Female Divisions

Ana Mayordomo, representing Kingsway, was in peak form on Day 1 of the Black Belt No-Gi World Championships. She faced a stern early test against the very game Maria Luiza in her opening bout. Mayordomo quickly established control, earning an advantage lead from several deep submission attempts. Despite a late rally from the JFC Almeida product, who threatened with deep leg entanglements, Ana maintained her composure, ultimately fending off the attacks to win the quarterfinals match by advantages. Her semifinals contest proceeded exactly as planned, with Ana securing a match-ending guillotine just two and a half minutes in. This sets the stage for her highly anticipated featherweight finals clash with Adele Fornarino tomorrow.

Adele Fornarino showcased her top form in the featherweight division, registering two dynamic finishes. Her first match against Tayler Polhamus concluded with Adele locking onto an arm and rolling through for a textbook armbar finish. Demonstrating her submission diversity, Adele then engaged in a leg entanglement battle with Giovanah Oliveira, a sequence that ended emphatically in her favor. Across both matches, Adele used strong controls to secure impressive submissions, advancing without significant challenge. The featherweight final against Ana Mayordomo is now officially confirmed, much to the delight of jiu-jitsu fans worldwide.

Elisabeth Clay delivered a phenomenal performance throughout the entire day. The Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu representative began her campaign in the open class with a lightning-quick heel hook victory. Her quarterfinals match, a highly anticipated 'superfight' caliber contest against Adele Fornarino, saw Clay prevail by sinking in a tight, match-ending guillotine on her world-class opponent. This highlight victory propelled Elisabeth into the semifinals, where she secured an identical top-side guillotine finish against Injana Goodman. Her finals matchup with Gabi Pessanha is a must-watch encounter, with the winner earning the opportunity to chase No-Gi World Championship double gold. Not stopping there, Elisabeth then dominated the female middleweight division. A second-round rear naked choke submission over Jaqueline Almeida moved her into the quarterfinals. She dispatched Beatrice Jin with a swift 45-second heel hook, before advancing to the middleweight semifinals where she submitted her opponent with another rapid guillotine. In total, Elisabeth faced six opponents on the day, submitting every one of them in remarkable fashion.

Cassia Moura delivered exciting performances across her two matches on Day 1. The LEAD BJJ representative moved up to the heavyweight division for No-Gi Worlds, proving the change in weight class was no disadvantage. Cassia leveraged her exceptional athleticism and explosiveness to outwork her opponents, beginning with a points victory over Maria Malyjasiak in the first round. This victory set up a semifinals match with Rain Pfaff for a spot in the finals. Cassia once again utilized her quickness and athleticism to outwrestle Rain, capturing a hard-earned six-point victory. She showcased impressive standing techniques, specifically her power arm drag to takedown that she employed multiple times to dominate her opponents. Cassia is now set for a finals matchup against Nia Blackman on Day 2 of the Black Belt No-Gi World Championships.

Gabi Pessanha, the double Grand Slam No-Gi Champion, entered the open division where she competed in her first three matches of the day. Pessanha's open class run included definitive wins over Rain Pfaff, Gamila Kanew, and Nadia Frankland. Her quarterfinal match against Gamila Kanew was over in a blistering eight seconds via her patented straight ankle lock. Her final match of the day against Nadia Frankland was the only one that went the full duration. Gabi is scheduled to face Elisabeth Clay on Black Belt Day 2 for the female No-Gi World Championship open division title. Gabi's sole match in the super-heavyweight division came in the semifinals against Maia Matalon. Pessanha displayed her well-rounded game by taking the back and finishing with a rear naked choke, securing her place in the super-heavyweight finals.

Ashlee Funegra is poised to cap off her rookie campaign by competing for a No-Gi World Championship gold medal on Day 2. Ashlee, representing AOJ, was the eighth seed enlisted in the light-featherweight division. Her first match against Yasmyn Castro concluded in just over two minutes via a darce choke. Ashlee’s quarterfinals match against the number one seed, Barbara Souza, was a dynamic showcase of the AOJ product’s guard work and passing ability. Ashlee amassed fifteen points en route to a rear naked choke finish to earn her spot in the semifinals. She faced a very game Josefine Modig for a shot at the finals, ultimately securing an armbar finish. Ashlee Funegra is now set to square off with Anne Druckery for the light-featherweight No-Gi World Championship on Day 2 of the black belt action.

