 Machado is nephew of BJJ co-founder and Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, and learned the martial art from an early age.Machado is known for his grappling skills having won ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in his weight division plus a runner up in the open division in 2001.Machado was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and suffered birth defects resulting from amniotic band syndrome, which left him with only the thumb and the little finger on his left hand.