Elizabeth Mitrovic

Elizabeth Katherine Mitrovic was born in October 1990 in Upland, California, the youngest of three sisters. Her family later relocated to Hesperia in the High Desert region, where she spent her teenage years and first discovered her competitive drive. In high school, she channeled that drive into track and field — competing in the hurdles, shotput, and discus — while also running cross country during the off-season. Four seasons of multi-event athletics built the physical foundation and work ethic she would carry throughout her athletic career.

At university, where she pursued a Science degree with a focus on Entomology, Mitrovic sought a new competitive outlet. A friend's introduction to Hapkido ignited an immediate passion for martial arts. Rather than settling at the surface level, she explored a range of traditional disciplines before committing fully to Hapkido and climbing steadily through its ranks. In March 2013, she earned her Hapkido black belt — a milestone that validated years of disciplined effort and instilled the goal-oriented mindset she would bring directly into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Armed with a Hapkido black belt and an appetite for new challenges, Mitrovic discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through a friend and took her first steps on the mats in February 2014. She began training at Urijah Faber's Ultimate Fitness — home of Team Alpha Male in the Sacramento area — under the instruction of coach Dustin Akbari. Just three months into training, she entered her first local tournament. With no female competitors available, she faced men in no-gi, losing that bracket before taking gold in the gi division against a teammate. That early taste of competition accelerated her commitment, and by July 2014 she had earned her blue belt.

Setbacks and Breakthroughs

Her first steps on the IBJJF circuit as a blue belt proved difficult, and Mitrovic made the deliberate choice to step back from competition and sharpen her game. The recalibration paid dividends. She returned to the competitive stage at purple belt for the 2015 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship and claimed her first world title — a result that announced her as a serious force in the sport. The victory came at a price: a severe knee injury sustained in the open weight class at the same event raised real questions about the future of her competitive career.

The Road to Black Belt

Mitrovic's resilience shaped everything that followed. She remained under Dustin Akbari's guidance across every belt level, eventually joining the coaching staff at Ultimate Fitness while continuing to train and compete. It was during this period that she developed meaningful training partnerships with MMA athlete Sara McMann and her husband, BJJ black belt Chad Bingham. On March 27, 2019, Dustin Akbari promoted Mitrovic to black belt — making her his first female black belt — a recognition of sustained, purposeful development on and off the mat.

In March 2020, Mitrovic shifted her training base to Precision Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Citrus Heights, California, the gym operated by Sara McMann and Chad Bingham. The move introduced fresh perspectives and key connections, most notably with Rafael Rosendo, Bingham's coach at Alliance in Greenville, whose influence contributed meaningfully to her continued evolution as a black belt competitor.

Masters and Open Belt Dominance

The results at the highest levels of competition followed. Mitrovic built an authoritative masters record, capturing back-to-back IBJJF Masters World Championship titles in 2022 and 2023. At the open black belt level, her no-gi game reached its peak with a gold medal at the 2023 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship — one of the most prestigious titles in submission grappling. That same year, she added the 2023 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship and the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi title, completing a dominant sweep of the major no-gi circuit events.

Her trajectory extended further when she qualified for ADCC 2024 through the North America Trials, earning her place among the global elite of submission grappling. Mitrovic competes in the Meio-Pesado division at 74 kg / 163 lbs.

Mitrovic's investment in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has never been confined to her own performance. While still competing as a colored belt, she joined the coaching staff at Team Alpha Male's Ultimate Fitness, balancing a working career alongside the demands of training and teaching. That dual identity — high-level competitor and active coach — became a defining thread running through her involvement in the sport.

After transitioning to Precision Jiu-Jitsu Academy, she continued contributing to the gym's competitive program, applying the perspective accumulated across more than a decade on the mats. Her trajectory — from a late starter with roots in Hapkido and track and field to a world champion and black belt instructor — reflects a broader commitment to advancing women's BJJ and demonstrating what sustained effort, intelligent coaching, and measured resilience can produce.