Monique Ricardo Carvalho

Born on August 17, 1984, in Portsmouth, Virginia, and raised primarily in Lakeland, Florida, Monique Ricardo built her first career far from the competition mat. As a teenager, she pursued both commercial and high fashion modeling with notable success — but the aesthetic demands of that industry eventually pushed her toward a path more aligned with athletic performance and physical strength.

That pivot led her to fitness modeling and, ultimately, to competing as a professional bikini athlete under the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB). Taking the stage at marquee events such as the Olympia and the Arnold Sports Festival, she established herself among the elite of professional bodybuilding. The discipline, competitive drive, and body awareness she cultivated in that arena would prove to be the exact tools she needed when she stepped onto the BJJ mat.

Monique began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2008 under Eddie Ricardo, who would later become her husband. Eddie served as her primary instructor throughout every belt rank, providing a continuity of coaching that gave her development a coherent, methodical structure built on mutual trust and a deep understanding of his system.

In January 2015, Eddie promoted Monique to black belt in a ceremony attended by Leo Vieira, head coach of Checkmat. Vieira's presence at the promotion reflected both the weight of the occasion and Monique's connection to the broader Checkmat lineage. Representing Checkmat / Cobra Jiu Jitsu, her progression from complete beginner in 2008 to black belt competitor in under seven years stands as a testament to the quality of her instruction and the intensity of her commitment.

Early Black Belt Results

Monique's black belt debut on the international stage produced an immediate result — a bronze medal at the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship in 2015, earned within the same year she received her promotion. That performance signaled her readiness to compete among the world's best from the outset. She reinforced that point later in 2015 with gold medals at both the IBJJF Chicago Summer International Open and the IBJJF Austin International Open, demonstrating consistent dominance at open-level black belt competition.

Building an International Title Portfolio

The 2016 season extended her reach on the global stage. Monique captured the IBJJF Pan American No-Gi Championship title in the Master 1 division and added a 3rd place finish at the IBJJF World Championship to her résumé, confirming her standing among the sport's elite at her weight and age category.

By 2017, she had ascended to the top tier of Masters competition. She claimed gold at the IBJJF European No-Gi Championship and won the IBJJF Pan American Championship title in the Master 1 division, while also reaching the finals of the IBJJF Masters World Championship in that same division. Her appearance in the Fight 2 Win Pro 22 super-fight format added professional submission grappling experience to an already well-rounded competitive résumé. Monique competes in the Meio-Pesado division at 74 kg / 163.5 lbs.

Monique Ricardo occupies a rare space in combat sports — an athlete who has competed at the highest levels of both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and professional bodybuilding. As an IFBB pro bikini competitor, she has taken the stage at the sport's most prestigious events while simultaneously pursuing a championship-level grappling career. The combination demands exceptional physical conditioning, disciplined recovery management, and the mental resilience to peak across two distinct competitive environments.

The disciplines are more complementary than they might appear. The rigorous training cycles, nutritional precision, and body composition awareness that define elite bodybuilding translate directly into performance advantages on the mat. Monique's ability to maintain championship-level conditioning across both sports reflects a rare degree of athletic dedication — and has brought her visibility well beyond traditional BJJ circles. Her dual career serves as a compelling example of how mastery in one athletic domain can sharpen and elevate performance in another.