Skip to content
The BJJ Story
Search
Back to people
Two training partners meeting on the mat.Drawn in cream, forest green, and muted terracotta. People and objects are symbolic illustrations.
Portrait unavailable. General BJJ illustration; not a likeness of this person.Illustration: The BJJ Story

Bianca Basílio

Bianca Basílio went from a children's social project in São Paulo to ADCC gold in 2019, black-belt world titles in 2022 and 2023 and pro MMA wins in 2026.

Biography

Bianca Basílio is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who started out in a social project for local children in São Paulo and, as a teenager, had to find the money to compete abroad. She won the women's under-60 kg title at the 2019 ADCC World Championship and the black-belt featherweight division of the IBJJF World Championship in 2022 and 2023, competed in submission grappling for ONE Championship, and in 2026 began a professional MMA career with wins in the Legacy Fighting Alliance. Born in 1996 in Franca, in the state of São Paulo, she later moved to Itaquera, in São Paulo, and attended school there. Her first serious sport was gymnastics, which, according to BJJ Heroes, she practiced for more than three years at the Dom Bosco center. As a child she also tried handball, soccer, capoeira, boxing, Muay Thai, theater, a marching band and baton twirling. By her own account she had a strong temper, and her energy went into play, sport or fights. At home, fighting had been her father's dream. He had wanted to be a fighter and instead threw himself into supporting her and her brother, and with no cable television, the family stayed up late to catch the main UFC bouts. She found jiu-jitsu at about 12. Diogo Almeida, a co-founder of Almeida JJ, taught a jiu-jitsu class for children from the community, and she joined it with her brother; GRACIEMAG placed the social project behind her teacher's house. According to ONE Championship, that energy now went into training; she has said her friendships changed and she gave herself more and more to the sport. After a few months she and her brother won scholarships at the Almeida JJ academy, and she went, in her words, from "project girl" to scholarship athlete. Diogo was her teacher until orange belt, according to BJJ Heroes, when his brother Caio Almeida took charge of her training; she has said Caio took her all the way to black belt. BJJ Heroes traces her lineage from Carlos and Helio Gracie through Carlos Gracie Jr., Ryan Gracie and Gabriel Vella to Caio Almeida. As a teenager close to her blue belt, she has said, Caio planted the idea of competing at the World Championship in the United States. She had not thought it possible, and she trained all day, averaging five sessions a day. She raised the money for the trip and left Brazil for the first time; once there, she said, she left the hotel only for training, meals and the gym. She won gold at blue belt. After coming home she decided jiu-jitsu was what she wanted for her life, and she started saving at once to go back the following year. BJJ Heroes writes that this first world title made her more determined to turn professional, and she did so at purple belt. Money was her biggest difficulty, she has said, and paying tournament entry fees was a daily struggle. As a teenager she worked the front desk at her gym for about US$40 a month, according to ONE, and she said the wage taught her that every few reais spent on nonsense put her dream further away. In a later interview she said she had used her first salary to help friends who had nothing. TATAME reported that she paid for competitions abroad with raffles and the occasional backer. She had no sponsor as a blue belt and began to get some support at purple. She wrote résumés and laid out her goals and training for possible sponsors, and when people told her to get a job in a bank, she answered that jiu-jitsu was her job. Growing up poor, she has said, taught her to value things and made her more focused and determined, and her parents taught her to give her best without trampling on others. At purple belt she won the open-weight class at the 2014 World Championship and her division at that year's Brazilian Nationals. In 2015, still at purple, she won her weight class at the World Championship, the Pan American Championship, the European Championship and the Brazilian Nationals. In 2016, at brown belt, she took her division at the Brazilian Nationals, both her division and the open class at the Pan American Championship, and her division at the World Championship. According to GRACIEMAG, the season got her named as one of the sport's big new prospects. Caio Almeida gave her the black belt in December 2016, when she was 20; GRACIEMAG credited the promotion to both Caio and Diogo. BJJ Heroes writes that she was seen as one of her team's most committed athletes. In an Instagram post marking the promotion she counted nine years of training, and she described those years to GRACIEMAG: she had watched many people quit their jobs to live from jiu-jitsu and give up within a year, while she had eaten lunches that had gone bad, trained on an empty stomach and fought back tears when she was too exhausted to grip the gi. At black belt, she said, she would double her training, because she expected to face many experienced opponents. BJJ Heroes describes