BJJ Stars Announces Lineup For Next Grand Prix

BJJ Stars has announced the eight women who will compete for 100,000 Brazilian Reais and a slate of super fights for their Sept. 9 card

Aug 14, 2023 by Joe Gilpin

BJJ Stars Announces Lineup For Next Grand Prix

BJJ Stars has announced the official lineup for their Sept. 9 BJJ Stars 11 event, taking place in São Paulo, Brazil, which will feature a Grand Prix tournament with eight female blacks competing for over $20,000. The event will also include a slate of super fights that include IBJJF and ADCC world medalists.

The eight women competing for R$100,000 ($20,167.80) will be:

Gabi Pessanha
Tayane Porfirio
Yara Soares
Melissa Cueto
Carina Santi
Mikaela de Lima
Tamiris Silva
Welma Moreira

The clear frontrunner for the Grand Prix will be Pessanha, who is the record-setting three-time IBJJF World Championships Open Class Champion. Also mixed in will be recurring rivals Yara Soares and 2023 World Champion Melissa Cueto, both of whom have given Pessanha difficult challenges in the past. And Tayane Porfirio will return to BJJ Stars after securing a rare win over Pessanha in her last appearance on the São Paulo stage.

This is a great chance for young black belts like Tamiris Silva to break through as well, given their inclusion with such proven forces.

The event will also feature six super fights on the card that include some of the best professional grapplers in modern jiu-jitsu. 2023 IBJJF World Champions Jansen Gomes and Gustavo Batista will face off at medium heavyweight, and featherweight champion Samuel Nagai will also be taking on 2022 ADCC World Champion Diogo Reis.