli accepted, officially cementing himself alongside the Vieira brothers and Chico Mendes as one of the co-founders of Team Checkmat in 2008.  

World-Class Coach & Mentor
From his headquarters in Curitiba, Lalli has developed a reputation as an exceptional mastermind and developer of elite, world-class talent. He has personally guided a deep roster of athletes from the lower ranks up to black belt excellence, including multi-time World Champions and elite competitors such as:

Andressa Cintra  

Alex Liscano  

Aghata Fernandes  

Main Competition Achievements
Competing primarily in the Light-Feather (Peso Pluma) division, Lalli has won major titles across multiple federations in both Gi and No-Gi formats:  

1st Place — CBJJE World Championship (2007, 2011)  

1st Place — IBJJF World No-Gi Championship (2010 Master)  

1st Place — CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2009, 2010 Master, 2012 Senior 1)  

1st Place — World League Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship (2010 Gi & No-Gi)  

1st Place — CBJJE South American Championship (2007 Absolute)  

2nd Place — CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2006, 2011 Master)