The History of Nova União: One of Rio's Legendary BJJ Teams

Rio de Janeiro has produced more legendary jiu-jitsu teams than almost anywhere else on earth, and among that crowded field, Nova União has earned a reputation few teams can match. Founded in 1995, Nova União ("New Union," in Portuguese) became known not just for producing world-class grapplers, but for developing some of the most dominant mixed martial artists ever to compete — a dual legacy in sport jiu-jitsu and MMA that few academies anywhere can claim.

Built on a team-first philosophy

The name itself hints at the team's founding idea: unity. Rather than building around a single star competitor, Nova União was structured to develop talent collectively — training partners pushing each other daily, sharing knowledge across weight classes and specialties, and producing a pipeline of high-level black belts rather than one standout name. That collaborative training environment is a big part of why the team has remained relevant and competitive for decades rather than fading after a single golden generation.

A crossroads of jiu-jitsu and MMA

What sets Nova União apart from many purely sport-jiu-jitsu academies is how naturally its lineage crossed over into mixed martial arts. As MMA grew globally, Nova União became a proving ground for fighters who combined technical grappling with world-class overall skill sets. The team's gym in Rio became known as a place where jiu-jitsu competitors and professional fighters trained side by side, each discipline sharpening the other.

José Aldo: a champion forged in the system

Few names carry more weight in that history than José Aldo. Long before he became a UFC Hall of Fame featherweight champion, Aldo built his grappling foundation within the Nova União system under coach André Pederneiras, becoming a serious jiu-jitsu competitor before the world ever saw him strike. That grappling pedigree gave Aldo a dimension many strikers lack, and it's a big reason he became one of the most dominant champions in his division's history.

Léo Santos and the competitive jiu-jitsu side

Alongside its MMA success, Nova União has continued to produce elite pure grapplers as well. Léo Santos, a 7x World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, represents that side of the team's legacy — proof that Nova União's system develops champions on the competition mat, not just inside the cage. Santos's career reflects the same relentless, technically sound training culture that shaped Aldo, just pointed toward a different kind of gold medal.

The lineage reaches Lake Mary, Florida

That same Nova União lineage now lives on at Brabus Academy, founded by José Aldo and Léo Santos themselves. Training under this system doesn't mean copying a franchise logo — it means learning inside a coaching philosophy built by decades of live sparring, honest competition results, and a team culture where good training partners make everyone better. Students at Brabus are training in a direct continuation of the same approach that produced a UFC Hall of Famer and a multiple-time world champion.

Why lineage matters when choosing where to train

Not every academy can trace its coaching back to a team with this kind of track record. Nova União's three decades of producing both jiu-jitsu champions and MMA standouts is a testament to a training environment that actually works — not just for the most gifted athletes, but for everyday students who show up and put in the reps. That's the same standard Brabus Academy holds itself to every day on the mats.

Want to learn more about how that lineage reached Central Florida? Read about the Brabus Academy founders, or come experience the training system for yourself — your first class is free.