her as representing Almeida Jiu-Jitsu in national events and Atos in international ones, and lists the single-leg X guard and the knee-slide pass as her favorite position and technique. Her first black-belt season brought the featherweight title at the 2017 Pan American Championship. The same year she finished second to Beatriz Mesquita of Gracie Humaitá in the lightweight division of the Brazilian Nationals, and at the ADCC World Championship she won two matches on referee decisions before losing the under-60 kg final to Mesquita by rear-naked choke. Mesquita beat her again in 2018, in overtime in the final of EBI 16, after Basílio had won three matches by submission. That year she also won the 62 kg division of the Abu Dhabi World Pro, beating Ffion Davies on a referee decision in the final, and the lightweight division of the Brazilian Nationals, which she won again in 2019. At the World Championship she took silver in the open-weight class in 2018 and at featherweight in 2019. In 2019 she won the under-60 kg division at the ADCC World Championship. She beat Livia Giles with a cross face in her opening match, beat Elvira Karppinen 2-0 on points in the semifinal and finished Ffion Davies with a toe hold in the final; earlier that day Davies had submitted Mesquita with an armbar. A TATAME interview published that December listed among her other wins that year the Brazilian Nationals, the Abu Dhabi World Pro and two superfights at BJJ Stars. In that interview she called herself an exception in some respects, but said she was sure a woman could live from jiu-jitsu alone with dedication and discipline, and that any woman could reach her level. She saw women's divisions filling up and competition getting tougher, and said many girls now had role models to look up to. Sponsorship was her main income, prize money was often small, and reaching bigger goals meant giving many seminars and teaching classes, including at Almeida JJ's headquarters in São Paulo. She argued that tournaments should pay far more than the IBJJF did, with equal prize money for men and women, and that the federation should focus on its black belts. In 2021 she won the Pan American featherweight title ahead of her Atos teammate Gabrielle McComb Lima, and finished second to McComb Lima at the World Championship. In 2022 she won the featherweight division at the World Championship. The final against Amanda Canuto was 0-0 on points and went to her 3-0 on advantages, which decide a match when points are level: the two spent almost five minutes fighting for grips before a foot sweep earned her three advantages and nearly gave her Canuto's back, and after Canuto pulled closed guard, Basílio kept her base and came close to passing in the last minute. She won the division again in 2023, with Ana Cristina Araujo Rodrigues second, and took the black-belt featherweight title at the Brazilian Nationals in 2021, 2022 and 2023. At ADCC in 2022 she beat Julia Maele with a short choke, then lost the semifinal on points to Brianna Ste-Marie and the third-place match to Mesquita by rear-naked choke. In 2024 she entered the under-55 kg division, beat Brenda Larissa on points and Anna Rodrigues on a referee decision, and lost the final to Adele Fornarino by submission. Her ONE Championship debut came in November 2022, a submission grappling match at strawweight in which she submitted Milena Sakumoto in 42 seconds and earned a US$50,000 performance bonus. Before facing Tammi Musumeci in March 2023 she called herself a complete fighter, at ease hunting takedowns, playing guard or passing, and welcomed ten minutes without points because the format let athletes move between positions with the focus on submissions. Musumeci won by unanimous decision. In May 2024 Basílio submitted Nanami Ichikawa in 35 seconds; ONE's site now lists her as a former ONE athlete. She was also teaching by then: in 2023 she said she wanted to help change the course of the young people and teenagers in her classes, pointing out that she had come from a social project and now lived from fighting, and in April 2024 she named using martial arts to change the lives of children and teenagers, as had happened to her, among her goals. While she was building her jiu-jitsu career, she said, it had not felt like the time for MMA. When the pandemic began in 2020 she rethought her life and career, and at a family meeting she decided to start. She took up boxing with Leo Moraes in January 2021, and began MMA training with Udi Lima, a former professional wrestler. Her first time in the cage came in 2022 at the IMMAF MMA Super Cup, an amateur event in Bahrain, where she competed for Bahrain and submitted Shohona Ghozoeva with an armbar on the opening day. Afterwards she said she had felt quick and light, "like a bullet". IMMAF's athlete database lists her under Bahrain, in women's flyweight, and as a 2022 Super Cup gold medalist. In December 2025 BJJEE reported that she had signed with the Legacy Fighting Alliance for her professional MMA debut. She made that debut at LFA 225 on January 23, 2026, submitting Jessica Oliveira with an armbar at 4:58 of the first round of a 125 lb flyweight bout. On March 27, 2026, she fought on the main card of LFA 229 at Centro Esportivo Pelezão in São Paulo and beat Rafaela Guedes with a rear-naked choke at 3:36 of the first round.

