ONE Championship announced on Wednesday that Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Leo Vieira has been named vice president of grappling.

Known as one of the most decorated grapplers of all time, Vieira is a multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Pan-American champion and ADCC world champion. He co-founded CheckMat, one of the most accomplished grappling teams in the world, along with his brothers Ricardo and Leandro.

“It is my honor to announce that Leo Vieira, one of the most accomplished and respected Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in history, has decided to join ONE Championship as vice president of grappling,” said Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO at ONE Championship.

“Leo is a true trailblazer in martial arts, and as we continue to add depth to our grappling roster, his guidance will be invaluable. ONE is proud to continue providing the world’s best martial-arts athletes with a platform to showcase their unique talents and skills,” he added.

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Vieira welcomed the appointment, saying that it was a dream come true to be a part of ONE Championship.

“I am thrilled to join ONE as vice president of grappling. I appreciate the trust and opportunity that Chatri and the ONE team have given me to shape ONE’s submission grappling divisions,” Vieira stated.

“As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt for over 25 years, I have been able to positively impact lives as a competitor, professor and team leader, and I will continue to do so at ONE. It is a dream come true to work alongside people who share similar values and beliefs about martial arts as I do. I am committed to building the world’s most exciting submission grappling promotion with ONE’s amazingly talented roster,” he added.

The appointment of Vieira marks another chapter in the world’s largest martial-arts organization that has previously signed some world-class grapplers to compete under its banner.

ONE has taken impressive strides to strengthen its submission grappling divisions, bolstering its roster with superstars such as Gordon Ryan, Andre Galvao, Danielle Kelly, Mikey Musumeci, Tye and Kade Ruotolo, Renato Canuto, Tainan Dalpra and Jessa Khan. ONE also boasts submission grappling/MMA crossover stars including Garry Tonon and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida.

Tye and Kade will debut at ONE 157 on May 20 against Tonon and Shinya Aoki, respectively, who are known as legends in the sport.

Watch ONE 157 on May 20 in ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!

This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.

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