Lillian Marchand

Lillian Marchand won Worlds on her first anniversary as a black belt. On May 31, 2025, she was promoted by André and Angelica Galvão. On May 31, 2026, she won the middleweight final in Long Beach. In between, the Canadian from Atos also won No-Gi Worlds and Pans.

Lillian Jane Marchand was born in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, on July 27, 2006. A member of the Okanagan Indian Band, she started Jiu-Jitsu at age 5 at NOS BJJ under Mario Deveault, after being bullied at school. In June 2026 she was honored by her hometown’s city council.

Her ties to Atos go back a long way. She had been going to the team’s camps in San Diego since she was 9 and, at 15, began splitting her year between Canada and California to train under André and Angelica Galvão. In 2024, still a brown belt, she won the Abu Dhabi World Pro in a bracket that mixed brown and black belts.

Her first major title as a black belt came in no-gi, in December 2025 in Las Vegas. Lillian entered No-Gi Worlds as the lowest seed at lightweight and, in the final, submitted Amanda Bruse with a rear naked choke.

Her 2026 gi season was defined by one opponent. Lillian and Elisabeth Clay faced each other three times, all in finals. At Pans, the Canadian won by armbar. At the Brazilian Nationals, Clay got her back with a toe hold. At Worlds, the match ended 0-0 and was decided by a penalty given to Clay early on for pulling guard. Lillian had entered the tournament as the fourth seed.

In the open class, her run stopped in the same place every time: the quarterfinals against Gabi Pessanha, with losses of 6-0 at Pans, 9-0 at the Brazilian Nationals and 4-0 at Worlds. The IBJJF called the last one her best performance against the Brazilian. In October, back in no-gi, she took bronze at No-Gi Pans, stopped in the semifinal by Jenna Garcia.