Alessandra “Leka” Vieira

Leka Vieira won the 1999 Worlds already as a black belt, in the division that combined purple, brown and black belts, and is remembered as the first female black belt world champion. She added two more titles, in 2002 and 2005, the latter with a win over Kyra Gracie in the lightweight final.

Born on March 14, 1976, in São Pedro dos Ferros, Minas Gerais, she got her nickname as a teenager playing handball. She received her black belt from Aloísio Silva in 1998 and, in 2001, moved to California, where she trained with Rigan Machado. She took silver at the 2000 Worlds, losing the featherweight final to Leticia Ribeiro, and was Pan champion in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

At ADCC 2005 she submitted Roxanne Modafferi and took silver under 60 kg, losing to Kyra Gracie. After that year’s Worlds she stopped competing. She attempted a comeback in 2010, but spine and knee injuries delayed her return.

She promoted Cindy Omatsu, with Rigan Machado, and Kris Shaw, and is credited as the first woman to promote another woman to black belt. She opened CheckMat Valencia in California in 2015 and launched the Wonder Woman BJJ project in 2018. She is a sixth-degree black belt.