Felipe Costa
"Laranjinha"
Drags opponents into deep water and watches them sink.
Fight Plan: Felipe Costa
A coach-ready game plan — historical weaknesses opponents have exploited and what to drill in camp.
- Historically struggled to secure podium finishes at colored belts
- Physically smaller frame characteristic of the Roosterweight division
- Stack southpaw sparring partners in camp
- Underhook battles and posture work off the back
Fighter fingerprint
Six-axis profile — the shape tells you the style at a glance.
Fight IQ and Cardio are the standout edges; opponents should expect their game plan to lean on these. Finishing is the lowest axis — exploit it.
- Aggression0
- Cardio90
- Wrestling70
- Fight IQ98
- Distance Control69
- Finishing0
Prep for camp: Felipe Costa
Recommendations a coach can act on tomorrow — opponent tendencies, drills, and the sparring styles to stack against this fight.
- Known for high-level technical precision over physical athleticism
- Specializes in back attacks and controlling positions from the mount
- Demonstrates extreme mental resilience and psychological preparation in close matches
- Match their pace through round 2, then turn the screws in 3
- Win exchanges with volume, not single shots — they walk through power
- Posture and frame drills off bottom — never give up the back
- Mix unscripted looks in sparring — they thrive on patterns
- Southpaw pressure striker
- Black-belt grappler comfortable on bottom
- Marathon partner — 5x5 hard rounds, no rest
See it on film
Every read above should be verifiable. Jump straight to the footage on the platforms that host it legally — official channels first, archive sites second.
Clinch work, level changes, control time
Last 3 performances, full rounds and post-fight breakdowns
Coaches: official clip embeds per fighter are coming next — for now, deep links open searches pre-filtered to Felipe Costa.
How Felipe has changed
Trend lines across the last three years of tape.
Synthesized from recent fight tape · refresh to recompute
Stylistic neighbors
Closest matches across attributes, finish profile, and discipline — useful for sparring partner selection.
Status / Injuries
No current injuries reported; retired from professional competition.
Checked 6/21/2026
Recent Form
- W2019-01-01vs VariousPoints/Submission · CBJJ Brazilian Nationals
- W2018-01-01vs VariousPoints/Submission · UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Masters
- W2016-01-01vs VariousPoints/Submission · IBJJF International Masters Championship
- W2015-01-01vs VariousPoints · IBJJF European Open Masters
- W2015-01-01vs VariousPoints · IBJJF Pan Championship Masters
Availability
Formally announced retirement in 2020; currently focuses on teaching and seminars.
Attribute Profile
Scouting Summary
Felipe Costa is a legendary BJJ practitioner known as the 'ultimate underdog' for winning the IBJJF World Championship as a black belt after never medaling at colored belts. He is one of the few athletes to hold world titles in the IBJJF, UAEJJF, and CBJJO, specializing in the Roosterweight division. Retiring in 2020, he is now recognized for his technical instruction and documentary work regarding late-blooming success in combat sports.
Primary source ↗Tendencies
- Known for high-level technical precision over physical athleticism
- Specializes in back attacks and controlling positions from the mount
- Demonstrates extreme mental resilience and psychological preparation in close matches
- Exhibits elite longevity, maintaining a top-3 ranking for over 15 years
Signature Moves
- Back Take
- Mount Maintenance
- Roosterweight Guard Retention
- Technical Sweeps
Weaknesses
- Historically struggled to secure podium finishes at colored belts
- Physically smaller frame characteristic of the Roosterweight division