Verona Pesce

Verona Raphaela Pesce completed the IBJJF Grand Slam in 2026 at Juvenile 2 blue belt: she won the Europeans, the Pans, the Brazilian Nationals and the Worlds at featherweight. In Long Beach, she also won the light open class, after taking silver in the open class at the other three tournaments.

She now competes for Telari, in Georgia. During the 2026 season, she also appeared in the results for Atos and for Frazatto Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and when celebrating her titles she thanked coaches including Bruno Frazatto and Roberto Traven.

She was promoted to purple belt right after her world title. At her new rank, she won both her weight and the open class at the IBJJF American Nationals, gi and no-gi, and won the ADCC Youth World Championship. In October, she won the No-Gi Pans at medium-heavyweight and took silver in the open class.

“I was able to end up winning every major championship I participated in, winning a majority of my fights by submission,” she wrote about the season, which she called a Super Grand Slam.

In 2025, still in Juvenile 1, she had already won the light open class at the Europeans and taken silver at Worlds, at featherweight and in the open class.