Erika Machado

Erika Machado was born in May 1996 in São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil — a northeastern state with a growing but historically underrepresented presence in high-level grappling. As a youth, Machado channeled her athletic energy into football (soccer), competing for her school team with little indication that martial arts would ever enter the picture. That changed when she encountered jiu-jitsu, a discipline that stood apart for its dual identity as both a practical self-defense system and a fiercely competitive sport. The combination proved compelling enough to pull Machado away from the football pitch and onto the mats for good.

She began training BJJ at age 17 under coach Ivan Lima at Nova União – Aracaju, the Sergipe affiliate of the storied Nova União organization. From the outset, Machado's competitive drive far outpaced her experience. Just three months into her grappling career, she entered her first tournament — a remarkably short runway that signaled both her readiness to perform under pressure and her commitment to accelerating her development through competition.

Building the Foundation Under Ivan Lima

Ivan Lima guided Machado through the foundational stages of her BJJ journey, taking her from white belt through purple belt at Nova União – Aracaju. When Lima relocated to the United Arab Emirates around the time of her purple belt promotion, Machado faced the challenge of continuing her development without her longtime instructor. She responded decisively, joining Arka and placing herself under the guidance of coach Wagner Oliveira.

Brown Belt Dominance and Black Belt Promotion

The transition proved seamless in terms of competitive output. Training under Wagner Oliveira in Sergipe, Machado also represented Vision at major IBJJF events during this period — an arrangement that granted her access to the sport's most prominent stages while preserving the stability of her home training environment.

The brown belt years became the most decorated chapter of her colored belt career. She claimed gold at the 2024 IBJJF European Championship, silver at the 2024 IBJJF World Championship and at the 2023 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, and bronze at the 2023 IBJJF World Championship, the 2023 IBJJF European Championship, and the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals — a body of work that established her as one of the most consistent performers in her division on the international circuit.

On August 24, 2024, Wagner Oliveira promoted Machado to black belt, formally recognizing a colored belt career defined by podium finishes at nearly every major event she entered.

Consistency in the Peso Galo Division

Erika Machado built her reputation as a medal contender in the Peso Galo division (48.5 kg / 107.0 lbs), one of the most fiercely contested weight classes in women's competitive jiu-jitsu. Her brown belt campaign across the IBJJF circuit reflected both an ability to perform in high-stakes environments and a rare consistency that separated her from the field.

The peak of her colored belt career arrived at the 2024 IBJJF European Championship, where she claimed gold and announced herself as a genuine title contender at the sport's highest level. Months later, she reached the final of the 2024 IBJJF World Championship, earning silver in a run that confirmed the European result was no outlier. Her 2023 campaign added further depth to the résumé: silver at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals and bronze medals at the 2023 IBJJF World Championship, the 2023 IBJJF European Championship, and the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals painted the portrait of an athlete who had made the podium a reliable destination.

Expanding Beyond the IBJJF Format

Machado also extended her competitive footprint beyond the IBJJF ruleset. At the AJP Grand Slam in Dallas in 2024, she earned a runner-up finish, demonstrating the versatility to perform across different competition structures. Her career arc — from a teenager who had never considered martial arts to a black belt with a decorated international record — reflects both the depth of grappling development emerging from Brazil's Northeast and the lasting impact of consistent coaching relationships in shaping a competitor's long-term growth.