Sources for this profile

  • GRACIEMAG newsroom, "Bianca Basilio on her grueling road to the black belt", 30 December 2016 (Internet Archive capture of 4 February 2022).(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2016, competing at brown belt, Basílio won the Brazilian Nationals, the Pan American Championship and the World Championship, and was promoted to black belt toward the end of that year by her teachers Caio and Diogo Almeida.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "Brazil Nationals, the Pan and the Worlds"

      Accessed:

    • GRACIEMAG wrote that her 2016 brown-belt season led to her being named as one of the big new prospects in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "big new promises"

      Accessed:

    • According to GRACIEMAG, Basílio first trained through a social project run at the back of her teacher's house.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — "social project"

      Accessed:

    • Looking back on nine years of training, Basílio told GRACIEMAG that she had seen many people give up jobs to live from jiu-jitsu and quit within a year, and that she herself had eaten spoiled lunches, trained while fasting and held back tears when too exhausted to grip the gi.

      Where in the source: First quoted passage — "train in fasting"

      Accessed:

    • Facing the black-belt division, Basílio said she would double her training because she expected to meet many experienced opponents.

      Where in the source: Second quoted passage — "train double"

      Accessed:

    • In an Instagram post dated 11 December 2016, embedded in the GRACIEMAG article, Basílio marked receiving her black belt after nine years of training.

      Where in the source: Embedded post by @biabasiliojj, Dec 11, 2016 — "foram 9 anos treinados"

      Accessed:

  • Caoilte de Barra, "BJJ Black Belt Bianca Basilio Ready to Take the MMA World by Storm Following Transition From BJJ", IMMAF, 11 March 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • Basílio told IMMAF that fighting had been her father's dream: he had wanted to be a fighter, instead put his energy into encouraging her and her brother, and the family stayed up late to watch UFC main events because they had no cable television.

      Where in the source: First quoted passage — "my father’s dream"

      Accessed:

    • According to Basílio, she and her brother began in a jiu-jitsu social project for community children with Professor Diogo Almeida, and after a few months won scholarships at the Almeida Jiu Jitsu academy to train under his brother Caio Almeida, who took them both to black belt.

      Where in the source: First quoted passage — "scholarship at the Almeida Jiu Jitsu academy"

      Accessed:

    • Basílio said she had not felt it was time for MMA while building her jiu-jitsu career, but after rethinking her life and career once the pandemic began in 2020, she decided at a family meeting to start; she began boxing with Leo Moraes in January 2021 and MMA training with Udi Lima, a former professional wrestler.

      Where in the source: First and second quoted passages — "boxing training with Leo Moraes in January 2021"

      Accessed:

    • Competing for Bahrain at the 2022 IMMAF MMA Super Cup in Bahrain, an amateur event, Basílio made her first appearance in the cage and submitted Shohona Ghozoeva with an armbar on the opening day.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — "armbar"; later paragraph on entering the cage for the first time

      Accessed:

    • After the fight she described feeling light and fast, like a bullet ready to hit its target.

      Where in the source: First post-fight quote — "like a bullet"

      Accessed:

  • IMMAF athlete database, "Bianca Basilio".(opens in a new tab)

    • IMMAF's athlete database lists Basílio under Bahrain in the women's flyweight category as a 2022 Super Cup gold medallist.

      Where in the source: Athlete card — "2022 Super Cup Gold Medalist"

      Accessed:

  • ONE Championship, athlete profile "Bianca Basilio".(opens in a new tab)

    • ONE Championship's profile says Basílio was born in Franca in São Paulo state, Brazil, began in sport through gymnastics, and at 12 discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu and started training with Almeida JJ co-founder Diogo Almeida.

