Day five of Brasileiro action featured the sport’s top purple belts colliding for Grand Slam glory. Remarkable gold medal runs were delivered from standout performers who captured the jiu-jitsu spotlight and immense momentum ahead of the World Championships this month.

 

Kellyson Carlos

CheckMat’s shining prospect Kellyson Carlos delivered a masterful performance through six matches of Brasileiro action. A dominant ten-point bow-and-arrow choke finish marked the beginning of his gold medal run. Kellyson progressed to defeat Mykael Souza via armbar and Victor Peixoto via canto choke after accumulating a combined twenty-three unanswered points in the two matches. The CheckMat standout rolled through his quarterfinal matchup with a nine-point mounted arm triangle finish over Kalebe Henrique, setting the stage for a semifinal showdown with Anthony Silva. Kellyson relied upon his relentless pace and strong scrambling ability to outmaneuver his high-level opponent, which resulted in a hard-fought decision victory. The lightweight finals witnessed Kellyson again utilize his persistent motor to secure an advantage victory over Moises Barata to earn the Brasileiro title. This triumph marked Kellyson’s third Grand Slam event title of the 2026 season, entering the World Championships as a strong favorite to secure the gold.

 

India Risby

India Risby remained the most dominant female athlete in the purple belt divisions during her run in Brazil. With double-gold performances at both Pan and European Championship events, India entered Brasileiro as the #1 ranked female purple belt in the world. Her middleweight competition commenced with an opening round armbar victory and a second-round submission over Ana Beatriz. India proceeded to earn an eleven-point shutout victory in the quarterfinals before submitting Emile Fraga to earn her finals placement. In arguably her toughest match of the event, India defeated Ana Fernandes via lapel choke with under thirty seconds remaining in their finals confrontation. With one gold medal secured, India entered the absolute division for a pair of fights against high-level competition. India secured an armbar victory over Yasmin Barros in the opening round before defeating Larissa Nascimento by referee decision in the semifinals. With her teammate Mia Montesinos clinching the opposing side of the bracket, India again secured a Grand Slam event double-gold performance. In a remarkable moment, India received her brown belt promotion while atop the absolute podium from her professor, Sarah Galvão. The newest brown belt in the middleweight division immediately becomes a strong contender to capture a World Championship at the end of the month.

 

Lucas Yan

Lucas Yan remained a dominant force in the middleweight division throughout the first half of 2026. The BJJ College representative continued his impressive campaign with another major title in Brazil. Lucas commenced his Brasileiro campaign with a beautiful spinning armbar from the headquarters position, highlighting his dangerous submission style. He went on to submit Salomao Henrique via straight ankle lock in one minute, then proceeded to earn a two-point victory over Miguel Pablo via sweep. The quarterfinals displayed Lucas’ strong submission skills yet again, as the BJJ College athlete secured a five-point armbar finish to advance to the semifinals. Gabriel Lopes challenged Lucas with a finals placement hanging in the balance, and the two high-level competitors traded attacks until the very end, signaling a tight referee decision victory in favor of Yan. Finalizing his Brasileiro run in style, Lucas secured a straight ankle lock finish before the midway point of the gold medal match. BJJ College certainly has one of the brightest purple belt prospects in the sport, as Lucas has dominated the middleweight division through three Grand Slam events. The World Championships will certainly present a horde of high-level talent aiming to upset the top-ranked purple belt in the world.

 

Mia Montesinos

Mia Montesinos, part of the Atos Female Dream Team, resumed major title contention at Brasileiros with a resounding statement. The top seed in the lightweight division began her run with an advantage win in the opening round. Mia proceeded to defeat Larissa Martins in a nine-point shutout victory before submitting Lohenna Aiko in the quarterfinals via triangle armbar. After a DQ win in the semifinals, Mia clinched her Brasileiro title with a six-point armbar victory against Larissa Nascimento. This triumph marked Mia’s third major title of the season, proving yet again that she is among the top female prospects in the lightweight division. Despite securing a lightweight title, Mia opted to continue her Brasileiro journey with open class competition. Mia secured a bow-and-arrow choke finish in the opening round and then advanced with an armbar finish in the quarterfinals. The super-heavyweight champion, Agatha Nigro, awaited Mia in the semifinals for a star-studded clash with an absolute finals placement on the line. Mia ultimately secured an advantage victory to earn the open class silver medal at the Brasileiros. Mia’s gold and silver medals represent the remarkable talent the Atos athlete boasts, leading to lofty expectations at her upcoming World Championship outing.

