The BJJ world has just experienced a massive shakeup as 3 top competitors have made the decision to leave Melqui Galvao Jiu-Jitsu. Luiz Paulo, Fabricio Andrey, and Brenda Larissa have all parted ways with the team that they’ve represented for so long and each of them are elite talents in their respective divisions. Andrey in particular will undoubtedly be a big loss, as he’s one of the most successful competitors to represent Melqui Galvao’s gym. Andrey is an ADCC trials winner at 66kg and a former IBJJF World Champion from back in 2021, with several wins over some of the biggest names in the sport.
Paulo actually won a bronze medal from the 77kg division of the same edition of ADCC trials that Andrey won and he’s had plenty of success on the AJP Tour circuit as well. Larissa is also a frequent competitor on the AJP Tour circuit and she’s managed to establish herself as one of the top grapplers in the women’s divisions in recent years. Larissa has won multiple different AJP Tour events over the last few years but her most impressive accomplishments have come at the IBJJF World Championship, where she’s stood on the podium for three straight years.
There’s no news yet on whether Andrey, Paulo, and Larissa leaving at the same time is actually related, or whether the timing is a coincidence. This wouldn’t be the first time that multiple athletes have left a gym at the same time and although it might look connected at first, sometimes it actually is a series of unrelated incidents. It’s also unclear where these three will be going in order to continue their BJJ career, and if they’ll all be moving to the same academy or not.
The news that top competitors Luiz Paulo, Fabricio Andrey, and Brenda Larissa were were going to leave Melqui Galvao Jiu-Jitsu was announced in a post to the official Instagram account of VF Comunica. Melqui Galvao himself actually gave a statement in the comments too:
“When they didn’t even know how to tie the belts and no one bet anything on them I was there. When they left Manaus to São Paulo in search of new horizons, I continued there. When things didn’t work out for them in São Paulo and they asked me to help them win titles and build a name I was there. When things started working out I was there one more time and now that they are leaving I feel like I’ve accomplished my mission. I know exactly where I got each one of them from and I know exactly where they’d be if it weren’t for the miracle project acting in their lives. Rest in peace Luiz Paulo, Fabricio Andrey, and Brenda Larissa and if things go wrong one more time and you feel lonely with no one to turn to just call I’m coming I’m here one more time.”
Melqui Galvao wasn’t the only person who commented on the news that Luiz Paulo, Fabricio Andrey, and Brenda Larissa were going to leave his team, as two of his most successful competitors also weighed in on it:
Mica Galvao: “Good luck guys, let’s cheer for it all to happen. But you already know that if things don’t work out one more time here, the house is always yours”
Diogo Reis: “May God bless this new stage in your life, my friends”
