Leandro Lo has won gold at Pans every year since 2014, but 2019 promises to be one of his toughest challenges to date. 

The 2019 IBJJF Pan Championship is right around the corner, taking place on Southern California from March 20*-24. Eight-time Pan champion Leandro Lo is signed up at heavyweight, his first IBJJF tournament since he dislocated his shoulder in the final of the World Championships in 2018. 

He has twice won gold in this category, in 2017 and 2018, and any other year would be a lock to do so again.

But there are a number of challenges facing the competitor beloved for his high-octane style and dynamic guard passing. 

Lo vs Meregali, BJJ Stars

The Challenges Facing Lo

Leandro has only competed once since that World Championship final last year, a superfight against rival Nicholas Meregali at the BJJ Stars event in Brazil on February 23. He lost 4-0 via a back take in that match, a result which hit him hard. Leandro was fired up during the tense weigh-ins, shoving Meregali away when the Alliance black belt edged closer to him during the face off. He dropped to the mat after the match was done and even tried exiting the stage before the official result had been announced. 

It would have stung even more because Lo lost to Meregali in the final of the 2017 IBJJF World Championship and has never had chance to redeem the loss. He had beaten Meregali earlier in the same year, defeating him twice in the same weekend when he faced him at the IBJJF Pans (weight and absolute division). When Meregali rebounded to beat Lo three months later and take gold at Worlds it kickstarted one of the greatest rivalries in the sport. 

Lo is a born competitor and not accustomed to losing. The result vs Meregali was not the triumphant return he was hoping for. Leandro has always enjoyed great success at Pans, and so this presents a great opportunity for him to wash the bad taste of defeat out of his mouth. 

It's an open secret that Leandro Lo is a wild man. He trains hard but he parties hard also. He's a fun-loving type of guy and always trains with gusto, but questions have been raised over his lifestyle and lack of discipline off the mat. 

NS Brotherhood, Leandro's team in Sao Paulo

His Training Situation

Another important factor is about Lo's training situation. He left Cicero Costha in 2015 and many of the team's toughest black belts went with him to form NS Brotherhood. But there has been a steady stream departures over the last year. In 2017 Gustavo Batista, Luiza Monteiro and Rafael Vasconcelos all left to join Atos, and the last weeks have seen Matheus Spirandelli join Alliance and Rafael Mansur also join Atos. 

There are still plenty of bodies for Lo to train with– notably Igor Schneider, Gerard Labinski, Yago de Souza and others– and Lo can count on training with his friends Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida or Murilo Santana should he need to sharpen up before a big tournament. 

When Leandro beat Keenan, 2018 IBJJF Pans

Can Leandro Get It Together at Pans? 

The long list of accolades speak to Leandro's abilities– nobody questions what he is capable of. But for him to lose in the final of the World Championships two years in a row is not what people expect of the no.2-ranked pound-for-pound black belt in the world. 

Insiders have spoken about how this latest loss has given Lo a new desire to perform at Pans. Maybe it was the wake-up call he needed– Lo has often gotten by at being so hungry and so talented that his lack of discipline wasn't an issue. 

If Lo were to win double gold at Pans he would overtake nine-time champion Andre Galvao to become the most winningest Pan champion in history. Lo certainly doesn't need any more motivation to win– the question is can Leandro Lo return to his winning ways? We'll find out in a few short weeks. 

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