ONE Championship appoints BJJ legend Leo Vieira as VP of grappling, and signs three new black belts
- New executive ‘committed to building the world’s most exciting submission grappling promotion’
- ONE bolsters grappling roster with decorated champions Renato Canuto, Tainan Dalpra, and Jessa Khan
ONE Championship has strengthened its commitment to submission grappling by bringing on a new executive and signing a trio of decorated athletes.
On Tuesday, the Asian martial arts promotion revealed the appointment of Brazilian jiu jitsu legend Leo Vieira as its new vice-president of grappling.
And on Wednesday, it officially added three new grapplers to its roster – Brazil’s Renato Canuto and Tainan Dalpra, and Jessa Khan of the United States.
ONE has been promoting mixed martial arts since its inception in 2011, and Muay Thai and kick-boxing fights since the introduction of ONE Super Series in 2018.
The Asian organisation has promoted several submission grappling bouts over the years, but has been making a more committed push into the sport in the last few months.
Vieira, a multiple-time BJJ world champion and one of the co-founders of the legendary Checkmat grappling team, has been tasked with leading that push.
“I am thrilled to join ONE as vice-president of grappling,” Vieira said in a Tuesday press release. “I appreciate the trust and opportunity that [ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong] and the ONE team have given me to shape ONE’s submission grappling divisions.