Mario began his martial arts journey under the tutelage of Justin Hanlin in 2009. After competing in several grappling tournaments and refining his striking under Hanlin, he moved on to compete in MMA and discovered his true passion for the multifaceted sport. Throughout the next few years, Mario put together an undefeated amateur MMA record of 4-0, all by finish. Although he was already participating in submission grappling for 7 years, he began his formal Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training in 2016 under Carlson Gracie Jr. and David Downs and eventually under Alexandre Molinaro. He is currently a purple belt.

A co-founder of Cornerstone MMA, Mario has helped train individuals ranging from fitness enthusiasts to competitive athletes, as well as those just looking to learn something new. Even with over 15 years of martial arts experience, he still seeks to educate himself on the changing landscape of combat sports and hopes to pass that knowledge onward.