Sarah Galvão on her 4-year break and her Crown promise
The defending lightweight champion told VF Comunica she quit jiu-jitsu as a kid because of the pressure of her last name
Sarah Galvão steps into the Pyramid in Long Beach, California, on Sunday (Nov. 8) to defend her women’s lightweight title at The Crown. The 2025 champion from Atos spoke with VF Comunica backstage on Saturday and sent a warning: “I feel really good mentally, and I think this time at The Crown people will see a version of me they’re not ready for.”
Defending the crown, no names in mind
Sarah opens against Giovannah Oliveira. On the same side of the bracket is Ághata Rabelo, who beat Sarah at the American Nationals earlier this year. Still, she says she isn’t thinking about anyone in particular: “Every match is its own match, every tournament is its own tournament. I have to focus on the present.”
“I’ll just do my best, submit everyone if I can, until I get to the final and go home with the crown,” she said.
Four years away from the mats
The daughter of André and Angélica Galvão said the expectations around her name pushed her away from the sport as a kid. “When I was little, no. That’s why I stopped jiu-jitsu for a while,” she said.
“I stopped for four years because so many people were like, ‘Sarah’s going to compete, Sarah’s going to be the next Galvão.’ At 8 years old I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do. I was doing jiu-jitsu because I wanted to spend time with my family.”
She tried other things first. “I quit, played another sport, danced, played piano, did everything, didn’t like any of it, came back to jiu-jitsu, and my first year back I got beat up a lot.”
“Nobody would look at me and say, ‘This girl is going to make the black belt Worlds final,'” she said. Today she sees her parents as her biggest support: “I’m more grateful to have the parents I have. They’ve already been through the career I’m going through now, and they know how to guide me at the right pace.”
A role model at 20
“At only 20 years old, I’m able to inspire not just the new generation, but also the people who were already doing jiu-jitsu before me,” Sarah said.
The full interview is in our Crown vlog on the VF Comunica YouTube channel. VF Comunica’s coverage of The Crown is presented by Kingz.
Read more
Keanna Klay, black belt rookie, takes on Ághata at The Crown
The Crown: what is the IBJJF invitational and how it works
Will Sarah leave Long Beach with a second crown?
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