Sampaio started at judo when he was four, since his mom thought he was restless and needed more discipline. After the Olympics, he won a bronze medal at the 1993 World Judo Championships. But then injuries hurt his career, making him miss both the 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics, in which he went only to coach Danielle Zangrando and as a TV commentator. He retired from international competition in 1998.