The world's most elite purple belts converged in Lisbon, Portugal, for the prestigious 2026 European Championships. The divisions featured highlight performances and offered spectators a beautiful exhibition of the art. Many of the sport's top prospects displayed incredible technique and unrelenting vigor, successfully securing the first major title of the young season. 
 

India Risby

India Risby, representing Atos Jiu-Jitsu, dominated the middleweight division as the #1 ranked athlete. Her opening match featured an exhibition of beautiful guard work, culminating in a swift sweep directly to the mount position and a decisive rear naked choke finish. In the third round, India's masterful sweeping techniques were again on display, leading to a scramble that she capitalized on for an armbar finish. Her challenge continued in the semifinals against Chahrazed Olsson, ending with a devastating armbar locked in from a mounted triangle position. The finals saw Manuela Nunes offer significant resistance, but ultimately fell to India by four points, securing the Atos athlete’s first gold of the day. India then entered the open division for another four high-stakes matches against talented opponents. She launched her open class campaign with a commanding fourteen-point victory, followed by her second rear naked choke finish in the quarterfinals. A grueling semifinals bout with Agatha Nigro resulted in a hard-earned referee decision, propelling her into the open class gold medal match. The finals presented a rematch with Chahrazed Olsson, ending in a similar, rapid fashion as India transitioned a triangle setup into an armbar finish just fifteen seconds into the contest. India concluded her Euros run with both middleweight and open division titles, firmly establishing herself as one of the sport's premiere color belt prospects. Training in an Atos environment with a seemingly endless roster of talented female competitors, India’s current trajectory establishes lofty expectations for her 2026 campaign.

Fernando Paiva

Fernando Paiva made a spectacular start to his adult career at the 2026 European Championships, navigating a deep featherweight division featuring sixty contenders. Fernando initiated his day with a flawless lapel choke from the back, before securing his second victory in almost identical, dominant fashion. A third lapel choke led to a quarterfinal showdown with Flynn Galea, which the AOJ athlete sealed with a beautiful armbar submission. Caio Leon challenged Fernando fiercely in the semifinals, where a single advantage earned from a footlock attempt was enough to secure Fernando's place in the featherweight gold medal final. The finals match saw Fernando quickly establish his high-level guard, then execute a decisive sweep to claim a two-point lead. Holding firm on the scoreboard, Fernando captured the gold medal and the first major title of the 2026 season. Fernando showcased a submission-oriented style throughout his gold medal run, securing four finishes in six opportunities. The AOJ standout begins his career with European gold, further amplifying the immense expectations for the young athlete's future.

Mia Montesinos

Mia Montesinos of Atos Jiu-Jitsu rose to major contention in the lightweight division in Lisbon, Portugal. Mia secured an impressive three submissions across four matches, clinching a European Championship title and well-deserved recognition along the way. Her first match, against Ella Travers, masterfully showcased both Mia’s impressive sweeping and guard-passing techniques en route to securing a lapel choke finish from the back. Her quarterfinals match highlighted Mia’s unwavering resolve, as she faced a daunting twelve-point deficit against a highly skilled opponent. Refusing to yield, Mia utilized her dangerous guard to set up a beautiful armbar transition, completing a stunning come-from-behind victory that astonished both her opponent and spectators. The Atos athlete leveraged this emotional win to submit her semifinal opponent via triangle armbar, securing her spot in the finals. Fiona Levi offered a dynamic, back-and-forth challenge in the gold medal match, with Mia ultimately prevailing by a two-advantage margin to claim the European lightweight title. Mia’s electrifying performance proved that her high-level technique is matched only by her winning instincts and determined spirit.

Moussa Kadi

Unity Jiu-Jitsu representative, Moussa Kadi, entered the medium-heavyweight division with aspirations of capturing his first purple belt major gi title. As the #1 seed, he carried significant momentum from his phenomenal no-gi season in 2025. Moussa wasted no time demonstrating his elite submission game, finishing his first opponent in thirty seconds with a quick armbar. His third-round match against Benjamin Mann showcased Moussa’s impressive footlock techniques, resulting in a submission in just over one minute to advance to the quarterfinals. Moussa then returned to his armbar system, securing a finish over Joel Hetzel with an impressive De La Riva setup to move into the medal rounds. The semifinals proved to be Moussa's toughest challenge, resulting in a hard-fought referee decision victory over a very game Pedro Nascimento. The Unity Jiu-Jitsu athlete ultimately secured European gold with another straight ankle lock finish in the finals, claiming his first gi major title at the purple belt level. Moussa has cemented his status as one of the brightest prospects in the color belt divisions, heightening expectations as the 2026 season unfolds.

