MAY 5, 2025, BARUERI, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. This was the date and location set for the final day of the Brasileiro, the biggest jiu-jitsu tournament in South America, also known as the Brazilian Nationals. The event was organized by the CBJJ (Confederacao Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu), the arm of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation on Brazilian terrain.
As per usual, this was a massive event featuring nearly 8000 athletes (7966 to be precise) when accounting for Juvenile, Adult, and Masters competitors from all belts. In this article, we will focus solely on the results of the adult black belt division, the professional wing of the sport.
TAYANE PORFIRIO BREAKS PESSANHA’S 166-MATCH WIN STREAK
Arguably the biggest winner of the weekend was Tayane Porfirio. The former world champion was able to achieve what no other had been able to do for the past 4 years: Beat the Queen of women’s grappling, Gabrieli Pessanha.
Tayane was able to score early and manage the clock, adding two more points off a takedown midway through the match. Pessanha threw the kitchen sink at Porfirio but could not break through the defense of the Rio de Janeiro native, with the final score ending in 4×2 for Tayane (Gabi scored two off of a sweep in the final second). This win broke Gabrieli Pessanha’s 166-match win streak, a historic moment in the sport.
HISTORY MADE FOR TEAM USA
The 2025 edition of the Brasileiro ended with the first All-American featherweight final, a match between the face of the new generation of USA grappling, Cole Abate, and one of North America’s grappling pioneers, Isaac Doederlein, who was the 3rd ever jiu-jitsu black belt from the US to conquer a Brazilian National title back in 2019.
Both athletes reached the final with conservative performances, against some of the best Brazil had to offer, particularly Doederlein, who didn’t win a match with a margin wider than 1 advantage. Although strategic, this will be a weekend to remember for BJJ and an important step in the direction of a sport that is less monopolized by one single nation.
The featherweight duo wasn’t alone in this historic moment for American jiu-jitsu, as others performed beautifully for the Stars & Stripes team with outstanding and (dare we say) more fan-friendly performances. Those were the cases of Berzerkers Elisabeth Clay (Ares), Elijah Dorsey (TLI), and Nolan Stuart (Brea JJ), two of whom (Dorsey and Stuart) are trained by American coaches from their white belt stages, a testament to how much the sport has grown north of the border.
Elijah and Stuart had some of the most impressive matches of the whole tournament, always pushing the pace in search of the submission, which they did earn on multiple occasions. It was an absolute pleasure to watch these two compete this weekend.
WARDZINSKI FIRST POLISH TO WIN BRASILEIRO
The butterfly guard wizard, Adam Wardzinski, keeps on his path of destruction, beating records despite already being a master’s eligible competitor. After celebrating his first world title last year, Adam realized yet another unprecedented win, this time at the Brazilian Nationals. He has now won a gold medal in every IBJJF Grand Slam tournament as well as the AJP World Pro, being the first male European athlete to achieve this feat at the pro level (black belt adult).
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Many athletes deserve honorable mentions for their fighting spirits and forward-moving grappling at this event. Athletes like Marcus “Scooby” Ribeiro, Jansen Gomes, Adam Wardzinski, Diego Pato, Cleber “Clan” Sousa, Tainan Dalpra, Jefferson Goteu, Servio Tulio, Brianna Ste-Marie, Aurelie Vern, and company proved that entertaining grappling can be the way forward for our sport. That said, the referees and governing bodies in the sport should do a better job at protecting these styles by simply administering stalling calls better, as this event saw way too many go uncalled. Identifying when an athlete is refusing to engage should be a top priority for the IBJJF in upcoming Grand Slam events.
