Beatriz “Bia” Mesquita

Beatriz Mesquita was born on April 7, 1991, and started Jiu-Jitsu at age 5 alongside her brother, who quit a year later. She kept going, even after the family moved to Saquarema, a beach town in Rio de Janeiro state, where she began training with Luis Fernando. She also did judo and swimming, always competing.

It was her coach in Saquarema who suggested she go to Tijuca, in the city of Rio, to train with Leticia Ribeiro at Gracie Humaitá. Bia won the Worlds three times at the colored belts, from 2007 to 2009, and got her black belt from Leticia.

At black belt she won the IBJJF World Championship for the first time in 2012 and reached ten golds by 2021, taking both her weight class and the open class in 2013 and 2014. The 2013 open class title came to her after Gabi Garcia’s results at that tournament were disqualified. She was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2022.