Amanda Elouise Alequin (formerly Amanda Santana)
Ecuadorian-American black belt Amanda Alequin pairs an attacking submission style with world titles across gi and no-gi competition.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Ben Coate, ONE Championship athlete interview, 3 July 2023(opens in a new tab)
Alequin is an Ecuadorian-American grappler who grew up in Brooklyn with Ecuadorian parents and three siblings.
Where in the source: Opening and family section — Ecuadorian-American
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As a child, Alequin worked in her family's shop and boxed with her father and siblings, according to her recollection.
Where in the source: Family section — boxing lessons
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After the family moved to Florida, her brother tried jiu-jitsu and caught her in a kimura. She joined a class the following day.
Where in the source: First training section — Hooked On BJJ
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Alequin recalled entering a tournament three months after starting. At 15, she faced a boy and lost narrowly on points; she nevertheless wanted to compete again.
Where in the source: First tournament account — three months
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Alequin credited her husband, grappler Eric Alequin, with encouraging her when she doubted herself and keeping her accountable after victories.
Where in the source: Marriage section — kept me motivated
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She received her black belt in 2016 and won that year's IBJJF No-Gi World Championship.
Where in the source: Career section — In 2016
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BJJ Heroes, Amanda Alequin profile, undated(opens in a new tab)
Amanda Elouise Alequin previously competed as Amanda Santana and is known as Tubby.
Where in the source: Identity block — Full Name
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Alequin was born in Brooklyn in 1994.
Where in the source: Biography opening — 1994
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She began jiu-jitsu at 15 with Jerre Norton, who promoted her to blue and purple belt, before she moved to Márcio Cruz's academy.
Where in the source: Training progression — Jerre Norton
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She had already attended training camps with Cruz before joining his academy.
Where in the source: Academy transition — training camps
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Alequin won both her weight division and the open division at the 2015 IBJJF World Championship as a brown belt.
Where in the source: Achievements and biography — double gold
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She won the 2015 ADCC US East Coast Trials and faced Gabi Garcia at that year's ADCC championship, losing by decision.
Where in the source: 2015 campaign — USA ADCC trials
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She worked as a kennel technician during her brown belt competition career.
Where in the source: Occupation paragraph — kennel technician
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Márcio Cruz awarded Alequin her black belt in June 2016.
Where in the source: Promotion paragraph — June 25th 2016
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Ben Coate, ONE Championship interview with Tammi Musumeci, 1 July 2023(opens in a new tab)
Tammi Musumeci and Alequin trained together between 2014 and 2016 and became friends. Musumeci won both their 2021 meetings by decision.
Where in the source: Friendship and earlier bouts — 2014 and 2016
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Musumeci described Alequin as an attacking grappler prepared to risk inferior positions to pursue submissions.
Where in the source: Opponent's assessment — take risks
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Musumeci praised Alequin's guard and passing and said her flexibility and strength remained assets after she moved down in weight.
Where in the source: Technical appraisal — good guard
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BJJ Heroes, Gamblers academy report, undated(opens in a new tab)
A BJJ Heroes report on Gamblers Jiu-Jitsu in Palm Beach Gardens named Amanda, Eric Alequin and Jarrod Anderson as coaches of its competition group.
Where in the source: Coaching section — THE COACHES
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The same report described Amanda and her brother Colon Santana joining the Gamblers group through the connection with Eric Alequin.
Where in the source: Team origins — With Alequin
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Simon Head, UFC BJJ 4 event report, 12 December 2025(opens in a new tab)
On December 11, 2025, Alequin faced Mayssa Bastos in UFC BJJ's first women's strawweight match, at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Where in the source: Event introduction and Alequin match recap — inaugural women’s strawweight
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Bastos won their three-round UFC BJJ 4 match by unanimous decision. The recap described a close opening round, a second-round stalemate and Alequin pressing for an opening in the third.
Where in the source: Alequin recap — unanimous decision
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage