Premier blue belts delivered a captivating spectacle in Lisbon, Portugal across days six and seven of the European Championships. Exceptional performances were littered throughout all nineteen divisions, proving the future of jiu-jitsu is in profoundly capable hands. Elite athletes showcased their world-class technique, with standout competitors securing their highly-coveted major titles to begin the 2026 campaign.

Mougoutdine Akaimov 

Mougoutdine Akaimov of De La Riva Nantes unequivocally stole the spotlight during blue belt action at the 2026 European Championships. Mougoutdine delivered a showcase of dominant jiu-jitsu across six matches in the middleweight division. His campaign commenced with a decisive lapel choke after accumulating a fourteen-point lead, followed by a second-round victory by a remarkable seventeen points. His third match concluded swiftly via darce choke before he overcame Davi Cruz in the quarterfinals by a five-point margin. Mougoutdine expertly controlled his semifinal bout with relentless passing techniques, culminating in a pressure tap submission that secured his place in the final against Alexander Sawalha. Displaying immense passing pressure yet again, Mougoutdine seized the middleweight title with a beautifully executed S-grip darce choke. Refusing to settle for a single gold medal, Mougoutdine entered the blue belt open division to challenge the top competitors for the coveted open championship. Featherweight, Júlio César, competed valiantly against Mougoutdine in the quarterfinals but ultimately succumbed to pressure when Mougoutdine secured the back to win the match on points. The semifinals demonstrated his superb wrestling and top control, as Mougoutdine masterfully restrained a much larger opponent en route to a nine-point victory. Arthur Cunha challenged Mougoutdine in a finals match that began with an elongated fifty-fifty exchange, highlighting Mougoutdine’s technical expertise before he ultimately secured top position and passed the guard for a five-point victory and the open class gold. Mougoutdine was awarded his purple belt atop the open division podium, marking his third significant achievement of the event. The De La Riva Nantes athlete departed Lisbon with two gold medals and a fresh belt, igniting great anticipation for his future performances at the elevated level.

 

Alissa Lazar 

Alissa Lazar of Gracie Barra enlisted in the lightweight division as the #32 seed. She began her European Championship run with a preview of her potential, submitting her opponent with an armbar in twenty-two seconds. She followed that performance with another beautiful armbar over the division’s #1 seed, before finishing a lapel choke over Maria Medeiros to advance into the lightweight quarterfinals. From there, Alissa secured a pair of phenomenal armbar submissions in the quarters and semis to cement her placement in the finals. The Gracie Barra athlete captured the lightweight title in a very tough match against fellow highlight competitor, Helena Ferreira. Alissa did not stop there, as she challenged for the adult female open division title, beginning with a points victory over Charlotte Bessaoud. Her next matchup against the #1 ranked blue belt in the world, Rafaella Viera, ended with a cross collar choke in favor of Alissa before she secured a decision victory in the quarterfinals. A rematch from the lightweight finals against Helena Ferreira ended differently, as Alissa fell short of her double-gold aspirations by way of points. Alissa concluded her European Championship run with a gold and bronze medal, cementing herself as a world-class athlete with tremendous submission ability. Alissa proved her future certainly appears bright, as the world eagerly anticipates her continued success at the sport’s biggest events.

 

Júlio César

Júlio César, representing CheckMat, navigated the event's largest division, which boasted 134 athletes. Júlio began his Euros campaign with formidable momentum, securing a triangle armbar finish in the first round. A points victory in his second match was followed by a tough decision victory, before earning his fourth victory via armbar. Júlio’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches featured increasingly talented opponents, with both demanding matches ending in advantage victories for the CheckMat athlete. His final matchup against the tough Melqui Galvão student, Davi Dias, proved to be as thrilling as expected, concluding with a hard-fought points victory for Júlio. Throughout his European Championship performance, Júlio exhibited incredible skill across all areas of jiu-jitsu, paired with a relentless mentality that earned him the coveted Euros title. The young CheckMat phenom showcased the incredible heart that electrifies jiu-jitsu fans globally, undoubtedly leading to elevated anticipation for his future performances.

