Eloisa Souto

Eloisa Souto was born on January 29, 1988, in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — a city that would become closely associated with her rise through the ranks of competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu. From an early age, she demonstrated a natural affinity for athletic pursuits, competing in horse riding and participating in tennis and indoor swimming. This broad sporting background instilled the discipline and body awareness that would later serve her well on the mats.

In 2005, at the age of 17, Souto took her first steps in jiu-jitsu, beginning her training at a gym called Octógono under coach Rolando Touro. She made the decision to start training alongside her brother Luis Felipe, and the two embarked on their journeys in the sport together — a shared commitment that shaped Eloisa's early development as a martial artist.

As a blue belt, Souto made a pivotal transition, moving her training to Nova União in Macaé under the guidance of Master Cláudio Joanino. The move placed her within one of Brazil's most accomplished competitive teams and under a coach who would guide her all the way to black belt — a defining chapter in her career.

Colored Belt Excellence

Her progression through the colored belt ranks was marked by consistent excellence on the competition circuit. At purple belt, she captured back-to-back CBJJ Brazilian National titles in 2013 and 2014, establishing herself as a dominant force at the national level. She carried that momentum into her brown belt campaign, adding a third Brazilian National title at the 2015 CBJJ Nationals. Across these years, Souto built a reputation as one of the most technically refined and competitive female athletes of her generation in the Peso Pena division.

In July 2016, following more than a decade of dedicated training, Master Cláudio Joanino promoted Souto to black belt — a milestone that recognized both her competitive achievements and her depth of understanding of the art.

Eloisa Souto competed throughout her career in the Peso Pena division (58.5 kg / 129 lbs), a weight class in which she became one of the most formidable figures on the international circuit. Her brown belt years represented the peak of her colored belt campaign, combining domestic dominance with deep runs at the sport's most prestigious events.

2015: Domestic Titles and a World Final

In 2015, Souto claimed gold at both the IBJJF Rio Winter International Open and the IBJJF Rio Fall International Open, demonstrating her consistency across different competitive formats throughout the year. That same year, she advanced all the way to the final of the IBJJF World Championship in the brown belt Peso Pena division, finishing as runner-up in one of the sport's most competitive events.

2016: Back-to-Back World Finals

Souto returned to the 2016 IBJJF World Championship with clear ambitions of going one step further. Competing again as a brown belt in the Peso Pena division, she reached the final for the second consecutive year, where she faced Danielle Alvarez. Despite falling short in the championship match, her runner-up finish confirmed her standing as one of the elite competitors in her division on the global stage. Earlier that same year, she had claimed the IBJJF São Paulo International Open title, reinforcing her ability to perform across multiple competitive platforms.

Her consecutive appearances in the World Championship final at brown belt — a feat achieved by very few competitors — cemented Eloisa Souto's legacy as one of the standout female competitors of her era in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.