Maria Alencar

Maria Raniele Alencar Lima, commonly known as Maria Alencar, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Angelica & André Galvão, of the Atos Team who first made waves on the global scene as a colored belt, by conquering the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship in her division, first representing team Fratres (2024) and later, double gold as a brown belt with Atos (2025).

Maria Raniele Alencar Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Maria Raniele Alencar Lima

Nickname: Maria is often called “Avatar” by her friends and training partners because she is thin. A reference to the famous James Cameron movie in which the alien characters were also thin and tall.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar >André Galvão >Maria Alencar

Main Achievements:

• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2026)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2024 purple, 2025** brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2025** brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Championship (2025 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2024 purple)
• 1st Place CBJJ South American Championship (2024** brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2024* purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Championship (2025* brown)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2021 / 2022 / 2023 purple)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Well-Rounded

Weight Division: Super Pesado (Over 79 kg / 175.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Atos

Maria Alencar Biography

Maria Alencar was born in December 2000 in Crato, Ceará, Brazil, where she grew up.

Fascinated by martial arts and sports in general since she was a child, Alencar practiced many throughout her formative years, but at age 15, she discovered jiu-jitsu and never looked back. Maria was strolling around town when she passed by a jiu-jitsu academy. She decided to walk in and was convinced to start a class the following day, which marked the beginning of her story in this sport.

Coach Pierry Góis was her first instructor and the person who guided her training from white to purple belt. She started making noise as an athlete around the time she was a purple belt, which got her spotted by the talent scouts at Fratres, a professional team based in São Paulo. She was offered a position there, which she accepted, eventually receiving her brown belt from Yara Soares, one of the senior athletes in the squad.

In 2025, Maria Alencar was invited to join the Atos team, another big workgroup in the sport, led by Angelica and André Galvão. She accepted the invitation and eventually received her black belt from the couple on May 31 of that year.