 

Fernando Paiva

Fernando Paiva of AOJ delivered another stellar Grand Slam performance in São Paulo to further his 2026 campaign. The Pan and European Champion returned to major title contention at Brasileiros, making a big statement ahead of the World Championships. Fernando began his gold medal run with a pair of collar chokes in his opening two rounds. His third match against Lucas Ferreira provided significant resistance, leading to a 3-2 advantage victory for the AOJ prospect. The quarterfinals witnessed Fernando return to his astounding back-taking prowess, culminating in a third collar choke from the back. Fernando then secured his final win over Caio Gabriel via a two-point sweep. The AOJ stud has now claimed all three major titles in 2026 as he sets his sights on a World Championship title at the end of May.

 

Isis Maciel

The featherweight division was taken by storm at the 2026 Brasileiro by GF Team’s Isis Maciel. Isis delivered a remarkable performance through four matches against elite Grand Slam competition. Remarkably, the young prospect submitted each of her four opponents via triangle-armbar setups. Her guard play proved to be too dominant for her opposition, as she secured each of her finishes before the midway point of the match. Through four matches, Isis secured four submissions in under seven minutes of mat time, proving the dominance she displayed throughout featherweight competition at Brasileiros. Through her two major event outings this season, Isis has maintained a record of 9-0 with eight submission victories. The GF Team standout’s devastating submission systems make her one of the most exciting prospects in the sport. Isis has claimed Pan and Brasileiro titles in 2026 as she sets her sights toward World Championship glory later this month.

 

Luca Veras

Luca Veras entered the super-heavyweight division as the #2 seed, drawing lofty expectations for a second major title this season. Luca started his Brasileiro campaign with a two-minute lapel choke from the back over Renato Barboza. He continued on to earn a DQ victory after scoring sixteen unanswered points and ending with a lapel choke attack. The quarterfinals pit Luca against John Heimar, resulting in a five-minute lapel choke victory for the Veras Academy standout. Luca went on to defeat the eventual open class champion, Lincoln Santos, via points to earn his finals placement against Renan Martins. Luca delivered another dominant performance in the finals by securing a twenty-point lead before cementing his Brasileiro title with an armbar finish. With Brasileiro and Pan titles secured this season, Luca remains a top super-heavyweight contender approaching the Worlds event.

 

Natalee Funegra

Natalee Funegra entered the Brasileiro light-featherweight division as the top seed and continued her impressive streak. The Pan and European Champion has remained undefeated in her rookie season at the adult level. Natalee secured a six-point lapel choke finish from the back in two minutes against her opening round opponent. With strong momentum behind her, the AOJ prospect earned another submission victory via rear triangle armbar against Kleianny Bandeira. A ten-point shutout in the semifinals earned Natalee a finals placement against Thaina Guimaraes. The finals marked her most competitive match, as Natalee controlled the majority of the action from her closed guard. After each competitor earned a single advantage, Natalee secured the referee decision victory to claim her third major title of the season. The AOJ sensation remains one of the brightest prospects at the purple belt level, as she maintains her undefeated record through three Grand Slam events this year.

 

Eiki Suzuki

The top seed in the roosterweight bracket successfully completed his Brasileiro gold medal run. Eiki Suzuki of Best Athletes Mighty Family secured his second major title of the 2026 season following five matches against formidable opposition. Eiki captured first and second-round submission victories via straight ankle lock and armbar systems. A seven-point quarterfinal win then led to a two-point semifinal victory to advance into the roosterweight finals. Luan Henrique fiercely contested Eiki for the 127lb title, which resulted in a hard-fought advantage victory for the top seed. With this result, Eiki added a Brasileiro triumph alongside his Pan title, setting the stage for a gold medal run at the World Championships later this month.

 

Pedro Fontes

AOJ standout Pedro Fontes returned to major title contention in São Paulo, Brazil, with a dominant performance. Pedro commenced his light-featherweight title run with a rear-naked choke before securing three consecutive point victories, totaling seventeen unanswered points. The semifinals resulted in a collar choke from the back before the AOJ prospect secured the light-featherweight title with an advantage victory over Carlos Torres of BJJ College. Throughout his gold medal run, Pedro showcased supreme control and intricate technique en route to securing his second major title of the season. Following this victory, Pedro seems like a frontrunner to secure the light-featherweight World title in 2026, after earning a silver medal at the last edition of the event.

