Yuri Simões
Address
Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Phone
About Us
Yuri Simões was born on June 18, 1990, in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil. He started practicing through his father’s influence who already trained BJJ, he was 9 years old when he first put on a kimono. Although Yuri’s first instructor’s name has been lost in the corners of his mind, his second coach, Maurício “Behring”, was truly fundamental in Simoes’s life as a competitor, it was Behring who instigated Yuri to compete and where he found his true calling.
In 2006 Mauricio Behring was shot and killed by the father of his ex-fiancé. After the shock and a natural grieving period, Yuri returned to the mats, seeking Ricardo Vieira as his new master and earning his purple and brown belt from Ricardinho at the famous Fight Zone. At Checkmat, Yuri Simoes’s career started to shine with several fantastic wins at the world’s most important tournaments. After a series of good results, Yuri Simoes spent some time in and out of Europe, namely in England where he trained and competed extensively in 2009.
In 2010 Yuri Simoes had a change of heart and switched camps moving with his brother to the rival Atos academy in Rio Claro (Sao Paulo). This move, however, was short-lived and he returned to Checkmat and Ricardinho Vieira’s guidance.
After a tremendous year of 2011 when Yuri Simoes won the Mundial, the No-Gi Worlds (weight and absolute), and the European Open, he was awarded his long-awaited black belt by the hands of his instructor on the 29th of December, 2011. In 2013 he moved away from Checkmat, once again and joined the Caio Terra Association.