Natalee Funegra

Natalee Funegra of AOJ made her highly-anticipated purple belt adult debut at the 2026 European Championships. Natalee had previously earned juvenile 2 double-gold at four major events last season, setting lofty expectations for her transition to the adult level this year. Competing in the light-featherweight division, she impressed across four compelling matches. Her first-round matchup concluded with a beautiful triangle armbar finish from the AOJ standout, leading to her second match and her second submission from the triangle position, this time concluding with kimura pressure. The semifinals witnessed Natalee rack up seven unanswered points, earning her a finals matchup against Kethellyn Costa. Natalee sealed her European championship run with a dominant twelve-point victory over a very tough opponent, signaling a fantastic trajectory for her adult career. Natalee continues to mirror the success of her two world-champion older siblings, as the Funegra sisters aim to collectively build a phenomenal legacy.

Lucas Yan

Lucas Yan entered the sixty-one-man middleweight division at the 2026 European Championships as the #2 seed. He immediately announced his presence by beginning his run with an impressive armbar finish. A subsequent four-point victory and a quarterfinal win over Leo Lawson propelled Lucas onto the podium. Lucas masterfully created back exposure in his semifinal match, securing the lapel and finishing a clock choke to earn a shot at middleweight gold. His finals matchup against Blair Hamilton concluded via points, ultimately earning Lucas his first European Championship title. Lucas then entered the purple belt open division, where he narrowly secured an advantage victory over a significantly larger opponent. His second open class match saw Lucas earn a two-point victory before facing Jacob Holman in the semifinals. Lucas captured a hard-earned advantage victory, utilizing strong leg entanglements to continuously off-balance his opponent and threaten sweeps. Lucas ultimately secured the open division title by maintaining a two-point lead, which he captured via a timely sweep over Arthur Lopes. The Melqui Galvão student achieved nine total victories on the day, unequivocally proving he is one of the top purple belt prospects in the world.

Freddy Lele Talla

Freddy Lele Talla of Alliance completed a powerful run through the heavyweight division at the European Championships. Freddy faced five opponents in his impressive campaign to secure the first major title of the 2026 season. He started emphatically with an efficient armbar submission, followed by his second finish via lapel choke in the third round. A quarterfinals matchup with Erich Munis’ young brother, Dione Munis, proved to be an exciting and tightly-contested affair. Freddy was able to secure a hard-fought advantage victory, displaying relentless guard-passing efforts to earn his way into the semifinals. Freddy continued to showcase his merciless top pressure, threatening with passing techniques en route to a two-advantage victory. Freddy appeared to save his impressive guard game for the finals, pulling guard on Jhonatan Motta and securing a late-match sweep to earn a two-point victory. Throughout his run, Freddy displayed commendable grit, whether through unrelenting guard passing or clutch attacks with the match on the line, showcasing true championship vigor en route to securing the European heavyweight title.

Ricardo Yoshito

AOJ standout, Ricardo Yoshito, made his purple belt adult debut after an exceptional 2025 season at the juvenile 2 rank. Ricardo began his Euros run with an advantage victory over a tough Christian Akira. Ricardo then went on to secure a straight ankle lock finish in the quarterfinals, before earning a six-point victory to enter the finals. Eike Suzuki met Ricardo in the gold medal match, as the two high-level guard players traded footlock and sweeping attempts. In the end, it was Ricardo who earned a hard-fought referee decision victory and the 2026 Europeans roosterweight title. Ricardo displayed sharp guard techniques throughout his path to gold, showcasing potent footlock threats and fervent guard retention skills.

Catch the full-match replays from these highlight performers and all the purple belt athletes from the European Championships, exclusively at FloGrappling.