Brazilian jiu-jitsu great Leandro Lo, an eight-time world champion, was fatally shot in a Sao Paulo club Sunday, his family's lawyer said.
An off-duty police officer has been arrested for allegedly shooting the 33-year-old martial arts champ, after turning himself in to the authorities, local media reports said.
Lo - whose full name is Leandro Lo Pereira do Nascimento - was out with friends for a concert at the Clube Siria, a sports and social club in Brazil's biggest city, when the attacker approached their table and began making threatening gestures with a bottle, said lawyer Iva Siqueira Junior.
Lo, who won International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world titles in five different weight classes from 2012 to 2022- an all-time record - pinned the man to the ground "to stop the situation and avoid a fight," Siqueira said.
He said Lo's friends then helped both men up and urged the attacker to calm down and leave.
"At that exact moment, the guy allegedly turned around, pulled out a gun and shot Leandro in the head," Siqueira told AFP.
The jiu-jitsu champion was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced brain dead, he said.
A Sao Paulo court ordered the 30-year-old suspect detained for 30 days pending further investigation, newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported.
His death sent shockwaves through many in the combat sports community and there was an outpouring of condolences from jiu-jitsu fans on social media.
Brazilian former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira posted a message saying "Rest in Peace, Leandro. GOD bless your family" while UFC commentator John Gooden tweeted: “Saddened to hear about the tragic loss of Leandro Lo. One of the greatest Jiu-jitsu players ever. Absolutely tragic. My condolences to his family and friends.”
Retired American mixed martial artist and commentator Kenny Florian hailed Lo as a "legend" and that his death was a sad day for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.
Specialty site BJJ Heroes called Lo "one of the best pound-for-pound grapplers to have ever graced a mat" while the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation said Lo was "one of the greatest athletes our sport has ever produced".
A black belt under Cicero Costha, Lo won gold in the light heavyweight division at the World Championship earlier this year in California.
The 33-year-old had victories in the World Cup, Pan American championships and Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championships.