      Where in the source: About section — "through gymnastics"; "Almeida JJ co-founder Diogo Almeida"

      Accessed:

    • ONE Championship describes Basílio as Brazilian.

      Where in the source: About section — "The Brazilian’s achievement"

      Accessed:

    • Basílio debuted in ONE Championship on 19 November 2022 at ONE 163, submitting Milena Sakumoto in 42 seconds of the first round in a strawweight submission grappling match.

      Where in the source: About section and record table, row 'Milena Sakumoto' — "R1 (0:42)"

      Accessed:

    • Her ONE record lists a unanimous-decision loss to Tammi Musumeci at ONE Fight Night 8 (dated 25 March 2023) and a 35-second first-round submission of Nanami Ichikawa at ONE Fight Night 22 (dated 4 May 2024), both submission grappling; the profile now marks her as a former ONE athlete.

      Where in the source: Record table rows 'Tammi Musumeci' and 'Nanami Ichikawa'; status line — "Former ONE Athlete"

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2022, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2022 World Championship list Bianca Barbosa Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division (129 lb), with Amanda Monteiro Canuto (GF Team) second.

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' — place 1, Atos Jiu-Jitsu

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2023 World Championship list Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division, with Ana Cristina Araujo Rodrigues (DreamArt) second.

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' — place 1, Atos Jiu-Jitsu

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2019 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) second in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division, behind Ana Carolina Schmitt (Nova União).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' — place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2021, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2021 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio second in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division behind Gabrielle McComb Lima; both are listed under Atos Jiu-Jitsu.

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' — place 1 Gabrielle Mc Comb Lima, place 2 Basilio

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2018 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) second in the women's adult black-belt open class, behind Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus.

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Open Class' — place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 Pan American Championship, her first season at black belt, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division.

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2021, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2021 Pan American Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division, ahead of her Atos teammate Gabrielle McComb Lima, and third in the black-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' place 1 and 'Female / Adult / Black / Open Class' place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2018 Pan American Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) third in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division and second in the black-belt open class, behind Luiza Monteiro Moura da Costa of Atos.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Feather (129.00lb)' place 3 and 'Open Class' place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2019 Pan American Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) third in both the women's adult black-belt lightweight division and the open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Light (141.60lb)' place 3 and 'Open Class' place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2017, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio, under the team name JFC Almeida JJ, second in the women's adult black-belt lightweight division behind Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita (Gracie Humaitá).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Light (64.00kg)' — place 2, JFC Almeida JJ

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2018, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2018 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt lightweight division (64 kg).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Black / Light (64.00kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2019, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2019 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt lightweight division (64 kg).

      Where in the source: Division 'Feminino / Adulto / Preta / Leve (64,00kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2021, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2021 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division (58.5 kg).

      Where in the source: Division 'Feminino / Adulto / Preta / Pena (58,50kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu (Juvenil, Adulto e Master) 2022, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2022 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division.

      Where in the source: Division 'Feminino / Adulto / Preta / Pena (58,50kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu (Juvenil, Adulto e Master) 2023, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2023 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Atos Jiu-Jitsu) first in the women's adult black-belt featherweight division, ahead of Gabriela Andrelevicius Pereira.

      Where in the source: Division 'Feminino / Adulto / Preta / Pena (58,50kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2016, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2016 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio, under Gracie Elite Team, first in the women's adult brown-belt lightweight division (136 lb).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Brown / Light (136.00lb)' — place 1, Gracie Elite Team

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2016 Pan American Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio, under Ryan Gracie Team, first in both the women's adult brown-belt lightweight division and the brown-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Brown / Light (136.00lb)' and 'Open Class' — place 1 in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2016, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2016 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Ryan Gracie Team) first in the women's adult brown-belt lightweight division and third in the brown-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Feminino / Adulto / Marrom / Leve (61,50kg)' place 1 and 'Absoluto' place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2015, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2015 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Gracie Elite Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt lightweight division (136 lb).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Purple / Light (136.00lb)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2015, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2015 Pan American Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Ryan Gracie Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt featherweight division and second in the purple-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Purple / Feather (125.00lb)' place 1 and 'Open Class' place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2015, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2015 European Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Ryan Gracie Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt featherweight division (58.5 kg).

