Mo Black

Born on February 25, 1994, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Morgan Black arrived with a natural athleticism that would serve as the foundation for a dedicated martial arts career. Before discovering combat sports, she competed across her school's athletic programs in volleyball, basketball, and track & field — a multi-sport background that sharpened her coordination, conditioning, and competitive instincts.

Her entry into martial arts began through an interest in MMA, initially drawn to the striking and stand-up dimensions of cage fighting. The direction of her career shifted when her cousin, Nick Smith, an experienced practitioner, advised her to build her game on a strong grappling foundation. That guidance proved decisive. As Morgan deepened her commitment to jiu-jitsu, the discipline eclipsed her MMA ambitions entirely, steering her toward a dedicated career on the competition mats.

Morgan's technical foundation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was built under the guidance of Carlos Santos and Marcelo Motta, a Brazilian coaching duo based in her home city of Colorado Springs. The two worked in tandem through her development at blue belt, after which Marcelo Motta assumed the primary coaching role — a partnership that would define the trajectory of her grappling career. Black trains out of Tabula Rasa JJ, where Motta shaped her technical and competitive development across the colored belt divisions.

The coaching relationship reached a landmark milestone on October 21, 2022, when Marcelo Motta promoted Morgan Black to the rank of black belt. She competes in the Peso Leve division at 64 kg / 141.5 lbs.

Purple and Brown Belt Titles

Morgan Black built a formidable competitive résumé across the colored belt ranks, establishing herself as one of the most consistent performers in the women's lightweight division in North America. At purple belt, she claimed the F2W No-Gi 125 lb title in 2018, then followed with the F2W Gi 125 lb championship at brown belt in 2019 — demonstrating equal command across both the gi and no-gi formats.

Brown Belt Peak and ADCC Performance

Her brown belt years represented a particularly productive stretch on the circuit. In 2021, she won gold at the IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu CON and reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship No-Gi, earning silver in a result that confirmed her standing among the elite at that level. She also recorded back-to-back runner-up finishes at the IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi in 2021 and 2022, alongside a bronze medal at the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2021. At the 2022 ADCC Las Vegas Open, she produced a standout double performance, capturing a first and second place finish across separate brackets.

Black Belt Breakthrough

Black carried her colored belt momentum directly into the black belt division. In 2023, she secured a defining result by winning the 2023 ADCC East Coast Trials, earning a coveted qualification to the ADCC World Championships. That same year, she reclaimed the IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu CON title at black belt — confirming that her colored belt success was a reliable indicator of her capabilities among the sport's elite.