Carlos Henrique is living proof that jiu-jitsu can save lives. The Manaus native, who defends his lightweight belt (up to 70,3kg) at UFC BJJ 3, scheduled for next Thursday (2), believes that his trajectory did not take a tragic turn thanks to the gentle art.
In an exclusive interview with SUPER FIGHTSCarlos Henrique shared the story of how he discovered jiu-jitsu. According to the champion, he first encountered the sport thanks to a friend who already trained. Initially out of curiosity, the practice took on a new meaning when he discovered the existence of major international championships.
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"I introduced myself to jiu-jitsu in 2014. Where I was born, in Manaus, there's a jiu-jitsu gym on every corner. A friend would always stop by to train, and one day I decided to follow him and discover what jiu-jitsu was all about. When I discovered that major championships were held outside the country, I started taking it seriously. I started training to win the biggest title, the IBJJF World Championship in California. After that, I started hanging out with like-minded people and decided it was my turn," said Carlos Henrique.
His career in sports also became a path of personal transformation. Coming from a humble family, marked by financial hardship and the absence of his father, Carlos Henrique says he found in jiu-jitsu the chance to change his life.
"That's how I started to change my life. I come from a humble family, from the outskirts of the city. I'm a mother of eight children. My father had some problems with crime, and my mother had to take care of us alone. And in this difficult situation, I found in jiu-jitsu a way to change my life and that of my family. Jiu-jitsu changed my life, helped my family, and I pay my bills through jiu-jitsu. If I hadn't found jiu-jitsu, I wouldn't even be here. I would be dead or in jail. Like it or not, what I had, in my opinion, was the wrong path, which was the easiest, but I ended up taking the hardest one, which was jiu-jitsu," the champion noted.
Extra motivation in first title defense and technical advantage over opponent in UFC BJJ 3
In his first title defense, Carlos Henrique faces Matheus Gabriel. The birth of his daughter gives the champion extra motivation to return home with the victory.
"Everyone says that when you become a father, you gain extra strength. So I'm coming into this fight with extra motivation. I already have a lot to motivate me, but now, with my daughter, it's the motivation of coming home with a victory, money in the bank... so it's even more motivation," he said.
Regarding his opponent, Carlos Henrique showed respect, but highlighted his technical advantage in the no-gi fight, as his opponent's style is focused on traditional jiu-jitsu.
"I believe I have many advantages. Matheus is very good, very aggressive, but his jiu-jitsu is much more focused on the gi. In No-Gi, there's not much grip; you have to control, press... and I've already adapted quite well. In this fight, I don't see much danger from him. As I said, he's a very good guy in the gi, but in No-Gi, he leaves something to be desired. I'm calm, I've fought many more dangerous people than him, and I believe I'll come away with a submission... I'm coming off four submission wins in the organization, and that's how I'll build the fight, to get the submission. That's my goal," explained the black belt.
Carlos Henrique aims for super fights in UFC BJJ and migration to MMA
Carlos Henrique is the UFC BJJ lightweight champion. Photo: Instagram / @carloshenriqueeejj
Despite having a commitment scheduled for next Thursday (2), Carlos Henrique is already planning his future in the UFC. He intends to first defend his title before moving up to the 77kg category and fighting for the belt, seeking to test himself in new challenges.
"My plan is to defend my title and move up a weight class to challenge for the belt. I'm a guy who always seeks a challenge, so I'll try to move up to 77kg and compete against the champion. But first, I want to defend my title. In four fights, I'll make that transition to test myself," the champion revealed.
The athlete's challenges don't stop on the mat. Carlos Henrique will make his amateur MMA debut with Fury FC in Texas and wants to use the experience to develop his striking skills, demonstrating that his talent goes beyond jiu-jitsu.
"In two weeks, I'm going to compete in an MMA fight. I'll be competing in an amateur fight at Fury FC in Texas. I've been training for about seven or eight months now and will make my amateur debut on October 26th. As soon as I win here, I'll go back to the gym and prepare for my MMA fight. I'm a guy who can develop very quickly, so my progress is very fast. I'm not going to just do jiu-jitsu, because I know that if I do jiu-jitsu, I'll submit very quickly. So I want to test my striking a bit. I want people to understand that I'm not just dangerous in jiu-jitsu," concluded Carlos Henrique.
HENRIQUE vs GABRIEL!!
For the Lightweight Championship
[ #UFCBJJ3 is Live and FREE on YouTube | TMR | 5pmET ] pic.twitter.com/KD9w8gvrbF
— UFC BJJ (@ufcbjj) October 1, 2025
Carlos Henrique returns to action next Thursday (2), in the co-main event of UFC BJJ 3, defending his belt against Matheus Gabriel.
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