Ashlee Funegra

In 2025 the light-featherweight world title went to Mia Funegra. In 2026 it went to Ashlee Funegra. The two are twin sisters, have trained together at AOJ since they were kids and split the road this way: Mia moved up to featherweight in search of a second title, and Ashlee took her place at light-featherweight.

The family also has a younger sister, Natalee, who competes as well. The twins came to Jiu-Jitsu in 2014, in the kids program at Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ), after their father, Michael, started training at the academy. Ashlee was born on November 20, 2006, in Lakewood, California, has competed since January 2015 and was 19 when she won Worlds.

She got her black belt on May 29, 2025, at age 18, from Guilherme Mendes, on the Worlds podium, right after winning light-featherweight at brown belt. A year earlier she had been a purple belt world champion. Her black belt debut came in June 2025 at the Asian Championship in Japan, with gold at featherweight. In December she won No-Gi Worlds, with three submissions and an 11-2 win over Anne Druckrey in the final.

The 2026 Worlds capped a nearly perfect season. Ashlee won Europeans in Lisbon, took silver at Pans, won by teammate Mayssa Bastos, and won the Brazilian Nationals by referee decision against Maria Luiza. In Long Beach she submitted Patricia Fontes, Yasmyn Castro and Andressa Guirau and beat Vitoria Assis 2-0 in the final, with a sweep.

Her unbeaten run as a black belt lasted until September. After Worlds she also won the Asian Championship in July, but she lost for the first time on September 3, 2026, in the Jiu-Jitsu CON semifinal, to Emily Leyva. The match ended 8-8 and was decided on advantages.