Mia Funegra

Mia Funegra is an American grappler who specializes in the jiu-jitsu ruleset and represents Guilherme Mendes‘ Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) Academy in the sport’s global circuit. Mia and her sisters (Ashlee [twin], and Natalee) are three of the most successful athletes produced by the renowned AOJ Kids program, a reputation earned while competing on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) tournament scene, first in the junior divisions and later as adults.

Mia Funegra Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Mia Funegra

Nickname: n/a

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Ramon Lemos > Guilherme Mendes > Mia Funegra

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2025)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts Adult):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2024 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2024 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Championship (2024 purple, 2025 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 purple, 2025 brown)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2022 / 2023*)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2022** / 2023**)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022 / 2023**)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2022*)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022*)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Championship (2022*)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guards / Outside Passing

Weight Division: Peso Pluma (118lbs / 53.5kg)

Team/Association: Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ)

Mia Funegra Biography

Mia Funegra was born in November 2006 along with her twin sister, Ashlee, in California, USA.

Incentivized by their parents to practice sports from an early age, Mia and Ashlee entered the world of martial arts through Krav Maga at the age of 5 (2011)—an activity they maintained for a few years.

Around the start of 2014, Funegra’s father, Michael, began taking jiu-jitsu classes at Art of Jiu-Jitsu, and later that year, Mia and Ashlee also joined AOJ as part of the team’s Kids Program. Their first competitive experience took place in January 2015.

The two sisters were soon joined by the younger sibling, Natalee, at AOJ and the three quickly developed into success stories on the international jiu-jitsu competitive circuit while representing a second generation of victorious athletes for the AOJ Kids program, after a first wave of homegrown talent, namely Zach Kaina, Jessa Khan, Shelby Murphey, Cole Abate, and others broke out onto the professional circuit.

On May 29, 2025, 18-year-old Mia Funegra was promoted to black belt by her instructor, Guilherme Mendes, alongside her twin sister, Ashlee. The intent, for Mia, was to challenge herself and compete in the professional category at the upcoming IBJJF World Championships later that week. Although Mia did not meet the minimum time spent in her previous rank to qualify for the promotion, she circumvented the rulebook by applying the same exemption granted to Cassia Moura (2024), using the fact that she had won the No-Gi World Championship at the brown belt level (December 2024) to release her from the IBJJF directive.

MIA FUNEGRA PROMOTIONS
Started 2014 (7yo)
– Blue Belt Promotion: May 2021 (14yo)
– Purple Belt Promotion: December 2023 (17yo)
– Brown Belt Promotion: May 2024 (17yo)
– Black Belt Belt Promotion: May 2025 (18yo)