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Instructors
Evolve Instructors
The Evolve Instructor Team is the largest and most experienced team in Asia. With over 500 years of elite experience, it ranks among the best in the world. Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is the only MMA academy in Asia with World Champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and No-Gi Grappling. The official Evolve Fight Team has competed and won at the highest levels of competition in the world such as the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the Art of War Fighting Championship, the Lumpinee Stadium Championship, the Mundials BJJ World Championship, and much more.
- Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima - Professor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Rafael dos Anjos - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
- Antonio Braga Neto Teixeira - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
- Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
- Almiro Barros - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Joao Carneiro - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Dennis Asche - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
- Tommy Yang - Assistant Instructor, MMA
- Ben Iams - Assistant Instructor, Submission Grappling
Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima - Professor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Rafael is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. He is a Mundials BJJ Black Belt World Champion and is responsible for the course curriculum of the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. He brings over 25 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Rafael grew up in Brazil next to the Gracies. He has been a close friend of Renzo's for over 30 years. Rafael has fought in hundreds of BJJ fights. He was the winner of the 1998 Mundials World Championships in the Black Belt Division. He is also a 5 time National Champion of Brazil where he was voted the most technical fighter and also had the fastest submission (12 seconds). He is also a runner-up in ADCC Brazil. He has competed and won in numerous other tournaments around the world.
Gordinho is also a co-leader of the official Evolve Fight Team. Before Evolve, Gordinho also trained, helped, and coached many professional MMA fighters in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and the IFL (International Fight League) such as Renzo Gracie, Georges St Pierre, Roger Gracie, Rolles Gracie, Igor Gracie, Gregor Gracie, Renato Babalu Sobral, Andre Gusmao. Ricardo Almeida, Matt Serra, and many others.
Rafael has taught for many years in Brazil and the US. Prior to Evolve, he was the most senior Black Belt instructor (after Renzo Gracie) at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York. The Renzo Gracie Academy in New York is the largest BJJ school in the world with over 1200 students in a single location. Rafael was also the Program Director at the school. He is also a sought-after instructor on the seminar circuit around the world.
Widely regarded as one of the most technical Black Belts from Gracie Barra, Rafael holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Gracie Jr. He is also certified in both CPR and AED training.
Rafael is originally from Brazil.
Rafael dos Anjos - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
Rafael is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Brazil. He is currently a professional MMA fighter in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). He has consistently been one of the top MMA fighters in his weight class in Brazil. Prior to the UFC, Rafael was Champion of Fury Fighting Championship, the top MMA organization in Brazil at the time. Rafael is also well-versed in wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai. His professional MMA record is 14-4. He has fought all over the world in MMA and BJJ.
Rafael is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Carlos Gracie Jr from Gracie Barra. He also has aggressive striking ability and studies Muay Thai under the famous Sityodtong Gym.
Rafael is originally from Brazil.
Antonio Braga Neto Teixeira - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
Braga Neto is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Brazil. A Mundials Black Belt World Champion, he is currently one of the top grapplers in the world with 17 years of experience. Most recently, he won the 2008 Mundials World Championships in the Super Heavyweight Black Belt division. He also is the 2008 No Gi World Champion. Braga Neto has won numerous regional, national, and world titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the only person to have ever won the World Championships in consecutive years as a Blue Belt, a Purple Belt, a Brown Belt, and a Black Belt. Currently, he is a professional MMA fighter with a 5-1 record. Braga Neto fights in the Art of War and Sengoku.
Braga Neto is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima.
Braga Neto is originally from Brazil.
Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
Leandro is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. He is a Mundials World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with over 11 years of experience. He has won numerous regional and national titles in Brazil. He is currently a professional MMA fighter with a 7-2 record and competes in the Martial Combat Fighting Championship, Asia's largest and most prestigious MMA event with an ESPN broadcast. Leandro has also competed in the Art of War, China's largest MMA organization. Leandro also has professional MMA fights in Brazil and the US. He has also been working on his Muay Thai with the famous Sityodtong Team. Leandro's favorite BJJ techniques include the rear naked choke, omoplata, and flying triangle choke.
Leandro holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He trained under Roberto "Gordo" Correa at Evolve Brazil before coming to Evolve Singapore to live and teach on a permanent basis.
Leandro is originally from Brazil.
Almiro Barros - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Almiro Barros is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. He is a Mundials World Championship Silver Medalist in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with over 15 years of experience. He is the winner of numerous regional and national competitions in Brazil. Almiro's favorite techniques are the armbar and the choke.
Almiro holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Almiro is originally from Brazil.
Joao Carneiro - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Joao is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. With over 22 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience, he has won numerous regional and national championships. He has also won the European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships. His favorite techniques are the armbar and triangle choke.
Joao is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa. Joao is also a certified Yoga Instructor with over 10 years of experience in Brazil and India.
Joao is originally from Brazil.
Dennis Asche - Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA
Dennis is an Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Brazil. A well-rounded martial artist in both the striking and ground games, he is a Professional MMA fighter with a 5-1 record. Dennis has over 20 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Karate, Wrestling, Boxing, and other fighting systems. He has competed and won in numerous tournaments across different disciplines.
Dennis holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima.
Dennis is originally from the United States.
Tommy Yang - Assistant Instructor, MMA
Tommy is an Assistant Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. He is a Professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter with a 11-1 record in Korea. He currently competes in Martial Combat Fighting Championship, Asia's largest and most prestigious MMA event with an ESPN broadcast. Tommy is also a Pancrase Middleweight Champion in Korea. He is a well balanced fighter with good striking, good wrestling, and a solid ground game.
Tommy is a Blue Belt under Master Renzo Gracie. He is also certified in both CPR and AED training.
Tommy is originally from Korea.
Ben Iams - Assistant Instructor, Submission Grappling
Ben is an Assistant Instructor at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore. He is one of Singapore's top grapplers and the 2008 gold medalist in the Open Weight, No-Gi Division at the Singapore Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament. He has over 6 years of submission wrestling experience at one of the top MMA schools in the US (AMC Pankration with Matt Hume). He has also studied at No Limits Jiu Jitsu with Juliano Prado. He has rolled and sparred with a veritable who's-who of MMA and submission wrestling, including Josh Barnett, Hayato Sakurai, Chris Leben, Kaol Uno, Johnny Ramirez, and Michael "The Turkish Whirlwind" Wanaka. He is also certified in both CPR and AED training.
Ben is originally from the United States.