 

Helena Ferreira

Vision’s Helena Ferreira looked phenomenal throughout an astounding eleven matches at the 2026 European Championships. Helena began her day as the #34 seed in the adult lightweight division, securing a first-round bow-and-arrow choke. Following a second-round lapel choke, Helena secured two more victories by points, accumulating twenty-six unanswered points across both matches. The semifinal matchup against Dania Silva showcased Helena’s high-level top pressure and guard passing skills, as she passed the guard and mounted her opponent for a seven-point victory. A tough loss in the lightweight final via advantage to fellow highlight performer, Alissa Lazar, earned Helena a European silver medal. Helena refused to accept a single podium placement and entered the adult female open class, cruising into the quarterfinals against Hermione Medina. Helena secured another submission victory via bow-and-arrow choke before gaining a shot at redemption with a lightweight finals rematch against Alissa Lazar. This time Helena broke through, securing a guard pass with under a minute on the clock in a very competitive match that earned her a finals placement. The very tough highlight athlete, Francesca Recchi, challenged Helena for the open class gold in a match that once again displayed Helena’s dominant top pressure. Ultimately, Helena secured a seven-point victory and earned the coveted Euros open division title. Helena completed her trip with a gold and silver medal in fantastic fashion, proving her world-class skill and relentless mentality.

 

Alyson Lima

Alyson Lima of CheckMat put on a commanding display of jiu-jitsu at the European Championships. Alyson initiated his lightweight title run with a fourteen-point victory, followed by a devastating lapel choke from the back. His third-round matchup against Ricardo Oliveira ended in a nine-point victory for Alyson, utilizing relentless guard passing technique. A beautiful bow-and-arrow choke over Finlay Laird propelled Alyson into the quarterfinals, where he earned a hard-fought advantage victory. His semifinal opponent Enrique Esteves certainly provided Alyson with a difficult challenge, yet the CheckMat athlete persevered, earning a referee decision victory. Alyson ultimately captured the lightweight title with a lapel choke after expertly taking the back from the standing position. Alyson repeatedly overwhelmed his opponents with immense guard passing pressure en route to earning his 2026 European Championship. CheckMat undoubtedly has a bright young prospect in Alyson Lima, who showcased a dominant brand of jiu-jitsu through a challenging 133-man bracket on his way to earning a major title.

 

Francesca Recchi

Milano Jiu-Jitsu L’Accademia athlete Francesca Recchi displayed phenomenal jiu-jitsu throughout the European Championships. Entering the event as the #1 ranked heavyweight, Francesca certainly faced high expectations and did not disappoint. Her weight class run included a semifinal arm triangle and an advantage victory to capture the heavyweight title. Moving into the open class, Francesca began the division with a slick armbar finish before hard-fought quarterfinal and semifinal victories, displaying immense heart against tough opponents. Her finals matchup with fellow highlight athlete, Helena Ferreira, showcased two high-level athletes vying for the coveted open division title. Francesca ultimately settled for the silver medal to complement her heavyweight gold. Francesca departed from Lisbon as a European Champion and open class silver medalist, earning recognition from the jiu-jitsu world for her relentless spirit and technical ability.

 

Jonathan Anderson

Jonathan Anderson highlighted an incredibly deep light-featherweight division, which featured 114 competitors. Johnny started his day with an impressive tarikoplata finish in the second round, before besting Amir Saidi via advantage in a highly-competitive match. His third match showcased Johnny’s incredible guard play, as he controlled the match en route to a four-point victory. A rear naked choke finish over Rayon Naoum placed Johnny in the semifinals, where he secured another four-point victory against Ivan Valencia. Paulo Fonseca challenged Johnny for the light-featherweight title in a competitive match that the Gracie Barra phenom, Johnny Anderson, generally controlled and ultimately won. Throughout his campaign, Johnny displayed beautiful guard play, highlighted by berimbolo and sweeping techniques that proved to be too much for his opponents. Johnny’s storied juvenile success now extends into the adult division as he captures a European Championship in his adult debut.

 

Chloe Perreira

Marcio Andre Jiu-Jits athlete, Chloe Perreira, demonstrated elite technique and an exhilarating submission-oriented style. In three matches, Chloe secured three submissions, utilizing a highly effective and well-balanced attack. Exhibiting both her guard passing and sweeping proficiency in her second-round match with Fernanda Ferreira, Chloe ultimately ended the bout with a textbook armbar submission. Her semifinal matchup against Yukari Hayachida once again displayed the Marcio Andre student’s technical guard work, concluding with a triangle finish to earn her a finals berth. Chloe finished her run similarly to how it began, instantly establishing her dangerous guard before latching onto a triangle to submit her opponent in just over one minute. Chloe captured the roosterweight title with an impressive 100% submission rate, proving her style is not only highly effective but also incredibly fan-friendly.

Catch the replays of these outstanding performers, and all the adult blue belt competitors on FloGrappling.