 

Agatha Nigro

Agatha Nigro returned to major competition in São Paulo following dominant performances at both Pan and European Championship events. She commenced her Brasileiro campaign with a standing armlock submission, or Mir lock, three minutes into the opening round. After a dominant six-point shutout victory in the semifinals, Agatha secured a hard-fought decision victory to earn the super-heavyweight title. The DreamArt product continued into the open division where she secured a seven-point win over Fernanda Assen to make it into the semifinals. Unfortunately for Agatha, she lost a close match against Mia Montesinos via advantages but collected a bronze medal for her efforts. Agatha showcased the stifling top pressure and strong guard passing that has now earned her three Grand Slam event titles in 2026. The DreamArt prospect remains the most dominant super-heavyweight in the purple belt category as she looks ahead to the World Championships for a Grand Slam sweep at the weight class.

 

Lincoln Santos

Alliance standout Lincoln Santos exhibited unrelenting spirit throughout his eight-match run at Brasileiro. Starting in the super-heavyweight division, Lincoln secured an armbar finish in just ninety seconds. The Alliance athlete then proceeded to submit Henry Coimbra via breadcutter and defeat Sergio Henrique via three points. Lincoln’s weight class journey ended with a loss to the eventual champion, Luca Veras, via points. After securing the bronze medal, Lincoln applied for open class competition amidst a horde of purple belt talent. After defeating Renan Martins in the opening round via mounted armlock, Lincoln collided with the #1 ranked male purple belt and middleweight Brasileiro champion. Displaying more of his dominant top game, Lincoln secured five points before finishing with another mounted armlock-style finish. The Alliance prospect proceeded to defeat the ultra-heavyweight champion, Rodrigo Dantas, via advantages to move into the finals. The highly-anticipated finals between Lincoln and Freddy Lele Talla commenced with an explosive standing battle that Lincoln ultimately won to take an early lead. After passing the guard with his stifling top pressure, Lincoln secured the points he needed to capture the absolute Brasileiro title. After multiple podium finishes at Grand Slam events, Lincoln secured his first major title in São Paulo.

 

Maycon Gabriel

Maycon Gabriel entered a stacked heavyweight division as the #4 seed at Brasileiros and immediately made his presence felt. The ZR Team athlete put the division on notice with a lapel choke from the back in under thirty seconds of the opening round. His second match ended via kimura in just over a minute against Diego Gasch. The quarterfinals pit Maycon against Arthur Lins for a podium placement in the dangerous bracket, where Maycon returned to his submission-oriented style to capture a lapel choke finish in under two minutes. Maycon entered his semifinal showdown with three consecutive submission finishes; however, defeating the European and Pan Champion remained a tall task. Freddy Lele Talla had been dominant in heavyweight competition through the first half of the Grand Slam circuit, leading many to favor him in the intense semifinal matchup. After back-and-forth action between the two elite purple belt athletes, Maycon received a hard-earned referee decision victory. With little time to celebrate, Maycon then opposed Dione Munis with the Brasileiro title hanging in the balance. By claiming a 4-2 victory over the Soldiers Jiu-Jitsu prospect, Maycon secured his first major title at the purple belt level. The ZR Team standout delivered a fascinating performance through a dangerous heavyweight bracket with three submissions and a pair of victories over the division favorites.

 

Gabriela Camara

Icon Jiu-Jitsu athlete Gabriela Camara displayed incredible control and dangerous submission systems en route to capturing the heavyweight title at Brasileiros. Gabriela earned a lapel choke finish from the closed guard in under one minute to commence her gold medal campaign. After a hard-fought referee decision victory in the quarterfinals, Gabriela went on to secure a straight ankle lock finish against Fernanda Santos. The finals paired Maria Eduarda and Gabriela for an intense heavyweight final, where the Icon athlete ultimately captured a second lapel choke from the guard to retain the Brasileiro title. Gabriela earned her first major title at the purple belt level, resulting in well-deserved recognition for her strong performance.

 

Rodrigo Dantas

Rodrigo Dantas entered Brasileiro as the #2 ranked male athlete in the world, having already secured Pan and European Championship titles in 2026. The Vision prospect met and exceeded his grand expectations by securing three submissions en route to the ultra-heavyweight title. Rodrigo commenced his gold medal run with a clock choke finish over Kaue Silva before submitting Alexandre Nicolas via pressure tap in just ninety seconds. His final weight class confrontation ended with a north-south choke over Renzo Cooligan in just sixty seconds. Rodrigo went on to claim two advantage victories in the open class before falling to the eventual absolute champion, Lincoln Santos. Rodrigo displayed astounding control and a dangerous submission arsenal in São Paulo, resulting in a gold and bronze medal performance. Rodrigo is a clear-cut favorite to capture the ultra-heavyweight World Championship as he aims for a clean sweep of the division’s Grand Slam titles in 2026.

For full-match replays of all the thrilling purple belt Brasileiro action, visit FloGrappling.