Helena Crevar entered the event with considerable anticipation for her No-Gi World Championship black belt debut, and she certainly delivered on Day 1. Helena competed in three matches, ending the day with an impeccable 100% submission rate. The Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu athlete moved past Bethany Wright in the first round to advance to the quarterfinals. She then faced Salla Simlola, the returning No-Gi World Champion, whom she finished impressively with a rear naked choke. The semifinals pitted Helena against Gabriela Mirranda for a spot in the finals. Helena dominated the match, eventually finishing with a head and arm choke from the guard. Helena continues her compelling gold medal campaign on Saturday against Ane Svendsen, in hopes of capturing her first No-Gi Worlds black belt title.

Male Divisions

Gianni Grippo is once again a familiar face heading into the second day of black belt action at the No-Gi World Championships. As the number one ranked athlete in the featherweight division, he earned a first-round bye. His opening match against Sebastian Serpa ended with a devastating outside heel hook from the Bodega Jiu-Jitsu representative. The quarterfinals paired Gianni Grippo with Emilio Hernandez for a chance to advance to Saturday's competition. This competitive match between two high-level grapplers saw Gianni secure a back-take late in the bout, leading to a match-winning rear naked choke. Gianni now faces Cameron Mellot in the semifinals to continue his pursuit of a fourth No-Gi World Championship title.

Cole Abate, representing AOJ, returned to the event after clinching the featherweight No-Gi World Championship title in 2024. Despite moving up to lightweight this year, Cole has not missed a beat, earning two submissions in his two matches on the first day of black belt action. His first match showcased high-level guard passing techniques, culminating in a back-take and eventual armbar finish over Lucas Queiroz. Cole’s quarterfinals matchup against Danilo Moreira ended with one of the AOJ product’s signature moves, a leg drag setup to an inside heel hook finish. Cole is set to square off with Alessandro Botelho in the semifinals on Day 2 as he searches for his second No-Gi World Championship title.

Dante Leon made the move up to heavyweight for the 2025 No-Gi World Championships, representing Pedigo Submission Fighting. As the number nine seed, Dante won his first-round matchup via outside heel hook over Lucas Gualberto. Dante then moved on to face Jorge Escudero, whom he finished with an armbar submission utilizing his Rau drag setup. In his final match of the day, the Pedigo Submission Fighting product displayed excellent guard play and fantastic passing technique to put up sixteen points against a talented opponent. Dante has an intriguing semifinals matchup with fellow No-Gi World Champion, Faris Benlamkadem, in his effort to progress towards his second No-Gi World Championship title.

Elder Cruz continued his dominance in the No-Gi World Championship open division, securing victories in all three of his matches. ‘El Monstro’ showcased his pressure-heavy top game and high-level standing techniques throughout the day, starting with a 6-0 points victory against Windson Torres. Anthony Robinson tested Elder in the quarterfinals with a tough match that ultimately ended 2-0 in favor of El Monstro. The semifinals pitted him against Jorge Escudero in another tightly contested match, where Elder secured the win with four advantages.  Elder is set to take on Roosevelt Sousa in the male open class final, with hopes of repeating his success from last year’s edition.

Roosevelt Sousa was phenomenal throughout the day, setting himself up for a double gold opportunity on Saturday. All three of Roosevelt’s matches took place in the open division, as the ultra-heavyweight division will commence with semifinal action on Day 2. His first open class match against Adam Nabawy ended by way of rear naked choke. After moving past his second-round matchup against Elioenai Braz, Roosevelt faced the European double gold champion Pawel Jaworski. The Fight Sports athlete proved too powerful for Pawel, securing back position and finishing with another rear naked choke. Roosevelt will meet last year’s open division champion, Elder Cruz, in the finals on Saturday. Roosevelt is also slated to face Helder Junior in the ultra-heavyweight semifinals as he hunts for No-Gi World Championship double gold honors.