With less than a year competing among the jiu-jitsu elite at black belt, Dream Art rising star Carlos Henrique is set to make his Tezos WNO debut on the preliminary undercard of Tezos WNO 19: Nicholas Meregali vs Kaynan Durate, scheduled for August 10, in Austin, TX.

For his debut match, Henrique will face the American Ben Eddy (10th Planet) in a no-gi bout. Despite having less experience in no-gi competition, the Brazilian athlete has relied on aggressiveness to make up for the lack of mileage, a strategy that has taken him far in high-profile tournaments such as the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds and the ADCC Trials.

In an interview with FloGrappling, Henrique opened up about his training for Tezos WNO 19, his first steps within the sport, and how he intends to up his game to reach the top of the black belt competitive scene. Check it out below and don't miss out on WNO 19: Meregali vs. Duarte, live and exclusive on FloGrappling!

FloGrappling: You've competed much more with the gi in your career, and yet you perform like few others in no-gi. What is the secret? 

I've never been in the habit of training without a gi. I've been training jiu-jitsu for almost ten years now, but I only started practicing no-gi in 2020, and even then, it wasn't consistent. When the gi season started, I completely stopped no-gi training and only came back after the Worlds. To be successful in no-gi, you need to have an aggressive game, and this has always been my style, so I end up being very compatible with this modality. When I participated in the 2022 ADCC Trials, I managed to take the silver medal with just one month of training. Likewise, I came second at the No-Gi Worlds last year with the same prep time. I felt tired due to the lack of preparation, but I performed well. Nowadays, I train more for this modality, not only because I'm scheduled to fight in the WNO, but also because one of my dreams is to qualify and be the champion in one of the ADCC main events.

WATCH: Carlos Henrique vs Clay Mayfield

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FG: You'll face an athlete from 10th Planet, an academy known for its unorthodox techniques. Did this prompt you to train more carefully and study the adversary in-depth, or did nothing change in your routine?

I had already made changes to my training to improve my fighting style. My no-gi game is on top, so I'll often have my legs exposed for an attack. Based on that, I set up my training to defend against attacks on the legs and prevent my opponents from trying to advance their game in that area. This particular opponent didn't bring anything new to my routine; maybe I'll just be extra careful to avoid falling into a closed guard. Apart from that, my style and training remain the same.

FG: Fighting in the big leagues, especially as a newly-graduated black belt, leads athletes to try and improve themselves constantly. What is the area of your jiu-jitsu that you feel can be even better?

CH: I'm the type of athlete who doesn't limit himself to just one style. I'm equally good at pulling and passing guard, and I'm also great with takedowns. I already have my fighting style formed, and I'm very complete in that aspect; what I lack is experience. Knowing the right time to open my game and read my opponent's moves, these are the things I still have to learn. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn about jiu-jitsu, but I believe this is the key point that needs to be worked on. I've always been very explosive in the colored belts, but at black belt, it's different; there are a lot of experienced athletes, and any mistake could cost me the victory. I'm still aggressive, but I'm trying to balance my style with a more technical and strategic game.

FG: When did you started to consider a professional career in jiu-jitsu?

In 2015, a year after I started training. One of my training buddies was already a competitor; he had titles at the Pan-American, European, and Worlds. He competed a lot and even had sponsorship; I felt inspired by him. At the same time, I was always very dedicated to jiu-jitsu, I always arrived early and was the last one off the mat, so I ended up evolving very quickly as an athlete. When I put all these factors together, I saw that I had talent and a taste for the sport, so I decided to make it my life.

FG: Today you are part of the Tezos WNO card and stand side by side with stars of the sport like Felipe Pena, Kaynan Duarte, and Nicholas Meregali, fighting in the USA in an invitation-only event. If you could talk to that young Carlos Henrique, who had just started training, what advice would you give?

I would tell him not to give up. I've maintained this mentality of not giving up, no matter how hard it gets. I've been defeated many times in my career, but I've never let that get to me or dampen my will to be victorious. Now, after experiencing that whole journey and overcoming all the hurdles, I'm part of an event with so many giant names in the sport. It's a dream come true, and I feel like all my efforts are being rewarded. All that came through perseverance.