Gabriela Pereira

Gabriela Pereira was born on May 12, 1999, in Campinas, a municipality in São Paulo State, Brazil — a city that would serve as the backdrop for nearly every stage of her early athletic development. Sports entered her life at age six through her primary school's extracurricular program, which offered students a choice between ballet and judo. Pereira initially chose ballet, but her conduct in class led to her expulsion from the program, redirecting the young Paulista toward judo in an unexpected turn that would prove pivotal.

The redirection was formative. After two years on the judo mat absorbing the discipline of the Japanese throwing art, Pereira transitioned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at a local academy in Campinas. What began as a second-choice activity became the defining pursuit of her athletic life.

Gabriela Pereira's rise through the BJJ ranks reflects a multi-coach development model deeply rooted in the Campinas community. Her formal BJJ education began under Ricardo Oliveira, who guided her through every juvenile belt promotion, instilling the technical foundations and competitive habits that would underpin her later success.

As Pereira advanced, she broadened her training environment by joining the workgroup of César Tozi, expanding her competitive exposure and refining her game at the colored belt level. At purple belt, she transitioned to Carlos Durlin, also based in Campinas, who oversaw the most critical stages of her progression. Durlin awarded her both the brown and black belt ranks, conferring the latter on December 18, 2021 — the culmination of a carefully guided journey spanning multiple mentors and more than a decade of dedicated practice.

Before receiving her black belt, Gabriela Pereira accepted an invitation to attend the Abu Dhabi World Pro training camp in Qatar, joining Vision Jiu-Jitsu Academy — one of the most accomplished and internationally active academies in the region. The camp gave Pereira direct exposure to the elite training environment Vision had built in the Middle East, and the impression was mutual.

Following the camp, Vision extended a full membership offer, which Pereira accepted. The decision carried significant implications for her competitive trajectory: she transitioned from representing Brazil to competing under the Qatari flag on the international stage. The move positioned her within one of the sport's most resourced teams and elevated her profile within the Abu Dhabi-centric competition circuit.

Black Belt Emergence on the AJP Tour

Gabriela Pereira competes in the Peso Pena division (58.50 kg / 129.0 lbs) and has established herself as one of the most consistent performers in her weight class across both the AJP Tour and IBJJF circuits. Her black belt career opened with immediate impact when she claimed gold at the AJP Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi in 2022 — a flagship event on the tour and one of the sport's most prestigious titles. That victory announced her arrival at the highest level of competition.

Pereira's durability across the Grand Slam series has become a defining feature of her black belt tenure. She reached the podium at Grand Slam events in London, Miami, and Tokyo across 2022, 2023, and 2024, demonstrating sustained excellence across different competitive calendars and locations.

IBJJF Results and Colored Belt Foundation

On the IBJJF side, Pereira earned back-to-back third-place finishes at the IBJJF World Championship in 2022 and 2023, a silver medal at the IBJJF European Open in 2022, and a bronze at the IBJJF European Championship in 2023.

Those black belt results are grounded in an exceptional colored belt career. Pereira captured gold at the IBJJF World Championship at brown belt in 2021, capping a colored belt run that included multiple IBJJF South American Championship titles — gold at blue belt in 2016 and 2017, and gold at purple belt in 2018 — alongside a bronze at the IBJJF World Championship at blue belt in 2017. That body of work across belt levels reflects an athlete who has competed at the highest available standard throughout her development and carried that standard seamlessly into the black belt ranks.