Fernanda Yukari Makiyama Cristo
Fernanda Cristo grew up in her family’s Japanese academy, became a world-level black belt, and now represents Celso Ricardo New Level School.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Brasil Blog, “大嶋聡承が黒帯昇格、日本における史上最年少黒帯取得記録を更新,” 20 February 2026.(opens in a new tab)
A February 2026 Japanese report records Fernanda Cristo’s birth date as 1 October 2001 and calculates that she was 19 years and nine months old when she received her black belt on 24 July 2021.
Where in the source: Japanese black-belt age comparison — Cristo birth date and promotion date
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SJJIF, “SJJIF World Accumulative Rank: Fernanda Cristo” (accessed 13 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
The SJJIF athlete record explicitly lists Fernanda Cristo under Brazil and identifies her as a female adult black belt.
Where in the source: Athlete identity card — country and full belt value
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The complete SJJIF athlete record lists Cristo as the 2024 SJJIF World adult black-belt champion at medium-heavyweight and in the open class while representing Evox BJJ.
Where in the source: SJJIF World Rank 2024 — medium-heavy and open weight
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In 2025, the SJJIF record lists Cristo winning both the adult black-belt middleweight and open-weight divisions at Marianas Pro Tokyo, followed by middleweight gold and open-weight silver at the 2025 Marianas Open.
Where in the source: SJJIF World Rank 2025 and 2026 result rows
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Digitsu, “Fernanda Cristo” (complete rendered profile; accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Cristo was born in Brazil to a Brazilian father and a mother of Japanese descent. Her parents were living in Japan and travelled to Brazil for the birth; when Fernanda was five months old, the family returned to Japan, where she was raised.
Where in the source: Growing Up on the Mats — Brazil birth, maternal Japanese descent and infant move
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Cristo grew up inside her parents’ jiu-jitsu environment. The profile says her father Rogério trained before her birth, her mother joined the training room when Fernanda was one, and her parents later founded Evox Academy. Fernanda entered its children’s program at four and her first competition at five.
Where in the source: Growing Up on the Mats — parents’ academy, children’s program and first competition
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Digitsu identifies Rogério Cristo as Fernanda’s father and long-term coach and states that he promoted her to black belt on 24 July 2021, when she was nineteen.
Where in the source: Black Belt Promotion — Rogério Cristo, date and age
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MMA Planet, “AJJC2019: Diego Henrique interview, part 1,” 10 September 2019.(opens in a new tab)
A 2019 MMA Planet interview with Evox athlete Diego Henrique described Rogério Cristo as the academy’s regular instructor and said Rogério’s wife Márcia and their daughter Fernanda taught its morning and children’s classes. The account places Fernanda in a teaching role while she was still a colored-belt competitor.
Where in the source: Interview — Evox instruction and Cristo family teaching roles
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Kinya Hashimoto, “IBJJF Worlds 2021: Fernanda Cristo takes black-belt bronze,” Jiu-Jitsu Navi.(opens in a new tab)
In its full account of Cristo’s 2021 World Championship run, Jiu-Jitsu Navi observed her pull guard and use lasso and spider-guard controls while defending Ana Carolina Vieira’s passing attacks in the medium-heavyweight semifinal.
Where in the source: Worlds 2021 semifinal — observed lasso and spider-guard work against Vieira
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Kinya Hashimoto, “22nd All Japan women’s report: Fernanda wins double gold in black-belt debut,” Jiu-Jitsu Navi.(opens in a new tab)
Jiu-Jitsu Navi’s full report on Cristo’s August 2021 black-belt debut says she had won the juvenile blue-belt Pan and World Championships and two European titles at purple belt. At nineteen, shortly after promotion, she then won both medium-heavyweight and open-class gold at the JBJJF All Japan Championship.
Where in the source: All Japan 2021 women’s report — colored-belt milestones and black-belt debut double gold
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Corey Stockton, “Tye & Mica On A Collision Course, Meregali In Absolute Final,” FloGrappling, June 2022.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2022 IBJJF World Championship, Cristo reached the medium-heavyweight semifinal, where Ana Carolina Vieira defeated her, and finished as a bronze medalist alongside Ingridd Sousa.
Where in the source: Women's medium-heavyweight semifinal and complete medalists section
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Paradis Jolie Fejerang, “Largest Ever Marianas Open Delivers,” Guam Sports Network, 13 October 2024.(opens in a new tab)
After winning on Guam for a second time at the 2024 Marianas Open, Cristo represented Evox BJJ for Brazil, credited her roots in Japan with leading her to that point, and received the event's $10,000 prize.
Where in the source: Marianas Open report — Cristo's result and Japan reflection
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IBJJF, “Athlete Results: Fernanda” (complete current ranking record; accessed 13 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
The current IBJJF athlete record lists Cristo as a 2025 European Championship medium-heavyweight bronze medalist.
Where in the source: Adult Grand Slam / Medium Heavy — European 2025
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In 2025 no-gi competition, the IBJJF record lists Cristo as the Pan medium-heavyweight silver medalist and the World middleweight bronze medalist.
Where in the source: No Gi Grand Slam — Pan and World 2025
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The current IBJJF athlete page displays Fernanda as a black belt representing Celso Ricardo New Level School.
Where in the source: Athlete identity card — current team and full belt value
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The IBJJF record shows continued 2026 competition: Cristo won middleweight gold at the Atlanta Winter Open, then medium-heavyweight gold and open-class bronze at the Denver Open.
Where in the source: Adult — Atlanta Winter and Denver 2026
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UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Evox BJJ” academy record (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
The UAEJJF academy record places Evox BJJ in Toyokawa, Japan, and names Rogério de Cristo Filho as the person in charge and responsible teacher.
Where in the source: Evox BJJ academy card — Toyokawa location and responsible teacher
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BJJ Metrics, “Fernanda Yukari Makiyama Cristo” (complete competition record; accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
The complete BJJ Metrics competition record lists Cristo winning the 2019 and 2020 European Championships at adult purple belt. In 2019 it also records Asian gold and open-class silver, plus bronze medals at the Pan and World Championships; her 2018 juvenile results include Pan and World gold.
Where in the source: Competition Results — complete 2018 juvenile and 2019–2020 purple-belt rows
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage