Leticia Teixeira’s 2026: Nationals gold and a Pans bronze
The Atos black belt, a brown belt world champion in 2025, won American Nationals, took bronze at Pans and reached the Brave Challenge II final
Promoted to black belt at the 2025 IBJJF World Championship in Long Beach, Leticia Teixeira is wrapping up her first full season at the top level. On October 10, the 26-year-old from Rio de Janeiro reached the final of the women’s Grand Prix at Brave Challenge II in Maryland, where she finished as runner-up to Tayane Porfírio.
Earlier in the year, the Atos black belt won heavyweight gold at IBJJF American Nationals in Las Vegas, took bronze at the Pan Championship and lost a split referee decision after a 0-0 match in the quarterfinals at Worlds.
Runner-up at Brave Challenge II
The women’s Grand Prix at Brave Challenge II, held in Gaithersburg, put eight athletes in an open-weight bracket with $1,000 for the winner and a roulette wheel deciding before every match whether it would be gi or no-gi. VF Comunica streamed the event live on YouTube.
Teixeira beat Lívia Afonso 2-0 in the semifinal before meeting the bracket favorite in the final. Porfírio got the win and the belt.
Before the event, Teixeira told VF Comunica the format was a step forward. “I think initiatives like this are very important because they show that women’s jiu-jitsu is being treated more and more professionally,” she said. “The more events invest in women, offering good opportunities, prize money and visibility, the more athletes will be able to see jiu-jitsu as a professional career and not just a sport.”
After the final, she wrote: “Being able to make a living through sports, do what I love, meet incredible people, and experience moments like this is something I never want to take for granted.”
Pans bronze, split decision at Worlds
At the Pan Championship in March, Teixeira beat Karoline Caramori by referee decision in the heavyweight quarterfinals before falling to Maria Malyjasiak in the semis, leaving Florida with bronze.
At Worlds, she dropped to medium-heavy and met Maria Vicentini in the quarterfinals. The match ended 0-0 and went to the referees, who split in Vicentini’s favor. The two have become familiar rivals: Teixeira beat Vicentini in the open class semifinal at 2025 American Nationals, her black belt debut, while Vicentini won both of their meetings in 2026.
Gold in Las Vegas
Weeks later, Teixeira won heavyweight gold at 2026 American Nationals, submitting Christina Hansen with an armbar in the semifinal and edging Greta Notaro on advantages after a 2-2 tie in the final. At No-Gi American Nationals, she reached both finals, submitting Hansen with kneebars in both semifinals, and took silver after losses to Helena Crevar and Beatrice Jin.
At JJ Con, she submitted Denise Krahn with an inside heel hook in the no-gi heavyweight quarterfinals before losing to Nia Blackman in the semis, and reached the gi open class semifinal, where she lost to Maria Vitória Ruffatto.
From the pool to the mats
Born in April 2000 and raised in Bonsucesso, in Rio de Janeiro, Teixeira spent her childhood swimming because of a knee problem. She only started jiu-jitsu at 18, after four surgeries and medical clearance.
“I was very overweight and wanted a new sport that wasn’t swimming, because I swam my whole life because of a knee problem,” she told VF Comunica in November 2025.
She trained at GFTeam under Bruno Guedes, Sergio Perez and Thiago Cidro, later moved to São Paulo to train with Fratres, and in 2025 relocated to San Diego to join Atos HQ, where André and Angélica Galvão promoted her to black belt in June 2025.
A brown belt Grand Slam
As a brown belt, Teixeira completed the IBJJF Grand Slam, winning Pans in 2024 and the Europeans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds in 2025. The world title came after back-to-back bronzes in 2023 and 2024.
“Becoming a world champion was a turning point. I was moving to a new country, full of uncertainty, and that title was proof that all the hard work was worth it,” she told VF Comunica.
When she celebrated the title and her new belt, she wrote: “If you are persistent, you will achieve it. If you are consistent, you will maintain it.”
What’s next
A year ago, Teixeira said her goal was “to establish myself among the best in my division, win major titles and stop relying on side jobs outside of jiu-jitsu.” Today, besides competing, she also coaches kids in the United States.
Her next match is already set: on November 22 she competes in the women’s no-gi open class at Queen of the City in National City, California.
With gold in Las Vegas, IBJJF podiums and a Brave Challenge final in year one, can Leticia Teixeira contend for black belt world gold in 2027? Let us know in the comments.
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