Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and IBJJF world champion Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes has come a long way in his life and career.
Now, as he prepares to make his debut in the world’s largest martial arts organization, the 28-year-old veteran looks back on winning his first world title at IBJJF.
Speaking with ONE Championship in a recent interview, Mendes recalled the moment he became a world champion and how surreal it felt. He said:
“Man, it’s like, the moment I dreamed of, since I started training jiu-jitsu at 11 years old. It was pretty much 16 years old, thinking every day about that moment. And then when it finally happened [it] was like, man, you know? I did it.”
Mendes continued:
“It was like two weeks that I was still realizing what I did. Because it’s such a big thing that sometimes I also forget about what that means, you know? Being a black belt World Champion. Sometimes I have to remind myself, ‘Man, it’s true. That really happened.'”
Needless to say, fans can’t wait to witness Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes’ first foray in ONE Championship. And they won’t have to wait long to see him in action.
Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes will compete under the bright lights of the world’s largest martial arts organization for the very first time when he meets Brazilian countryman ‘Hokage’ Fabricio Andrey this weekend.
The two lock horns at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in American primetime on Friday, February 13, from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Joao Pedro Bueno Mendes’ ONE Championship debut.
