Catherine Perret

Catherine Fuhro Perret was born on September 11, 1990, in Rio Grande, a coastal city in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. At age 6, her family relocated to Chapecó, in the state of Santa Catarina, where she spent the majority of her formative years. Unlike many elite competitors who begin training in childhood, Catherine did not step onto the mats until she was 18 — a late start that makes her subsequent rise to the top of international competition all the more remarkable.

Her introduction to Brazilian jiu-jitsu came under Ronilson Silva, who built her foundational understanding of the art and awarded her the blue belt. That early grounding, developed far from Brazil's major training hubs, proved strong enough to fuel an ambition that would soon carry her well beyond Chapecó. Recognizing the ceiling on her development in the south, Catherine made the defining decision to relocate to Rio de Janeiro — a move that signaled the seriousness of her competitive aspirations from the outset.

Building a Foundation at Fightzone

Catherine's move to Rio de Janeiro brought her to Fightzone Academy, where she began training under Ricardo Vieira, a prominent figure within the Checkmat organization. Under his guidance, she received both her purple and brown belts, advancing through the ranks in one of Brazil's most demanding training environments. Her steady progression under Ricardo Vieira reflected not only technical growth but also a proven ability to thrive under elite instruction.

International Expansion and Decorated Brown Belt Campaign

In May 2016, Catherine traveled to the United States to compete in the IBJJF World Championship, marking a significant step onto the international stage. During her time stateside, she was invited to lead the kids' program at Marcelo Mafra's gym — an early signal of her credentials as an instructor, alongside her identity as a competitor. The brown belt phase proved to be among the most productive of her career, culminating in World and Pans titles in 2017 that established her as one of the most decorated brown belts of her generation.

Black Belt Promotion

On June 27, 2017, Leonardo Vieira awarded Catherine her black belt, completing a journey through the Checkmat system shaped by two of the organization's most respected coaches. Her development under both Ricardo Vieira, Leonardo Vieira reflects the depth of her integration into the Checkmat lineage and the consistency of high-level mentorship that defined her path from blue to black belt.

Defining Technical Identity

Catherine Perret has built her reputation as one of the standout competitors of her generation in the Peso Leve division (64 kg / 141.5 lbs), with her guard passing widely regarded as her defining technical attribute. In a weight class populated by guard-centric athletes, her ability to systematically dismantle and pass guards has positioned her as a pressure-oriented, top-game specialist — a profile that has served her well across multiple rulesets and formats.

Nicknamed "Ca-cá," her competitive identity centers on technical precision and structural control rather than reliance on a single high-percentage submission. This methodical approach demands that opponents contend with sustained pressure and positional attrition, forcing errors that her passing sequences are designed to exploit.

Versatility Across Rulesets

Her success extended beyond the gi, where her brown belt campaign produced World and Pans championships in 2017, into no-gi competition — a format that typically challenges top players who rely on grip-based control. Gold at the 2018 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, combined with back-to-back Pans No-Gi titles in 2017 and 2018, demonstrates a technical adaptability that transcends any single specialized game.

Winning the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship in 2018 at the black belt level validated her guard passing system against the world's best and confirmed her place among the elite of her generation within the Checkmat organization and the broader Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.