      Where in the source: Division 'Female / Adult / Purple / Feather (58.50kg)' — place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2015, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2015 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Ryan Gracie Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt lightweight division and second in the purple-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Feminino / Adulto / Roxa / Leve (61,50kg)' place 1 and 'Absoluto' place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2014 World Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Gracie Elite Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt open class and third in the purple-belt featherweight division.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Female / Adult / Purple / Open Class' place 1 and 'Feather (125.00lb)' place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2014, public results.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2014 Brazilian National Championship, IBJJF lists Basilio (Ryan Gracie Team) first in the women's adult purple-belt featherweight division and third in the purple-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Divisions 'Feminino / Adulto / Roxa / Pena (56,50kg)' place 1 and 'Absoluto' place 3

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "Bianca Basílio" fighter page.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes says she was born in 1996 in Franca, São Paulo state, and later moved to Itaquera in São Paulo, where she went to school and found jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Biography section, first paragraph — "called Franca"

      Accessed:

    • According to BJJ Heroes, gymnastics was the first sport she took seriously, training for more than three years at the Dom Bosco centre.

      Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph — "Dom Bosco"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes writes that in 2008 Diogo Almeida opened a children's jiu-jitsu class that she joined at 12 together with her brother; Diogo taught her up to orange belt, after which his brother Caio Almeida took over her training.

      Where in the source: Biography section, third paragraph — "orange belt"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says her first world title, won in the juvenile blue-belt division, strengthened her wish to become a professional athlete, a goal she reached at purple belt.

      Where in the source: Biography section, fourth paragraph — "professional athlete"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says she was regarded as one of the most dedicated athletes in her team and was promoted to black belt by Caio Almeida in December 2016.

      Where in the source: Biography section, fifth paragraph — "December 2016"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes describes her as a black belt under Caio Almeida who represents the Almeida Jiu-Jitsu academy in national competition and Atos internationally, and traces her lineage from Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie through Carlos Gracie Jr, Ryan Gracie and Gabriel Vella to Caio Almeida.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "on a national level and Atos, internationally"; 'Lineage' line

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight record shows her 2019 ADCC run in the women's under-60 kg division: Livia Giles by cross face in the opening round, Elvira Karppinen on points (2-0) in the semifinal, and Ffion Davies by toe hold in the final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the three ADCC 60KG rows dated 2019

      Accessed:

    • At her first ADCC World Championship in 2017, the BJJ Heroes record shows two wins by referee decision and a loss by rear-naked choke in the under-60 kg final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the ADCC 60KG rows dated 2017 (final row)

      Accessed:

    • At ADCC 2022, the BJJ Heroes record shows a short-choke win over Julia Maele, a semifinal loss on points to Brianna Ste-Marie and a rear-naked-choke loss to Beatriz Mesquita in the third-place match, all in the under-60 kg division.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the ADCC 60KG rows dated 2022

      Accessed:

    • At ADCC 2024, in the under-55 kg division, the BJJ Heroes record shows wins over Brenda Larissa on points and Anna Rodrigues by referee decision before a mir-lock loss to Adele Fornarino in the final, and a points loss to Rafaela Guedes in her opening match of the absolute.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the ADCC 55KG and ABS rows dated 2024

      Accessed:

    • The BJJ Heroes record shows her winning the 62 kg division of the 2018 Abu Dhabi World Pro, with four wins ending in a referee-decision win over Ffion Davies in the final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the World Pro 62KG rows dated 2018

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists her favourite position and technique as the single-leg X guard and the knee-slide pass.

      Where in the source: Line naming her favourite position and technique, below the colored-belt achievements

      Accessed:

    • The BJJ Heroes record shows her reaching the final of EBI 16 in 2018 at 61 kg, with three submission wins before losing the final to Beatriz Mesquita in overtime.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the EBI 16 rows dated 2018

      Accessed:

  • ADCC, "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship Statistics".(opens in a new tab)

    • ADCC's official statistics list Bianca Basilio as the 2019 women's under-60 kg world champion.

      Where in the source: Table 'ADCC FEMALE CHAMPIONS', old divisions, row 2019, column -60kg

      Accessed:

    • The same ADCC table lists Beatriz Mesquita as 2017 under-60 kg champion, Ffion Davies as 2022 under-60 kg champion and Adele Fornarino as 2024 under-55 kg champion.

