Mayara Munhos

Mayara Munhos grew up in Itatiba, São Paulo, Brazil, and first stepped onto the BJJ mats in 2006 at the age of 13. Her introduction to the sport came early — and proved immediately competitive. In 2007, at just 14 years old and competing as a white belt, she claimed gold at the CBJJE South American Championship in the junior category, her first championship title and an unmistakable signal of the drive that would define her relationship with the sport.

That momentum was interrupted in 2008 when an injury forced a pause in her training, opening a significant gap in her BJJ development. Though the hiatus stretched for years, the experience of competing and winning at a continental level left a lasting impression — planting the roots of what would eventually grow into a lifelong and professional connection to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

After six years away from the mats, Munhos returned to BJJ training in 2014, resuming a journey that injury had placed on hold. She began training at Atos São Paulo, embedding herself in one of Brazil's most accomplished competitive programs. Her development within the Atos system eventually led her to relocate to San Diego, California — Atos headquarters and the training base of André Galvão — where she continued her progression under Galvão's direct instruction.

The culmination of that non-linear path came with the awarding of her black belt under André Galvão, one of the most decorated and respected figures in the history of competitive BJJ. Her belt journey — shaped by an early start, a lengthy injury-forced absence, a determined return, and full immersion into the Atos system — reflects a practitioner whose relationship with the art was forged through perseverance as much as talent. In November 2022, her relocation to San Diego to work with Galvão on Atos BJJ On Demand further cemented her dual identity as both an active practitioner and a media professional embedded within the Atos community.

While her BJJ journey was taking shape, Munhos was simultaneously building a parallel career in sports media. She earned a degree in Social Communication with a focus on Radio, TV, and Internet from the Methodist University of São Paulo in 2014, having joined ESPN Brazil as an editing intern in January 2013 while still completing her studies.

After graduating, she transitioned into a full video editor role at ESPN Brazil, developing the production skills that would underpin her later on-camera work. Her career at the network advanced significantly in 2018 when she shifted into journalism and was entrusted with leading espnW — ESPN's women's sports vertical in Brazil. In that capacity, she conducted high-profile interviews, including bringing MMA superstar Amanda Nunes to ESPN Brazil's flagship interview program, Bola da Vez. Her work at the network also extended to marquee global events — FIFA World Cups and the Olympic Games — giving her a broad sports journalism foundation that would later inform her approach to combat sports media.

Even while building her career at ESPN, Munhos recognized a gap in the quality and depth of media coverage dedicated to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 2016, she launched the Jiu-Jitsu in Frames project, channeling her production expertise into BJJ-specific storytelling while still employed at the network. By 2017, the project had evolved into a standalone brand, positioning her as one of the few media professionals operating authentically at the intersection of BJJ practitioner and content creator.

Through Jiu-Jitsu in Frames, she interviewed some of the most prominent figures in the global BJJ community, including André Galvão, Angelica Galvão, Lucas Barbosa, Kaynan Duarte, and Guilherme Mendes. The brand reflected a broader vision: to bring professional-quality media production to a sport historically underserved in that area. Jiu-Jitsu in Frames laid the groundwork for her eventual full-time pivot to BJJ media and established her credibility as a serious voice within the sport's media landscape.

In early 2021, Munhos departed ESPN to commit full time to jiu-jitsu media — a decisive professional move that reflected both personal passion and a clear conviction about the direction of her career. Working with BJJ Flix and hosting BJJ Bet, she expanded her on-camera presence within the dedicated BJJ media ecosystem, stepping definitively from behind-the-scenes production into an established role as on-air talent.

This period also saw her covering flagship BJJ events — including the IBJJF World Championships and ADCC — bringing broadcast-quality presentation skills to competitions at the center of the sport's competitive calendar. The work done during this phase established her as a recognized figure in BJJ media: not merely a producer with a background in the sport, but a credible and capable on-air personality in her own right.

In November 2022, Munhos began collaborating directly with André Galvão on Atos BJJ On Demand — also known as Atos Online — relocating from Brazil to San Diego, California to take on the role. The move represented a meaningful convergence of her two professional identities: her standing as a BJJ practitioner under Galvão and her expertise as a media professional, brought together into a single ongoing collaboration.

Atos BJJ On Demand serves as an instructional and content platform for the Atos organization, and Munhos's background in production and journalism made her a natural fit for shaping its Portuguese-language offerings. Her affiliation with Atos extends beyond the media work itself — she trains at the academy as part of her ongoing BJJ practice, maintaining an active connection to the sport at the same institution where she received her black belt.

Munhos's entry into UFC media coverage came in 2023, when she was brought in to cover the maternity leave of UFC Brazil correspondent Evelyn Rodrigues for a four-month period. Her first UFC event in that capacity was UFC São Paulo in late 2023, marking her formal entry into the media infrastructure of the world's largest MMA promotion.

Following that initial coverage period, she continued covering UFC pay-per-views and Fight Nights on an as-needed basis. She also served as a reporter for the UFC Fight Pass Invitational and, as that event transitioned into UFC BJJ, remained on-air throughout the change. As of September 2025, Munhos holds a recognized presence within the Portuguese-facing components of UFC Fight Pass and UFC BJJ, providing MMA coverage as needed. Her dual expertise in BJJ and MMA media positions her distinctively within the UFC's content ecosystem for Portuguese-speaking audiences — a broadcaster whose technical understanding of grappling and established production credentials lend both authority and depth to her work.