2025 Adult Black Belt BRA Champions:
Male 57KG: Rodrigo Otavio (Vision)
Male 64KG: Diego “Pato” Oliveira (AOJ)
Male 70KG: Cole Abate (AOJ)
Male 76KG: Lucas Maquine (Fratres)
Male 82KG: Tainan Dalpra (AOJ)
Male 88KG: Jansen Gomes (Checkmat)
Male 94KG: Adam Wardzinski (Checkmat)
Male 100KG: Erich Munis (Soldiers)
Male +100KG: Marcus Ribeiro (Alliance)
Male Open: Erich Munis (Soldiers)
Female 48KG: Mayssa Bastos (AOJ)
Female 53KG: Brenda Larissa (Alliance)
Female 58KG: Cassia Moura (LEAD)
Female 63KG: Janaina Lebre (AOJ)
Female 69KG: Elisabeth Clay (Ares)
Female 74KG: Maca Vicentini (AOJ)
Female 79KG: Yara Soares (Fratres)
Female +79KG: Tayane Porfirio (Alliance)
Female Open: Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
MALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT (9 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Yuri Silva def. Welerson Goncalves via 12×10
– Aniel Bonifacio def. Rhuan Oliveira via 8x8pt, 4x2adv
– Oziel Santos def. Weslei Kellisson via 6×4
– Rodrigo Otavio def. Thiago Taborda via 14×6
Semi-Finals:
– Yuri Silva def. Aniel Bonifacio via 2x2pt, 2x1adv
– Rodrigo Otavio def. Oziel Santos via 4×2
Final:
– Rodrigo Otavio def. Yuri Silva via 2x2pt, 1x0adv
MALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT (14 Matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Anderson Duarte def. Shoya Ishiguro via 0x0pt, 2x1adv
– Jonathan Santos def. Roiter Lima via 2×0
– Diego “Pato” Oliveira def. Matheus Onda via 12×2
– Nathannael Fernandes def. Kleber Barboza via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Diego “Pato” def. Nathannael Fernandes via Armbar
– Anderson Duarte def. Jonathan Santos via decision
Final:
– Diego “Pato” def. Anderson Duarte via RNC
MALE, FEATHERWEIGHT (16 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Cole Abate def. Diego Sodre via 2×0
– Giuliano Spera def. Artur Oliveira via Botinha
– Isaac Doederlein def. Luan Gomes via 4x4pt, 4x2adv
– Cleber Sousa def. Alex Sodre via 6×2
Semi-Finals:
– Isaac Doederlein def. Cleber Sousa via 2x2pt, 1x0adv
– Cole Abate def. Giuliano Spera via 2×0
Finals:
– Cole Abate def. Isaac Doederlein via 2x2pt, 1x0adv
MALE, LIGHTWEIGHT (14 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Luiz Paulo def. Alessandro Botelho via 2×0
– Leandro Rounaud def. Julio Arantes via 4x4pt, 4x2adv
– Lucas Protasio def. Vitor Sotini via 2×0
– Lucas Maquine def. Sandrey Silva via 0x0pt, 1x0adv
Semi-Finals:
– Luiz Paulo def. Leandro Rounaud via 0x0pt, 8x0adv
– Lucas Maquine def. Lucas Protasio via 4×0
Final:
– Lucas Maquine def. Luiz Paulo via 5×4
MALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT (18 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Jefferson Goteu def. Arley Pacheco via DQ (exited the mat to avoid submission danger)
– Elijah Dorsey def. Tarik Hopstock via Armbar
– Yuri Rodrigues def. Vinicius Martins via decision
– Tainan Dalpra def. Gabriel Galvao via Choke from back
Semi-Finals:
– Elijah Dorsey def. Jefferson Goteu via Arm-in Ezekiel
– Tainan Dalpra def. Yuri Rodrigues via Choke from back
Final:
– Tainan Dalpra def. Elijah Dorsey via 6×0
MALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT (19 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Jansen Gomes def. Vital Neto via RNC
– Matheus Vetoraci def. Gabriel Brod via 0x0pt, 2x0adv
– Uanderson Ferreira def. Angelo Claiborne via 0x0pt, 2x1adv
– Davi Vetoraci def. Servio Tulio via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Jansen Gomes def. Matheus Vetoraci via 10×0
– Davi Vetoraci def. Uanderson Ferreira via WO
Finals:
– Jansen Gomes def. Davi Vetoraci via Choke from back
MALE, HEAVYWEIGHT(7 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Gregor Gracie
– Vinicius Liberati advanced over Roberto Jimenez via WO
– Pedro Machado def. Hygor Brito via 2×0
– Leonardo Ferreira advanced over Rider Zuchi who opted to not show up for D2
Semi-Finals:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Vinicius Liberati via Katagatame
– Leonardo Ferreira def. Pedro Machado via 2×0
Final:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Leonardo Ferreira via 0x0adv, 1x0adv
MALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT(14 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Erich Munis advanced over Leandro Carlos, who did not come up to face his former teammate
– Elionai Braz def. Nicholas Maglicic via 14×0
– Lucas Alves def. Pablo Raimundo via 4×2
– Nolan Stuart def. Elderson Santino via 15×2
Semi-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Elionai Braz via 14×0
– Nolan Stuart def. Lucas Alves via Armbar
Final:
– Erich Munis def. Nolan Stuart via Armbar
MALE, ULTRA-HEAVYWEIGHT (14 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Marcus Ribeiro def. Pedro Elias via choke from back
– Kjetil Lydvo def. Sean Goolsby via 9×2
– Felipe Bezerra def. Leon Mendonca via 3×0
– Guilherme Soares def. Pedro Lucas via split decision
Semi-Finals:
– Marcus Ribeiro def. Kjetil Lydvo via 10×0
– Guilherme Soares def. Felipe Bezerra via 2×0
Final:
– Alliance teammates opted to close out the division.
