Ronaldo Junior is off to a fantastic start in 2023. The 2020 Pan Champion competed in the Atlanta and Memphis Opens in back to back weekends, sharpening his techniques and strategy ahead of his upcoming challenges. “I’m happy to start the season with two gold medals. I won the Atlanta and Memphis Opens with a total of four fights, three submissions, and twenty seven points. I signed up for those events to test the new variations of guard passing that I’m developing for 2023.” 

On Friday March 3rd, Ronaldo takes on Cicero Costha black belt Francisco Lo in a highly anticipated super fight at the IBJJF FloGrappling Grand Prix. Both Ronaldo and Francisco combine precise technique with world-class speed and athleticism, a combination that often allows them to outpace and submit their opponents. At just 26 and 22 years of age, Ronaldo and Francisco show a new level of technique and athleticism every time they step on the mats.

Francisco won gold at the 2022 Brazilian Nationals as a brown belt and jumped straight into high level competition at black belt following his promotion in May of last year. Ronaldo commented on his March 3rd opponent, stating, “I don’t know much about Francisco since he just started competing at the highest level in 2022. But he had good results at those major no-gi tournaments, so he definitely deserves the shot against me."

Though Francisco hit the podium at the 2022 Pan No-Gi this past October, the highlights of his short career at black belt have come via a pair of gravity defying submissions. In both instances, Francisco jumped over the seated guards of his opponents straight into a triangle with incredible speed and accuracy. Though many of Francisco’s opponents make adjustments to their games to deal with his attacks, Ronaldo believes his training at Atos HQ in San Diego has prepared him for all different types of opponents.

“At Atos Jiu-Jitsu I have the opportunity to test my skills against all types of fighters. I’ve been training with explosive athletes for years and I don’t feel that I need to change anything in my game to fight against Francisco. This match has the potential to be the best fight of the year. I’m excited to display my jiu-jitsu on March 3rd.”

With the year off to a nearly flawless start, Ronaldo has set big goals for the rest of 2023. “Last year I was still recovering from a bad injury I had competing at Pan Ams in 2021. I couldn’t compete as much as I usually do and the way I like. This year I’m healthy and ready for weight and absolute in all the events. I’m going for double gold at Pan Ams.”

Don’t miss the Ronaldo Junior vs. Francisco Lo super fight on Friday March 3rd at the IBJJF FloGrappling Grand Prix. The event also features a Men’s Lightweight GP, a Women’s Heavyweight GP, and two additional super fights. All matches can be watched exclusively on FloGrappling.

Click HERE to watch the event live.