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

Larissa Dias de Almeida

Heavyweight black belt from Rio de Janeiro who won IBJJF world titles in 2022, 2025 and 2026, the last by submitting all three opponents.

Biography

Larissa Dias de Almeida, who competes as Larissa Dias, has won the black belt heavyweight division at the IBJJF World Championship three times, in 2022, 2025 and 2026. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, which runs the championship, has described her as known for "precise guard work and relentless pace", and her BJJ Heroes profile names closed guard as her favorite position. According to that profile, she was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1998 and grew up in the city's Méier neighborhood. It says she was not a sporty child and took up jiu-jitsu at 17, in a class Vinícius Marinho taught at a GF Team academy near her home. Once she had decided to make a professional career of the sport, BJJ Heroes adds, she also studied nutrition to support it. At blue and purple belt, the federation's results list her with GF Team. At blue belt in 2017 she won both the medium-heavyweight division (74 kg) and the open class, where all weights meet, at the Brazilian national championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, and did the same at the South American Championship. In 2018 she took silver at blue belt at the World Championship, behind Kayla Jasmine Dehm, and in 2019 she won the purple belt medium-heavyweight title there. Marinho encouraged her to train with other groups as well, BJJ Heroes says, especially after he moved to Qatar. She began training with Dream Art, where she reached brown belt, and later joined Melqui Galvão's team while keeping close ties to Marinho; the profile also names Isaque Bahiense as a coach she trained with extensively. When she won the brown belt medium-heavyweight division at the 2021 Pan Championship, IBJJF listed her with Alliance. That year, while still a brown belt, she also fought black belts on the AJP tour. BJJ Heroes notes her strong results there and counts those matches in her record: first places at the Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro and at the Brazilian qualifier for the World Pro, and third place at the Abu Dhabi World Pro. The profile dates her first event at black belt to the 2021 Balneário Open and her promotion by Marinho to 24 November 2021. It traces her lineage from Luis França through Oswaldo Fadda, Monir Salomão and Júlio César Pereira to Marinho. At black belt she has fought at heavyweight, the 175-pound class, in the World and Pan championships. At the 2022 Pan Championship she took bronze in a division won by Melissa Stricker Cueto. IBJJF's event reports from that spring, when she represented MJN Jiu-Jitsu, describe her wins in Dallas, Atlanta and Houston. At the Dallas International Open in March she took gold in her weight division and in the open class, beating Vedha Toscano in the open final, and the report noted that she was still new to the belt. At the Atlanta Spring International Open in May she was unopposed in the super-heavyweight division and entered the open class. In remarks IBJJF published, she said she "won all 3 fights by submission": the first with a choke from back mount after building a 12-point lead, the second with a triangle after pulling guard, that is, sitting down to fight from her back. At the Houston International Open later that month she won the open class again, over three matches. Against Amanda Canuto, whom she called a black belt World Champion, she pulled guard, swept to mount and finished with an armbar. In the final against Fernanda Cristo of Evox BJJ she swept from single-leg X, a guard that traps one of the opponent's legs, then passed, mounted and submitted her from the back. At the World Championship that year she won her first black belt world title. According to BJJ Heroes, the final against Rafaela Ribeiro Guedes ended 0–0 on points and was settled by an advantage, the referee's credit for a near-score, used to separate athletes who are level on points. In 2023 she won the Pan Championship, still with MJN Jiu-Jitsu, with Ingridd Alves de Sousa second. At that year's World Championship IBJJF listed her with R1NG BJJ, and she reached the heavyweight final again; BJJ Heroes records another 0–0 final, this time lost on an advantage to Melissa Stricker Cueto. IBJJF's report from the New Haven International Open in August, where she won the black belt open class with two wins, counted it as her fifth event of 2023, after gold at the Pan Championship, the Atlanta Winter Open and the Orlando Summer Open and silver at the World Championship. At the 2024 World Championship she took bronze; BJJ Heroes records her semifinal loss to Amanda Magda de Oliveira by toe hold, a foot lock, and Tamiris Fernanda da Silva won the division. Representing R1NG BJJ, she won both the Pan and World championships in 2025. Maria Malgorzata Malyjasiak was second at the Pan; in the World final, BJJ Heroes has her beating Yara Soares do Nascimento 8–6 on points. In October IBJJF announced that she would make her debut at The Crown, presented by FloGrappling, in the women's super-heavyweight division on 23 November. BJJ Heroes' record of the event shows a win by choke from the back over Giovanna Carneiro, a semifinal loss to Tayane Porfirio on an advantage after a scoreless match, and a toe-hold win in what the table labels the third-place match. In 2026 IBJJF listed her with Elementum Jiu-Jitsu. She won the Pan Championship again, with Malyjasiak runner-up once more. IBJJF's recap of the World Championship says eight athletes entered the women's heavyweight division, Dias among them as the reigning champion. She opened by submitting Maria Ruffatto-Gilpin with a tarikoplata, a shoulder lock. Her semifinal was a rematch of the 2025 final against Yara Soares, and she ended it with a toe hold from single-leg X. In the final she met Maria Alencar of Atos Jiu-Jitsu, whom the recap called a "promising rookie" at black belt. Dias pulled guard and looked for sweeps, then attacked Alencar's legs and won with a second toe hold in under four minutes. It was her third black belt world title, and she had submitted all three opponents she faced.

