Jonathan “Johnny” Anderson

Jonathan Mariano Anderson, known as Johnny, competes for Gracie Barra Upland, in California, and trains under coaches Ana Laura Cordeiro and Tinoco. Two years in a row, he won the IBJJF Europeans, Pans and Brazilian Nationals at blue belt, first as a juvenile and then as an adult.

In 2025, in Juvenile 2, he won all three tournaments at featherweight and reached the Worlds finals in his weight and the light open class, taking silver in both. That year, he was already on VF Comunica’s list of juveniles to watch at Worlds.

In 2026, now an adult, he repeated the titles at the Europeans, the Pans and the Brazilian Nationals, at light featherweight. At the Pans, he had four matches and four submissions: paper cutter, triangle, foot lock and tarikoplata. “I’m surrounded by incredible people and feel blessed to be on this journey with them,” he wrote after the title.

Promoted to purple belt, he won the IBJJF American Nationals, gi and no-gi, and, in October, the No-Gi Pans, all at featherweight.

Jonathan is on VF Comunica’s list of 10 Jiu-Jitsu talents who could blow up in 2027.