Built by Latte Built: Ernest Licop

Welcome to MP’s monthly segment, Built By Latte Built.

This segment highlights athletes and individuals training at Latte Built who are chasing their fitness goals and inspiring others along the way. 

This month, we feature Ernest Licop—an emerging mixed martial artist.

At just 18 years old, he has already competed in a wide range of combat sports events, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. He made his competitive debut at the 2024 Mats on Fire I BJJ tournament, where he earned a bronze medal in the welterweight division. Since then, he has competed in the 2025 Mats on Fire II, 2025 Cage of Fire, and 2026 Ballroom Blitz, and is set to compete in the 2026 Pan Asia Jiu-Jitsu International Open.

He first started at Latte Built at the age of 14 in 2022 and has since represented the gym in a wide range of combat sports. He said he has trained at multiple gyms, but one thing he really liked about Latte Built was that everyone there felt like family.

“Whether somebody was there to lose weight, look better, improve their health, or train for fighting—for anything—we’re all here together,” he said.

He credits his coach at the gym for helping shape him into the fighter he is today, teaching him everything from boxing and jiu-jitsu to wrestling and kickboxing. For workouts, he lifts weights, uses the air bike, and shadowboxes on the mats.

When asked what makes Latte Built the gym that it is, he said, “The one thing about this gym is that it's one size fits all for everybody on the island. It’s not somewhere really far away. It offers 24-hour access, and we have different clubs. The clubs are one of the biggest things that make Latte what it is. Without those clubs, I don’t think it would be as thriving a gym as it is now.”