Gabriel Almada 
Deise Leonanjo was relentless at Pan Nogi 2023 and achieved 100% lethality in the competition. The Double Five athlete scored three straight armlock victories and became the middleweight champion. In the final, Deise used her main weapon to finish Julia Maele in less than three minutes.
Deise has been a member of Jiu-Jitsu’s elite for less than a year, when she was awarded a black belt after becoming brown belt world champion. Rafael Formiga’s pupil has been on a roll in competitions since her return to action. Last month, she won double gold at Jiu-Jitsu Con Nogi and proved the efficiency of her game.
In an interview with VF Comunica, Deise commented on her performance and recalled her difficult start in the elite of Jiu-Jitsu.
“I had an incredible performance, I haven’t had a loss in no-gi competitions since I was a purple belt and I’ve only been improving my Jiu-Jitsu. I managed to impose my game at Pan Nogi and dominated every fight. I’ve only been a black belt for 10 months and, during that time, I had surgery and spent five months away from competition. To win a major title like this in black belt in such a short space of time is really a great achievement and, at the same time, a motivation that makes me believe even more in my potential,” said Deise.
Deise won three fight by submission at Jiu-Jitsu Tournamet
The Double Five representative imposed her Jiu-Jitsu with mastery, but revealed that she had to overcome some adversity to take the title. She said which fight was the most challenging on her way to gold.
“My second fight was the hardest. I felt tired because of the weight cut and my body wasn’t reacting very well when the fight started
“I was feeling a lot of cravings and shortness of breath. I knew it was crucial to be calm and in control in the fight in order to impose my rhythm and not let my opponent have any chances,” said the black belt.
Deise is a competitor hungry for the finish and becomes even more lethal without the gi. She listed the strongest points of her game and mentioned the opponent she would like to face in a grappling match.
“I have a basic and aggressive Jiu-Jitsu. You’ll rarely see me in a tied-up fight, I’m always looking for the finish. I fight forward and never waste an opportunity to take home another arm. I’d like to face Andressa Cintra. She’s one of the biggest references at middleweight and is world champion gi and nogi. I’m sure it would be a very interesting fight,” said Deise.
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