Luciana “Luka” Dias

Luciana “Luka” Dias reached three Worlds finals after turning 40. In 2007, at 44, she fought for the middleweight title and the open class title on the same weekend. In 2009, at 46, she was back in a final, this time at heavyweight. She took silver in all three, against Emily Kwok, Michelle Nicolini and Lana Stefanac, and also made the podium with bronze medals in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Born in Rio and raised in Teresópolis, in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state, she wanted to do judo as a child but was not allowed to at home. She only started training in college, studying physical education in the mid-1980s, first in judo and, in 1987, in Jiu-Jitsu, at Master Bitta’s academy in Teresópolis. After graduating she moved to the United States to study English, spent time in Florida and got back on the mat in California with the Machado brothers, where she earned her purple belt in 1998.

In 1999 she moved to Arizona to teach kids’ classes at Wellington “Megaton” Dias’s academy in Phoenix. The two married, and she began competing for Gracie Humaitá. Her black belt came in 2003, awarded by Megaton and Royler Gracie on the Pans podium. Before that, when purple, brown and black belts competed together in the women’s divisions, she had already won the Pans and taken bronze at the Worlds, both in 2001. In 2014 she added a World Master title.

Away from competition, her work with children left a mark. Her students included her stepdaughter Mackenzie Dern, Megaton’s daughter, who trained with her from age six to 13 and later became a Jiu-Jitsu and ADCC world champion. Luciana has coached at the family academy in Phoenix since 1999.