Larissa Dias

Larissa Dias was born on September 3, 1998, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and grew up in the Meiér neighborhood. By her own account, she was not a sporty child, and a sedentary lifestyle during her formative years brought weight challenges she eventually chose to confront head-on. At 17, she enrolled in a jiu-jitsu class led by Vinicius Marinho at the local GF Team Academy, driven initially by health and fitness goals rather than any competitive ambition.

What began as a practical solution to a personal challenge quickly evolved into something far deeper. The discipline and structure of jiu-jitsu resonated with Dias, and her passion for the sport grew rapidly. She entered the competitive circuit early in her development, earning her first major national result at the 2018 CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, where she claimed gold as a white belt. That victory proved to be a defining moment, cementing her commitment to pursuing jiu-jitsu as a professional athletic career.

Larissa Dias demonstrated consistent growth at every stage of her colored belt career, building a decorated record that reflected the quality of her development under Vinicius Marinho. Her purple belt years produced one of her most significant early results — a gold medal at the 2019 IBJJF World Championships — signaling her capacity to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

Dias pursued her development off the mats with equal intentionality, studying nutrition at university to support her athletic performance and long-term longevity as a competitor. That academic focus illustrated the seriousness and professionalism with which she approached competitive jiu-jitsu.

A pivotal shift in her training environment came when Vinicius Marinho relocated to Qatar. Rather than a setback, his departure opened the door for Dias to expand her development through the Dream Art group, where she earned her brown belt. The 2021 brown belt season proved particularly productive: she captured the IBJJF Pan Championships title, earned first-place finishes at the AJP Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro and the AJP World Pro Brazilian Qualifiers, and later joined Melqui Galvão's squad while maintaining her close relationship with Marinho.

On November 24, 2021, after a decorated colored belt career spanning multiple years and organizations, Vinicius Marinho promoted Larissa Dias to the black belt rank — a milestone that honored a journey he had guided from the very beginning.

Larissa Dias entered the black belt division in the Peso Pesado category (79.30 kg / 175.0 lbs) under MJN Jiu-Jitsu, and she wasted little time establishing herself among the elite of her weight class.

2022: Immediate Black Belt Impact

In 2022, Dias claimed the IBJJF World Championship title — one of the most prestigious accomplishments in competitive jiu-jitsu — confirming that her transition to the black belt division had been seamless. That same year, she added the IBJJF American Nationals title to her résumé, demonstrating consistency across multiple high-level tournaments.

2023–2024: Sustaining Elite-Level Presence

Dias carried that momentum into 2023, capturing the IBJJF Pan Championship and reinforcing her standing as a world-class competitor. A silver medal at the 2023 IBJJF World Championships reflected the fierce depth of competition she consistently faces at the top of her division. In 2024, she returned to the World Championship podium with a bronze medal, underscoring her sustained presence at the elite level across multiple seasons.

AJP Circuit Results

Her AJP record further illustrates the breadth of her competitive excellence. In 2021, during the transition period around her black belt promotion, Dias earned first-place finishes at the AJP Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro and the AJP World Pro BRA Qualifier, while securing a third-place result at the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro. Together, her results across both the IBJJF and AJP circuits paint the picture of an athlete who has built one of the most complete and sustained competitive careers of her generation in the Peso Pesado division.