Janaina Lebre has once again been called up to compete at the IBJJF Crown. Photo: @risecorestudio | @johnatha
Few women in jiu-jitsu have won as much over the last two years as Janaína Lebre. In 2025, the Brazilian won the Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds. That completed the IBJJF grand slam, the four biggest tournaments of the season, at lightweight. In 2026, she was back on top of the podium in Long Beach and became a two-time black belt world champion. Even so, her name rarely gets the same spotlight as other stars in the division.
In an exclusive interview with VF Comunica, Janaína was asked if she feels she gets the same attention as other athletes with similar results. Her answer shows that recognition was never at the center of her career.
“Being seen or getting more attention was never my goal. If it comes, great, but that’s not what drives me,” Janaína Lebre told VF Comunica.
Janaína Lebre’s results at the top of the lightweight division
The question makes sense when you look at her recent record. Besides the 2025 grand slam, Janaína won her 2026 world title with two straight ankle lock submissions, in the quarterfinal and the semifinal. She then won the final by referee decision after a 0-0 tie.
Before that, she had already made history in 2022, when she won the first IBJJF women’s Grand Prix, in Austin, Texas, beating Luiza Monteiro and Anna Rodrigues. At the time, she came in as the least hyped athlete in the bracket, the only one without multiple world titles. She left as the champion.
Now also a coach, Janaína says the feedback she values most comes from inside the gym.
“Honestly, I don’t worry much about that. What really matters to me is that my students can look at me, see my journey and be inspired,” Janaína says.
Janaina Lebre celebrates her win over Sabrina Gondim in the 2024 Pan final. Photo: @lunivers.athletics
From handball in Ceará to the top of the world
The journey Janaína wants to leave as an example started far from the big cities. She was born on December 14, 1995, in Eusébio, in the state of Ceará in northeastern Brazil. As a teenager she played handball in regional leagues. Then she found jiu-jitsu and felt at home on the mats from her first classes.
As a black belt, she represented Gracie Humaitá, trained at Art of Jiu-Jitsu starting in 2024 and competed for Alliance at the 2026 Worlds. Along the way, she took several silver medals at Worlds before finally winning the title. That long climb is exactly what she hopes will inspire people who are just starting out.
“I also want the new generation to be able to look and think: It’s possible to get there, it’s possible to build a career in jiu-jitsu and keep improving for many years,” Janaína Lebre told VF Comunica.
The rivalry with Sarah Galvão
No one has challenged Janaína’s reign as much as Sarah Galvão. The young Atos black belt beat the Brazilian in the 2025 Crown final. She did it again in the lightweight final of the 2026 Pans in Kissimmee, Florida, by referee decision. It was a passer-versus-guard-player match: Sarah pressured from the top, and Janaína controlled the action with the lapel.
Payback came in the Worlds final in Long Beach. Janaína’s win, again decided by the referees, gave her a second world title and ended Sarah’s run at the grand slam for the season. Asked what changed from their earlier matches, Janaína explained:
“That made a big difference. I was able to take away some of the situations she likes to create and, at the same time, I was able to play more of my own game. I think that’s what changed the result,” Janaína Lebre told VF Comunica.
The target at the 2026 Crown
Now Janaína turns her attention to the one big title still missing from her career. She has been in the lightweight bracket at all three editions of the Crown and reached the last two finals, losing to Brianna Ste-Marie in 2024 and to Sarah Galvão in 2025.
This year, she comes in as the athlete to beat, at least according to one of her rivals. In an interview with VF Comunica, Ághata Rabelo named Janaína as the woman to beat in the division. The interesting part is that Ághata has already beaten Sarah Galvão twice at IBJJF events.
The Crown takes place on November 8 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California, and will stream on FloGrappling. Each division champion takes home $20,000. Besides Janaína and Ághata, the women’s lightweight bracket already has Nikolett Kis, Eliza Nascimento and Elisabeth Clay confirmed.
In 2024, VF Comunica spoke with Janaína right after her Pan title. Read that interview (in Portuguese).
