Originally from Sepetiba, a small beach-side neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Matheus Vetoraci de Menezes and his twin brother Davi are two of the most exciting jiu-jitsu competitors in Europe. 

Matheus and Davi come from a deep jiu-jitsu background. When Matheus began training at the age of three, his cousin Alexandre Carrera was an instructor and his father, Leonel Menezes, had already begun training as well. They encouraged the young boys to start training. As a child, Matheus was also enrolled in CR Flamengo, a Brazilian youth multi-sports program, where he trained in both judo for about three years. 

It wasn’t until the age of 15, when Matheus and Davi were purple belts, that they began to get serious about a career in jiu-jitsu. The twins dedicated themselves to the gentle art with more consistence and focus, knowing that they wanted to eventually make a living from BJJ.  Their dedication paid off. He won several championships at brown, before, like his twin brother, he received his black belt on the podium of the IBJJF Brasilieros from his cousin and his father. Shortly after that, Matheus and Davi made the decision to move to Portugal, in order to pursue jiu-jitsu professionally. 

Unlike his brother Davi, who prefers the guard, Matheus is a takedown artist who prefers the top game. “My Jiu-jitsu style is very fast-paced. I love taking downs and making quick passes.” Over the years, Matheus has combined his aggressive style with a champion mindset, which he describes as “We have to get there and want it. We have to give it 100% when it’s time to fight. Everyone trains, but what makes the difference in the fight is who wants it more.” It’s this dangerous combination that allowed him to dominate the competition, closing out with his twin brother to become the 2025 IBJJF Europeans Champion