Ericka Almeida

Born on March 5, 1989, in Brazil, Éricka Almeida developed her competitive instincts through basketball and athletics before ever setting foot on a jiu-jitsu mat. The discipline and work ethic she cultivated across those sports would later become the bedrock of her martial arts career.

The turning point came in 2007, when Almeida, then 17 years old, took a job at a gym's reception desk. The role required her to sample every class on the schedule so she could speak knowledgeably with prospective clients — and when she stepped onto the jiu-jitsu mat for the first time, the art captured her in a way nothing else had. Herman Gutierrez coached her from that opening session and remained her guide through every stage of her colored belt progression. Her early results as a white and blue belt hinted at the competitive ceiling she would eventually reach, laying the groundwork for a career that would extend to the highest levels of both grappling and mixed martial arts.

The training environment Almeida entered carried a strong mixed martial arts culture, and that atmosphere gradually redirected her competitive focus toward the cage. She became the first female fighter on her team to compete professionally — a trailblazing distinction that reflected both her courage and her belief in the sport. Building her record through prominent Brazilian promotions, including Jungle Fight, she earned the recognition that would open the door to the sport's most prestigious stage.

In 2015, Almeida competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, reaching the pinnacle of professional MMA. Her path to the UFC — originating from a single jiu-jitsu class in a small gym — represented the culmination of years of focused development, and her presence there as one of the early Brazilian female fighters to reach that level stood as a landmark achievement in its own right.

In November 2017, Herman Gutierrez promoted Éricka Almeida to the rank of black belt, formally recognizing a decade of growth and dedication to the art. The promotion marked the close of one chapter and the opening of another. Almeida made the deliberate choice to step back from MMA and invest in her academic future, pursuing university studies alongside her continued development as a martial artist.

Her relocation to Curitiba brought her to the Gracie Barra academy there, led by Rodrigo Fajardo — one of the most accomplished grappling competitors the region has produced. Training under Fajardo's guidance reignited her appetite for gi competition, and what followed was a striking reinvention. The fighter shaped by years of cage preparation now channeled that same athleticism and competitive instinct into the technical demands of elite gi jiu-jitsu.

Competing under the Gracie Barra banner in Curitiba, Éricka Almeida established herself as one of the most formidable female grapplers of her generation at the black belt level. Under the guidance of Rodrigo Fajardo, her technical game sharpened considerably, and she demonstrated a rare ability to translate high-level MMA experience into grappling excellence.

In 2018, she claimed gold at the IBJJF South American Championship and followed that with a Brazilian Nationals title in the same year — two of the most coveted domestic titles on the IBJJF circuit. She carried that momentum into 2019, winning the 2019 IBJJF Curitiba Open and securing first place at the UAEJJF Brazil National Pro, while also finishing second in a separate division at the same event. That her most decorated stretch as a gi competitor arrived after years away from the format — and on the other side of a full MMA career — made the accomplishments all the more remarkable.

In July 2019, Éricka Almeida publicly filed charges against her former coach Herman Gutierrez, the man who had introduced her to jiu-jitsu and guided her from her very first class through to her black belt promotion. The allegations described an abusive relationship involving both verbal and physical abuse, and the case was referred to federal police in Brazil for investigation.

Almeida's decision to speak publicly drew widespread attention across the Brazilian combat sports community and beyond, casting a sharp light on the power dynamics that can form within long-term coach-athlete relationships in martial arts. Coming forward against a figure so central to her development — someone she had trained under since the age of 17 — demanded considerable courage, and her actions contributed meaningfully to broader conversations about accountability and athlete safety within the sport.