Top Female BJJ Fighters to Know

Top female BJJ fighters used to mean a short list. Not anymore. Women's divisions at IBJJF Worlds and ADCC have grown into some of the most competitive brackets in the sport, and the athletes below are the reason. Every name here backs up the hype with real titles, not just following counts.

What Makes This List Different

This isn't a popularity ranking. Every fighter below is included because of a specific, checkable achievement: a world title, an ADCC medal, a UFC belt, or a record no one else has matched. Where we've already written a full profile, you'll find a link to dig deeper into that career.

Beatriz "Bia" Mesquita

Beatriz Mesquita holds the record for the most IBJJF World Championship gold medals at black belt among women, with six (Wikipedia). She's an IBJJF Hall of Famer and has also medaled at ADCC, including gold at the 2017 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. Her game is built on relentless guard passing and top pressure, the kind of style younger competitors study frame by frame.

Gabi Garcia

Gabi Garcia holds more ADCC titles than any other female competitor in the sport's history, alongside multiple IBJJF World Championship golds (Wikipedia). At 6'2", she used size and top control to dominate the absolute division for years before moving into MMA, where she finished her professional record without a loss.

Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern is the only woman ever to win IBJJF, ADCC, and UFC titles. Her full path from a childhood on the mats in Arizona to UFC gold is covered in our Mackenzie Dern profile.

Ronda Rousey

Before UFC stardom, Ronda Rousey built her ground game on years of jiu-jitsu training layered onto an Olympic judo foundation. Her full background, including the armbar that defined an era of women's MMA, is in our Ronda Rousey profile.

Ffion Davies

Ffion Davies became the first British-born athlete to win ADCC gold, taking the -60kg division in 2022 (Wikipedia). She's also the first Welsh black belt to win IBJJF Worlds in both gi and no-gi. Her passing game and relentless pace have made her one of the most watched competitors in the current no-gi scene.

Nathiely de Jesus

Nathiely de Jesus is a five-time IBJJF black belt World Champion and the first woman to beat Gabi Garcia in both gi and no-gi competition (BJJ Heroes). She took silver at the 2024 ADCC World Championship in the +65kg division, one match away from the title.

Bianca Basílio

Bianca Basílio won her first world title at 15 as a blue belt, then went on to collect multiple IBJJF black belt World Championships and an ADCC World title (BJJ Heroes). She's one of the sport's most dominant lighter-weight competitors, known for a fast-paced leg lock and back-take game.

Jessica-Rose Clark

Jessica-Rose Clark built her jiu-jitsu into a full MMA career, competing at the highest levels of the UFC bantamweight and flyweight divisions. Her full path is covered in our Jessica-Rose Clark profile.

Liana Jojua

Liana Jojua trained jiu-jitsu and MMA in parallel, taking her grappling base into the UFC's strawweight division. Read her full story in our Liana Jojua profile.

Aarae Alexander

Aarae Alexander earned her brown belt under Lloyd Irvin's competition team, building a reputation as one of the sharpest technical minds in women's grappling instruction. Her full background is in our Aarae Alexander profile.

Why This List Keeps Growing

Women's divisions are the fastest-growing part of competitive BJJ. Prize money at ADCC and major superfight cards has climbed, and that's pulling in more full-time athletes every year. Expect this list to look different in another two years. For the athletes who paved the way before this generation, see our broader A-Z list of BJJ fighters.