Chloe McNally

Chloé McNally was born and raised in California's San Francisco Bay Area, where sport became a defining feature of her upbringing from an early age. Equestrian activities dominated the first chapter of her athletic life, as McNally dedicated 12 years to competitive riding with a specialization in Eventing — a demanding multi-discipline format that tests horse and rider across dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Her commitment to the discipline earned her a place at the AAU's Junior Olympic Games, the highest honor available at the junior level.

Her equestrian schedule was relentless, requiring biweekly travel for competitions, yet McNally still carved out time to earn a spot on her high school's basketball team. A natural curiosity about martial arts lingered throughout those years, though the demands of her packed calendar left little room to explore it — the sole exception being a brief encounter with Kempo karate at the age of seven.

It was only after McNally relocated to New York City to pursue her university studies that her schedule finally opened up enough to satisfy that long-held curiosity. She joined a local martial arts gym and began training Muay Thai and Jeet Kune Do, laying the early foundation for a deeper commitment to the combat sports world that would soon follow.

Chloé McNally's introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came in 2014 through a friend in New York who persuaded her to try a class. In a 2020 interview with Unity JJ's YouTube channel, McNally described that first experience as "uncomfortable," yet she recognized that the benefits of training outweighed the initial emotional barrier and chose to keep returning to the mats. That willingness to push through discomfort proved to be the cornerstone of a serious competitive career.

McNally began her BJJ training at Anderson Martial Arts in New York City, where her competitive instincts began to take shape. As she grew more immersed in the local tournament scene, she sought an environment more oriented toward sport competition, which led her to Clockwork Jiu-Jitsu in NYC, run by Josh Griffiths. It was there that she earned her blue belt and developed the competitive focus that would come to define her career.

While still a blue belt, McNally attended her first class with coach Murilo Santana at Unity Jiu-Jitsu. The technical craftsmanship and the training environment Santana had cultivated immediately resonated with her, and in 2016 she made the move to the renowned New York gym. Under Santana's instruction, McNally earned every subsequent belt promotion. On May 22, 2021 — roughly seven years after first stepping onto the mats — she received her black belt in a formal ceremony, the culmination of a journey built on consistency, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of growth.

Blue and Purple Belt Dominance

Chloé McNally established herself as one of the most accomplished competitors of her generation across the colored belt ranks, building a résumé that spans both gi and no-gi formats at major international events. Her breakthrough on the global stage came in 2017 when, competing as a blue belt, she claimed gold at the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi — a title that announced her as an elite competitor at an early stage of her development. That same year she reached the finals of the IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi and the podium at the IBJJF World Championship in the gi, underscoring her versatility across formats.

McNally maintained her upward trajectory through the purple belt ranks, winning the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2018 before claiming gold at the prestigious 2019 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship. At brown belt, she added an international no-gi title with victory at the 2019 IBJJF European Open No-Gi and remained a consistent finalist at the Pan Championship and other major tournaments.

Black Belt Debut and Beyond

After receiving her black belt in May 2021, McNally wasted little time testing herself against the sport's elite. Later that year she secured a bronze medal at the IBJJF World Championship, marking a strong debut at the highest level of competition. The 2022 season brought her even closer to the top of the black belt podium, as McNally reached the finals of both the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals and the 2022 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, earning silver medals at both events and cementing her standing as a leading figure in the Meio-Pesado division (74 kg / 163.1 lb).

Representing the United States under the banner of Unity Jiu-Jitsu, McNally's career trajectory reflects the combination of athletic pedigree, disciplined training, and competitive tenacity that has characterized her journey from the very beginning.