Startling news rocked the jiu jitsu community today. Eight time world champion in Brazilian Jiu jitsu lost his life after an altercation with a man in Sao Paulo.
Leandro Lo, full name Leandro Lo Pereira do Nascimento, first broke out on the national BJJ scene in 2012 when he first won World championships. Lo was a student of Cicero Costha until he decided to up and leave to be the founder of his own team, NS Brotherhood.
Lo had gone through three divisions during his time as an active grappler and had won all significant titles a Gi competitor could win. He also tried his hand at ADCC back in 2017 but Australian grappler Craig Jones ended his Nogi journey fast.
Lo was one of the best grapplers alive by any standard, coming behind World Record holder and friend Marcus Almeida Buchecha who has 10 world titles.
Tatame was the first to report of his tragic passing on their social media.
“MOURNING JIU-JITSU! ⚫
One of Jiu-Jitsu’s biggest idols, black belt Leandro Lo left us this Saturday morning. According to sources, the athlete was involved in a fight with a police officer during a party in São Paulo, was shot twice in the head at close range, was taken to the hospital, but did not resist. The case is still to be investigated, but Lo will undoubtedly be sorely missed. Irreverent, smiling, ace, 8x world champion and inspiration for a generation, Lo made history and left us very early…
Here is our feeling for all of Leandro Lo’s family, friends and fans. Rest in peace!”
Lo was born on the 11th of May 1989 and had been 33 at the time of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the bjj community at this time.
Lo was shot at a party inside a club in Sao Paulo in the early hours this Sunday. The family’s attorney confirmed to Globo. Leandro Lo was shot in the head after an argument during the show inside the club.
The perpetrator is identified but the police haven’t released his name.
According to the family’s lawyer, Ivã Siqueira Junior, the victim had an argument with the manand to calm the situation, immobilized the man. After walking away, the man pulled out a gun and shot the fighter once in the head.
A friend of Lo’s who witnessed the crime said that the shooter was alone and provoked Lo and five friends, who were at a table as per noticiascg.
“He arrived, took a bottle of liquor from our table. Lo just immobilized him to calm down. He took four or five steps and fired,” said the witness, who asked not to be named.
The lawyer says that, after the shooting, the perpatrator kicked the victim twice on the ground and then fled.
The athlete was taken to the Saboya Municipal Hospital, in Jabaquara, also in the South Zone of SP. He was confirmed to be brain dead by the family attorney.
UPDATE
Police officer Henrique Otávio Oliveira Velozo is a suspect in the investigation of Lo’s murder. Combate was the first to release the name of the alleged perpetrator. As of right now, he hasn’t been apprehended.
While the Hospital had been forbidden by the family to provide any more details Agfight also confirmed his passing.
BJJ school Unity which was one of Leandro’s adopted homes confirmed the news on their page.
“The biggest of all. The dearest, the most warrior, the most good people. Eternal hero of all who had the privilege of knowing you. Rest in peace brother. We will meet again.”
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