MALE, OPEN WEIGHT (27 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Pedro Machado def. Rider Zuchi via 2×0
– Erich Munis def. Anderson Kauan via Katagatame
– Marcus Ribeiro def. Meyram Maquine via Shoulder pressure
– Felipe Bezerra def. Luis Oliveira via 0x0pts, 3x1adv
Semi-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Pedro Machado via 17×6
– Marcus Ribeiro def. Felipe Bezerra via 2×0
Final:
– Erich Munis def. Marcus Ribeiro via 2×0
FEMALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT (5 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Gabrielle Etzel def. Camila Caroline via Straight ankle lock
– Mariana Rolszt def. Maria Brito via 4×0
– Mayssa Bastos advanced via WO
– Thais Loureiro advanced via WO
Semi-Finals:
– Thais Loureiro def. Mariana Rolszt via 0x0pt, 1x0adv
– Mayssa Bastos def. Gabrielle Etzel via Choke from back
Final:
– Mayssa Bastos def. Thais Loureiro via 28×0
FEMALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT (5 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Jessica Caroline def. Flavia Soares via 4×2 def.
– Brenda Larissa def. Barbara Silva via 2x2pt, 1x0adv
– Andressa Nogueira advanced via WO
– Polyanna Araujo advanced via WO
Semi-Finals:
– Jessica Caroline def. Andressa Nogueira via decision
– Brenda Larissa def. Polyanna Araujo via 0x0pt, 4x0adv
Final:
– Brenda Larissa def. Jessica Caroline via decision
FEMALE, FEATHERWEIGHT (12 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Cassia Moura def. Emily Nicholson via 0x0pt, 3x0adv
– Maria Luiza def. Maria Delahaye via decision
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Mikaele Damaceno via Choke from back
– Caroline Vinhaes def. Gabriela Pereira via 0x0pt, 3x2adv
Semi-Finals:
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Caroline Vinhaes via Choke from back
– Cassia Moura def. Maria Luiza via 6x6pt, 4x1adv
Final:
– Cassia Moura def. Margot Ciccarelli via 3×0
FEMALE, LIGHTWEIGHT (9 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Janaina Lebre def. Vitoria Ariadne via Armbar
– Maria Claudia def. Samayra Zaura via Armbar
– Brianna Ste-Marie def. Victoria Ulrich via Armbar
– Natalia Zumba def. Stephanie Jangelni via Armbar
Semi-Finals:
– Janaina Lebre def. Maria Claudia via 2×0
– Brianna Ste-Marie def. Natalia Zumba via Choke from back
Final:
– Janaina Lebre def. Brianna Ste-Marie via decision
FEMALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT (16 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Elisabeth Clay def. Vitoria Vieira via Choke from back
– Gisele Tavares def. Kamilla Souza via 0x0pt, 2x0adv
– Rebeca Lima def. Thalyta Silva via decision
– Alexia Arantes def. Larissa Santos via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Rebeca Lima def. Alexia Arantes via decision
– Elisabeth Clay def. Gisele Tavares via Loop choke
Final:
– Elisabeth Clay def. Rebeca Lima via 4×2
FEMALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT (9 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Sabatha Lais def. Bruna Farah via Armbar
– Giovanna Carneiro def. Ingridd Alves via 4×2
– Aurelie Vern def. Magdalena Loska via choke
– Maria Vicentini def. Natasha Santos via Triangle
Semi-Finals:
– Maria Vicentini def. Sabatha Lais via decision
– Aurelie Vern def. Giovanna Carneiro via Choke from back
Final:
– Maria Vicentini def. Aurelie Le Vern via 6×2
FEMALE, HEAVYWEIGHT (8 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Tamiris Silva def. Jeane Pinto via Armbar
– Giovanna Jara def. Amanda Magda via 6×4
– Melissa Cueto def. Welma Santos via 14×0
– Yara Soares def. Izadora Cristina via 8x8pt, 3x2adv
Semi-Finals:
– Tamiris Silva def. Giovanna Jara via 5×0
– Yara Soares def. Melissa Cueto via 12×10
Final:
– Yara Soares def. Tamiris Silva via Bow and arrow
FEMALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT (7 match)
Quarter-Finals:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Maria Nascimento via Americana
– Kauany Queiroz def. Mikaela Lima via 2×0
– Tayane Porfirio def. Maria Santiago via Choke
– Isabey Lemos def. Marina Penedo via 5×0
Semi-Finals:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Kauany Queiroz via Straight ankle lock
– Tayane Porfirio def. Isabey Lemos via Americana
Final:
– Tayane Porfirio def. Gabrieli Pessanha via 4×2
FEMALE, OPEN WEIGHT (14 matches)
Quarter-Finals:
– Melissa Cueto def. Maria Santiago via 12×0
– Yara Soares def. Mikaela Lima via decision
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Tayane Porfirio via Choke from back
– Isabely Lemos def. Sabatha Lais via Canto choke
Semi-Finals:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Isabely Lemos via Choke from back
– Yara Soares def. Melissa Cueto via Bow and arrow
Final:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Yara Soares via 2×0
