Brenda Larissa

Brenda Larissa was born on February 9, 1999, in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Jiu-jitsu occupies a deeply embedded role in Brazilian culture, with thousands of community programs across the country using grappling as a vehicle to positively engage children from low-income backgrounds. It was through one such initiative that Larissa first stepped onto the mats at the age of 10, beginning what would become an extraordinary competitive career.

Under the early guidance of Melqui Galvão, one of the most respected talent developers in the Manaus grappling scene, Larissa progressed rapidly through the local youth tournament circuit. Her consistent performances earned her formal competitor status within Galvão's program and secured a place in his athlete sponsorship structure — a recognition of the exceptional promise she demonstrated from a young age. Galvão's gym would go on to produce a remarkable concentration of elite talent, including Fabricio Andrey, Diogo Reis, and Mica Galvão, placing Larissa among a generation of Manaus-bred prospects who would leave a significant mark on international competition.

In 2016, Larissa began training full-time with her sights set on competing at the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in California. When her United States visa application was denied, that path was abruptly closed. Rather than allow the setback to derail her momentum, Larissa redirected her focus to the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals — and the results were extraordinary. Competing at rooster-weight, she captured both her weight class and the absolute division, a dual-title performance that showcased remarkable competitive maturity and physical capability for an athlete of her age. She also claimed gold at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Juvenile in 2016 at blue belt, further cementing her standing as one of the most promising young athletes in the country.

The following year, her visa application was approved, and Larissa made her long-awaited debut on the international stage. The occasion could not have gone better: she won the IBJJF World Championship in the blue belt division in 2017, immediately announcing herself to the global BJJ community. The performance drew the attention of senior management at Alliance, widely regarded as the most decorated academy in the history of the sport. Recognizing the full scope of her talent, Alliance extended Larissa a full scholarship to train and compete at its headquarters in São Paulo. She accepted, relocating from Manaus as a purple belt in 2017.

At Alliance Matriz — the team's São Paulo headquarters — Larissa trained under a coaching staff of rare distinction: Michael Langhi, Fábio Gurgel, and Fernando Andrade Reis, three figures who collectively represent some of the deepest competitive and instructional experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The environment proved transformative.

In 2018, Larissa claimed the IBJJF World Championship at purple belt, making her a back-to-back world champion across consecutive belt levels. She simultaneously constructed one of the most complete colored belt résumés of her generation, winning the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals at blue belt (2017), purple belt (2018), and brown belt (2019) — a three-consecutive-division sweep of the national title that stands as a rare and significant accomplishment. Her 2019 brown belt season alone included the IBJJF South American Championship, multiple AJP Grand Slam victories, wins at the AJP Abu Dhabi Pro, and gold at multiple IBJJF São Paulo and Curitiba BJJ Pro events.

Approximately two years after arriving in São Paulo, that developmental chapter reached its formal conclusion. In December 2019, Fábio Gurgel promoted Larissa to black belt — his 135th promotion to that rank — a milestone that placed her within one of the most historically significant lineages in the sport.

AJP Circuit Dominance

Larissa's black belt career established her as one of the most consistent competitors across both the AJP and IBJJF circuits. On the AJP side, she became a dominant presence at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, winning the event in 2021, the 2021+ edition, and again in 2022. She added the AJP South American Continental Pro title in 2021 and accumulated multiple AJP Grand Slam victories — claiming gold in Rio de Janeiro (2020 and 2022), London (2020), and Miami (2022) — before winning the UAEJJF Grand Slam Los Angeles in 2023.

IBJJF Circuit and Domestic Success

On the IBJJF circuit, Larissa proved equally competitive. She reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship Open in 2022, finishing as runner-up, and claimed 3rd place at the IBJJF World Championship in 2021. A 2nd-place finish at the IBJJF European Open followed in 2023. Domestically, she won back-to-back CBJJ Brazilian Nationals titles at black belt in 2022 and 2023, reaffirming a pattern of national dominance that had defined her career since the juvenile divisions.

Return to Manaus

In 2021, Larissa returned to Manaus and to Melqui Galvão's training center. During that period, Galvão's academy became an affiliate of Fight Sports, the Miami-based organization, which meant Larissa represented that team on the international circuit alongside her continued involvement with Alliance.

In August 2023, after years of association with the coach who had first introduced her to competitive jiu-jitsu, Larissa ended her relationship with Melqui Galvão in what was described as a contentious split. The departure was not an isolated one: leaving alongside Larissa were Fabricio Andrey — her husband and one of the most prominent competitive figures produced by Galvão's program — and teammate Luiz Paulo. The simultaneous exit of multiple high-profile athletes represented a significant restructuring within Galvão's Manaus-based operation, a gym that had also launched the careers of Diogo Reis and Mica Galvão.

Following the split, Larissa returned to Alliance Matriz in São Paulo, reconnecting with the academy where she had developed through the colored belt ranks and received her black belt promotion. Based in São Paulo and training at Alliance headquarters, Larissa continues to pursue her competitive career at the highest levels of the sport.