Ge

Gezary Matuda ended the 2016 light-featherweight world final with a choke on Kristina Barlaan and took back the title she had lost the year before, on advantages, to Japan’s Rikako Yuasa. It was her third black belt gold, after 2013 and 2014, all for American Top Team.

Born on July 12, 1983, in Curitiba, she did capoeira at 15 and Muay Thai at 17 and found Jiu-Jitsu in 2004 through her Muay Thai coach. Carlos Alexandre Conceição, known as Penão, a Carlson Gracie black belt, took her from white to purple belt. She then moved to the United States to train under Ricardo Libório at ATT in Coconut Creek, Florida. A world champion at purple belt in 2010 and at brown belt in 2012, she received her black belt in July 2012.

At black belt she also won Pans in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and the 2017 Europeans. Outside IBJJF events, she caught Michelle Nicolini with a flying armbar in 15 seconds at Polaris 2 in 2015 and armbarred Chelsea Leah at Metamoris. After the 2016 title she took silver at the 2017 Worlds, losing the final to Talita Alencar, and bronze in 2018 and 2019.

In 2017 she helped Anderson Silva with his ground game for his UFC fight against Derek Brunson. In March 2019 she lost to Ffion Davies at Polaris 9 by arm-triangle choke, and that May she reached the Worlds podium for the last time.