      Where in the source: Table 'ADCC FEMALE CHAMPIONS', rows 2017, 2022 (old -60kg) and 2024 (new -55kg)

      Accessed:

  • Yago Rédua, "Destaque em premiações no Jiu-Jitsu feminino, Bia Basílio cita 'trabalho árduo' e aponta: 'Sou exceção em certas partes'", TATAME, 18 December 2019 (Internet Archive capture of 18 March 2025).(opens in a new tab)

    • TATAME reported in December 2019 that during that year the Almeida JJ black belt had won ADCC, the Brazilian Nationals, the Abu Dhabi World Pro and two superfights at BJJ Stars, among other titles, and that she was 23.

      Where in the source: Article lead — "venceu o ADCC"; second paragraph, age

      Accessed:

    • TATAME wrote that she came out of a social project and had raised money through raffles and occasional backers to compete outside Brazil.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — "rifas"

      Accessed:

    • Basílio told TATAME she considered herself an exception in some respects, but was sure that with dedication and discipline a woman could live from jiu-jitsu alone, and that any woman could reach the level she had.

      Where in the source: First quote — "exceção em determinadas partes"

      Accessed:

    • She described strong growth in women's jiu-jitsu, with divisions filling up and competition rising, and said many girls now had role models to look up to.

      Where in the source: Second quote — "as categorias encheram"

      Accessed:

    • She said she had no sponsor as a blue belt and began to get some support at purple belt; she wrote résumés and presented her goals and training to possible backers, and when people told her to get a job in a bank she answered that jiu-jitsu was her job.

      Where in the source: Sponsorship section, both quotes (the third and fourth quotes of the article)

      Accessed:

    • In 2019 she said sponsorship was her main income and prize money was often small, so reaching bigger goals meant giving many seminars and teaching classes, including at Almeida JJ's headquarters in São Paulo.

      Where in the source: Section on earning a living, first paragraph — "matriz da Almeida JJ"

      Accessed:

    • She defended the practice of teammates closing out a final instead of fighting each other, saying that people who train together every day have nothing to prove against each other.

      Where in the source: Section 'Mudanças para evolução', second quote — "fechar"

      Accessed:

    • She argued that tournaments should pay far more prize money than the IBJJF offered, that it should be equal for men and women, and that the federation should focus its attention on black belts.

      Where in the source: Final quote — "teria que ser igual"

      Accessed:

  • Ben Coate, "'It Was Natural' – How Bianca Basilio Channeled Her Rare Talent To Conquer The BJJ World", ONE Championship, 15 March 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • ONE Championship writes that as a child she tried a long list of activities, including capoeira, boxing, Muay Thai, marching band, baton twirling, theatre, football and handball, and took to jiu-jitsu immediately when she found it at 12.

      Where in the source: Fifth and sixth paragraphs — "baton twirling"

      Accessed:

    • She told ONE that she had a strong temper as a child and spent her energy on play, sport or fighting; ONE writes that after she found jiu-jitsu she channeled that energy into training, and she said her friendships changed and she committed herself more and more to the sport.

      Where in the source: First and third quotes — "strong temper"

      Accessed:

    • She said that a few months into training she won a scholarship at the gym and went from being a 'project girl' to a scholarship athlete.

      Where in the source: Fourth quote — "project girl"

      Accessed:

    • She said that when she was close to her blue belt, at 16, her teacher Caio Almeida put the idea of competing at the World Championship in the United States in her head; she had not thought it possible, and trained all day, averaging five sessions a day.

      Where in the source: Fourth quote — "five workouts a day"

      Accessed:

    • According to ONE, she scraped together the money for the trip, was outside Brazil for the first time, and won gold as a blue belt at the World Championship; she said she left the hotel only to train, eat and go to the gym.

      Where in the source: Paragraphs after the fourth quote and fifth quote — "only left the hotel"

      Accessed:

    • She said she decided jiu-jitsu was what she wanted for her life when she came back from that first World Championship, and immediately began saving money and planning to return the following year.

      Where in the source: Sixth quote, on returning from the Worlds

      Accessed:

    • She named money as her biggest difficulty, struggling daily to pay tournament registrations, and said her father always encouraged her to do her best without crossing anyone.

