Thalyta Silva's Profile

Thalyta Silva was born on August 22, 1999, in Poço de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil — the city that would serve as both her hometown and the launching pad for her rise to the highest levels of competitive jiu-jitsu. From an early age, Silva displayed a rare appetite for sport, competing at school level in football, volleyball, handball, basketball, running, long jump, and chess. Her versatility across such a wide range of disciplines spoke to an unusually well-rounded physical aptitude and an instinctive competitive drive.

Martial arts entered her life at age 11 with capoeira, and by 14 she had expanded her practice significantly — adding taekwondo, kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu to her weekly schedule. She stepped into competition in both striking and grappling almost immediately, but it was the mat that captured her deepest focus. Even while competing seriously in kickboxing and MMA — including bouts as a teenager and appearances in the prestigious Jungle Fight promotion — Silva found herself drawn consistently back to jiu-jitsu.

In 2017, at 18 years old, Thalyta Silva made a defining commitment: she stepped away from MMA and striking entirely and dedicated herself fully to jiu-jitsu. She joined Casa do Atleta in Poço de Caldas under Paulo Rezende — widely known within the Brazilian BJJ community as Paulão Rezende — who welcomed her as a green belt and took responsibility for shepherding her development through to black belt.

The colored belt record Silva built under his guidance was exceptional. She claimed the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals title at blue belt in 2018 and again at purple belt in 2019, while also reaching the podium at the IBJJF World Championship at both levels — silver at blue belt in 2018 and bronze at purple belt in 2019. Those results established her as one of the most promising prospects in her generation of Brazilian female grapplers.

On April 27, 2021, Paulo Rezende promoted Thalyta Silva to black belt — formal recognition of a competitive and technical maturity she had been building steadily for years. At the black belt level, Silva competes under the banner of Fratres.

Building Toward the Summit

From the moment she received her black belt, Thalyta Silva imposed herself as one of the most formidable middleweights in international competition. In both 2022 and 2023, she reached the final of the IBJJF World Championship, earning silver medals that confirmed her standing among the elite in the Peso Médio division — even as the ultimate prize remained just out of reach.

Dominance Across Major Circuits

Beyond the Worlds, Silva accumulated titles at a pace that underlined her consistency across major competitive formats. She won the IBJJF European Championship middleweight title in three consecutive years — 2022, 2023, and 2024 — making her the defining presence in her division at that event across that stretch. The 2024 edition also offered a sharp reminder of the opposition at the very top: while Silva claimed her third straight weight division gold, she was submitted by Gabrieli Pessanha via armbar in the absolute final — a result that illustrated both the caliber of elite-level competition and her willingness to test herself across divisions.

In 2022, she demonstrated her versatility across international formats, winning the IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship and capturing AJP Grand Slam titles in Abu Dhabi and London. The 2024 IBJJF Pan Championship added another gold medal to her collection, further cementing her status as a consistent force across the sport's most significant events.

World Champion

The crowning achievement of her black belt career arrived in 2025, when Thalyta Silva won 1st Place at the IBJJF World Championship — the most prestigious title in gi jiu-jitsu. The result transformed her from a perennial finalist into a world champion, completing the journey she had been building toward since her earliest days on the mats in Poço de Caldas.

Thalyta Silva's grappling identity has been shaped by the breadth of her athletic background. Years spent competing in capoeira, taekwondo, kickboxing, and MMA before committing to jiu-jitsu gave her a physical foundation and competitive temperament that translate clearly into her approach on the mat. Silva competes with aggression and a finish-oriented mindset — a disposition reflected in her title victories and in the high-stakes nature of her most significant bouts, including the submission loss to Gabrieli Pessanha in the 2024 European absolute final, a match contested at the sharpest edge of the sport.

Her willingness to enter absolute divisions alongside her weight class competition speaks to a competitive appetite that extends beyond the minimum required. Across gi, no-gi, and multiple international federation formats, she has demonstrated the technical consistency that marks a truly well-rounded black belt. Within the BJJ community, she is widely known by her nickname Thata — a reflection of the personal warmth that coexists with her intensity as a competitor.