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Everything You Need To Know About The Brown Belts Before IBJJF Worlds

Who are the biggest and best brown belt prospects heading into the 2025 IBJJF World Championships? The Atos Dream Team, Sarah Galvão, Helena Crevar, & More

May 23, 2025 by Joe Gilpin

Everything You Need To Know About The Brown Belts Before IBJJF Worlds

The IBJJF Worlds is less than one week away and there is a bigger buzz than any year before around the brown belts, and for good reason. This year's crop has a special quality with a lot of competitors who seem primed to excel at black belt in the near future. After years at colored belt, this will be the final tournament for some before the highest levels. So who should you watch out for?

For each of the athletes we focus on, we are going to give a stylistic comparison so fans can better understand how these up-and-coming stars fight. These comparisons are not career predictions or saying that one athlete will do what another did, just that their styles of jiu-jitsu have something in common.

The Biggest Story

The Atos women's colored belts have developed into 'The Dream Team', a squad that has been winning team trophies throughout the season with a dedicated crew of exciting young athletes. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is the most exciting young squad in BJJ since those early days of the DDS boys in the blue basement. Those are big shoes to fill, but I think they can meet and even exceed that bar.

The team includes colored belt champions like Sarah Galvão, Lillian Marchand, Emily Leyva, Alex Herse, Bia Alves, Leticia Teixiera, and more. Their points were enough to win the women's team trophy at Pans and Brasileiros and that's the goal here - first place as a team before the brown belts like Sarah and Lillian graduate.

I think the field will be so tough at Worlds that it will take multiple gold medals from the brown belts. Every match matters and not just for these girls' individual hopes; they're fighting for the team's chances as a small squad to push to to the top.

Athletes To Watch

Sarah Galvão

Sarah has been the main character of the brown belt divisions this year, and rightfully so. She came into the year with sky high expectations and pressure but she has handled all that admirably. She won double gold at Euros to start things strong but the first major test came at Pans when she faced off with Helena Crevar in the open class. It was a titanic clash, maybe the biggest brown belt match since the Ruotolos faced off against each other, and it was Sarah coming out with the win there by points. She showed incredible passing, especially that classic Galvão stack. Unfortunately, after the emotion and effort in that match it was too much to keep going and she fell in her next match to Luane Correia - Sarah's first loss at colored belt (Raniele Alencar would go on to win the open there). Sarah would bounce back at Brasileiros though, including scoring a win over the girl who beat her. She's had a truly epic run through brown belt and now she has a chance to finish things off in style. The expectation is double gold, and if we have learned anything about Sarah Galvão it is that she can manage expectations and deliver something extraordinary.

Stylistic Comp - Andre Galvão

Mateo Cardona

Mateo has been unstoppable this year at brown belt, and for those who followed him at blue and purple that is no surprise. Since moving to Costa Mesa to join AOJ a few years ago, his already strong game has become genuinely world class and there's good reason to believe he could be a threat at the black belt level to medal if he were in that division already. He's very strong and very fluid, using a systematic open guard with a lot of X guard mixed in to get on top, where he chases the back or uses the over under very well. He won with all submissions through Euros and Pans and the stage is set for another dominant performance at Worlds.

Stylistic Comp - Tainan Dalpra/Murilo Santana

Helena Crevar

Helena has had a short season, only doing Pans, but she's still certainly one of the most impressive athletes in the field and one of the best American gi prospects at any weight or belt. Helena won Pans, scoring a win over the very tough Agatha Fernandes, but then ran into Sarah in the open class. Really that match was the most human that Helena has looked. I think everyone wants to see that rematch but first there's another awesome match likely happening first. Helena is in the same division as Lillian Marchand, who has won all the majors at middle so far this year. That's a must see division matchup before we worry about the open. For a gi comparison for Helena, I went with Victor Hugo because they are both guard players who are very mobile and have a really wide array of submissions in their arsenal - including leg locks.

Stylistic Comp - Victor Hugo

Lillian Marchand

Lillian Marchand is still so under-the-radar for someone so good. She's very strong, very tough, and has submissions from everywhere that makes her a genuine danger at all times on the mats. She's won all the majors so far this year but has had some close calls. She's got Helena waiting for her in her bracket. I am really excited to see what Lillian can do at the black belt middleweight level too, especially since that division is so in flux at the moment. Fun fact - Lillian is of 100% native ancestry, from the Okanagan Indian band in Canada. For a stylistic comp, I just had to go with BSM for this, she's a Canadian who is attacking submissions from everywhere and makes great use of lapels.

Stylistic Comp - Brianna Ste-Marie

José Steve

I've been calling this guy "The Iceman" because he is always cool under pressure and has a great ability to summon up a late score when he needs one. The Belgium-born DreamArt brown belt won Europeans and Brasileiros, but his cagey style bit him at Pans when a video review after time ran out gave the win to his opponent. If I had to compare his style to anyone, and this is not to compare careers, but he there is some Leandro Lo in there - but with more submissions off his back whereas Lo was more of a wrestle up guy. Both use those same spider guard/DLR variations, passing based as much on timing as technique, and a flair for the dramatic.

Stylistic Comp - Leandro Lo

Eduardo Alves

Eduardo Alves is a menace on the mats, he's been someone who wasn't as much on my radar before this year but now I am all in on as a black belt prospect in the near-future. This Alliance rep is a relentless back attacker from top or bottom and is very good at finishing once he gets there. He's a medium-heavyweight who has a really tough bracket - including Marlon Tajik and Danilo Wryck. Still, he's gonna be the favorite coming in and with open class close outs at Pans and Brasileiros (after winning the division), he has real potential for double gold in the Pyramid.

Stylistic Comp - Felipe Pena

Ashlee Funegra

Ashlee has had a quietly dominant year, with few competitive matches as she racked up gold at Euros, Pans, and Brasileiros. She was closing out those brackets with her sister Mia, but Mia has since registered as a black belt. This gives Ashlee a great chance to navigate the bracket on her own and hopefully get an even greater challenge in what will likely be her final tournament as a colored belt (maybe the Asian championships, which she's also signed up for). Her style is classic Mendes Brothers, berimbolos and leg drags, which is no surprise considering she has been an AOJ disciple for some time.

Stylistic Comp - Mendes Brothers

Guilherme Avelino

Guilherme Avelino is probably my favorite brown belt ultra-heavy since Victor Hugo in 2019. He's on pace for the grand slam in his weight and added on absolute close outs in Pans and Brasileiros. He is a mammoth grappler but has a speed and fluidity to his movements that really sets him apart. He can throw and use his judo but he does not mind pulling and sweeping. Once he gets on top, that size and muscle is put to good use and he smashes these guys on his way to dominant wins.

Stylistic Comp - Marcus Scooby

Grand Slam Watch

There are four brown belts heading into Worlds who have won Euros, Pans, and Brasileiros in 2025.

Ashlee Funegra
Sarah Galvão
Lillian Marchand
Guilherme Avelino

How To Watch IBJJF Worlds 2025

Every match of the 2025 IBJJF Worlds will be streamed live on FloGrappling and the FloSports App.

Archives of each match, highlights, news and more will be available on FloWrestling for all FloSports & FloGrappling subscribers.

Have You Heard Of The IBJJF Grand Slam?

The IBJJF Grand Slam is a collection of four major gi tournaments throughout the season.

Here’s the schedule for those events:

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