      Where in the source: Seventh quote — "financial issue"

      Accessed:

    • Conflicting accounts

      ONE writes that as a teenager she earned about US$40 a month working the front desk of her gym; she said that salary taught her that every small sum spent on nonsense moved her further from her dream.

      Where in the source: Paragraph before the eighth quote — "front desk"

      Accessed:

    • She said she wanted to help change the course of the young people and teenagers she teaches, pointing out that she had come from a social project and now lived from fighting.

      Where in the source: Ninth quote, on helping young people

      Accessed:

    • Before facing Tammi Musumeci she called herself a complete fighter, comfortable hunting takedowns, playing guard or passing, and welcomed ten minutes without points because it let athletes move between positions with the focus on submissions.

      Where in the source: Final quote — "complete fighter"

      Accessed:

  • Ben Coate, "'I Wouldn't Stop Until I Got What I Wanted' – How Bianca Basilio Escaped Poverty And Became A BJJ Megastar", ONE Championship, 19 April 2024.(opens in a new tab)

    • She told ONE that growing up poor taught her to value things and made her more focused and determined, and that her parents taught her to do her best without going over other people.

      Where in the source: First and third quotes — "more focused and determined"

      Accessed:

    • Conflicting accounts

      She said she learned to manage her first salary of 200 reais at 14 and was already using it to help friends who had nothing.

      Where in the source: Fifth quote — "200 reais"

      Accessed:

    • In April 2024 she said one of her goals was to help transform children and teenagers through martial arts, as had happened to her, and that she had been practising jiu-jitsu for 16 years.

      Where in the source: Last two quotes — "transform children and teenagers"; "16 years"

      Accessed:

    • ONE writes that her November 2022 debut submission of Milena Sakumoto earned her a US$50,000 performance bonus.

      Where in the source: Paragraph after the fifth quote — "US$50,000 performance bonus"

      Accessed:

  • BJJEE, "ADCC Champion Bianca Basilio Set For Professional MMA Debut", 24 December 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJEE reported on 24 December 2025 that Basílio had signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) to make her professional MMA debut, with date and opponent still to be announced, and that her only MMA experience until then was the 2022 amateur bout, an armbar win after 63 seconds.

      Where in the source: Article of 24 Dec 2025, first and fifth to seventh paragraphs

      Accessed:

  • Legacy Fighting Alliance, "LFA 225 Live Results", 23 January 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • LFA's official results for LFA 225 on 23 January 2026 list Bianca Basílio defeating Jessica Oliveira by armbar submission at 4:58 of the first round, in a 125 lb flyweight bout on the preliminary card.

      Where in the source: Preliminary Card, 'Flyweight Bout (125 lb)' — Armbar, R1 4:58

      Accessed:

  • Legacy Fighting Alliance, "LFA 229 Live Results", 27 March 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • LFA's official results for LFA 229 on 27 March 2026 at Centro Esportivo Pelezão in São Paulo list Bianca Basilio defeating Rafaela Guedes with a rear-naked choke at 3:36 of the first round, in a women's 125 lb flyweight bout on the main card.

      Where in the source: Official live results, main card, 'Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)' — R1 3:36

      Accessed:

  • Ben Coate, "2022 IBJJF Worlds adult black belt finals: live results and highlights", Grappling Insider, 5 June 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • Grappling Insider reported that she won the 2022 World Championship featherweight final against Amanda Canuto on advantages (0-0 on points, 3-0 advantages): after nearly five minutes of grip fighting, a foot sweep earned her three advantages and almost gave her Canuto's back; Canuto then pulled closed guard, and Basílio held her base and nearly passed in the final minute. The report called it her first world championship.

      Where in the source: 'Women’s feather' result and paragraph — "foot sweep"; "first world championship"

      Accessed:

  • Alex Lindsey, "BJJ Stars Sets Up Ffion Davies V Bianca Basilio Rematch", Grappling Insider, 28 February 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • Grappling Insider wrote that in the 2019 ADCC final Basílio beat Ffion Davies by toe hold, after Davies had submitted Bia Mesquita with an armbar earlier the same day.

      Where in the source: First paragraph, on the 2019 ADCC final — "Toehold"

      Accessed:

Lineage

No teaching connections are shown on this page.

Open lineage