Sources for this profile

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2022 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2022 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of MJN Jiu-Jitsu placed first in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Rafaela Ribeiro Guedes of Atos Jiu-Jitsu placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team MJN Jiu-Jitsu, place 2 Rafaela Ribeiro Guedes

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2023 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida, listed with R1NG BJJ, placed second in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb), behind Melissa Stricker Cueto of Alliance.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 Melissa Stricker Cueto (Alliance), place 2 with team R1NG BJJ

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2024 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of R1NG BJJ took one of the two third places in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Tamiris Fernanda da Silva of DreamArt won the division and Amanda Magda de Oliveira placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 Tamiris Fernanda da Silva, place 2 Amanda Magda de Oliveira, place 3 with team R1NG BJJ

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2025 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of R1NG BJJ placed first in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Yara Soares do Nascimento placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team R1NG BJJ, place 2 Yara Soares do Nascimento

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2026 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2026 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of Elementum Jiu-Jitsu placed first in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Maria Raniele Alencar Lima of Atos Jiu-Jitsu placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team Elementum Jiu-Jitsu, place 2 Maria Raniele Alencar Lima

      Accessed:

  • Kaelan Crisosto, "2026 World Championship Black Belt Recap", IBJJF News, published 4 June 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's 2026 World Championship recap says Larissa Dias of Elementum Jiu-Jitsu entered the female heavyweight division as the reigning World Champion and won it for her third World title, submitting each of the three opponents she faced.

      Where in the source: Section "Heavyweight": first sentence ("reigning World Champion Larissa Dias") and the closing sentence on her third title

      Accessed:

    • According to IBJJF's recap, eight athletes entered the 2026 female black belt heavyweight division; Larissa Dias opened by submitting Maria Ruffatto-Gilpin with a tarikoplata and then, in a semifinal rematch of the 2025 World final, submitted Yara Soares with a toe hold from single-leg X.

      Where in the source: Section "Heavyweight": opening sentence ("Eight athletes enlisted") and the next two sentences on the first round and the semifinal (single-leg-x)

      Accessed:

    • In the 2026 heavyweight final, Larissa Dias met Maria Alencar of Atos Jiu-Jitsu, whom IBJJF called a "promising rookie" at black belt; Dias pulled guard and looked for sweeps, then attacked the legs and won with a toe hold in less than four minutes.

      Where in the source: Section "Heavyweight": the sentences on the final against Maria Alencar ("under four minutes")

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Athlete Results — Larissa Almeida.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's athlete results page lists Larissa Almeida as representing Elementum Jiu-Jitsu.

      Where in the source: Athlete card under "ATHLETE RESULTS": name, team line and belt icon

      Accessed:

    • IBJJF's athlete results page shows Larissa Almeida as a black belt.

      Where in the source: Athlete card under "ATHLETE RESULTS": belt icon labelled "Black"

      Accessed:

    • IBJJF's Adult Grand Slam ranking panel for Larissa Almeida, in the heavyweight category, lists first places at the World Championship in 2025 and 2026 and at the Pan Championship in 2025 and 2026, and a third place at the 2024 World Championship.

      Where in the source: Expandable panel "ADULT GRAND SLAM" (502.0 pts), category Heavy: rows for World IBJJF 2026, Pan IBJJF 2026, World IBJJF 2025, Pan IBJJF 2025, World IBJJF 2024

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "Larissa Dias" (fighter profile), no date shown; read 6 October 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes gives her full name as Larissa Dias de Almeida, known as Larissa Dias, and describes her as a black belt under Vinícius Marinho who also trained extensively under Isaque Bahiense and Melqui Galvão on her way up the ranks.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph ("commonly known as") and the full-name field

      Accessed:

    • According to BJJ Heroes, Larissa Dias was born in 1998 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and grew up in the Méier neighbourhood.

      Where in the source: Biography section, first sentence (birth year and place)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says she was not a sporty child and took up jiu-jitsu at 17, in a class taught by Vinícius Marinho at a GF Team academy near where she lived.

      Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph ("age of 17")

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says that, after deciding to pursue a professional jiu-jitsu career, she also studied nutrition to support it.

      Where in the source: Biography section, third paragraph ("studied nutrition")

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says Marinho encouraged her to train with other groups, especially after he moved to Qatar; she began training with the Dream Art group, where she reached brown belt, and later joined Melqui Galvão's squad while keeping a close bond with Marinho.

      Where in the source: Biography section, fourth paragraph ("Dream Art group")

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says Vinícius Marinho promoted her to black belt on 24 November 2021.

      Where in the source: Biography section, fifth paragraph ("November 24, 2021")

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes notes that, while still a brown belt in 2021, she competed against black belts on the AJP tour with strong results, and that its record therefore includes those matches; it lists her black belt debut as the 2021 Balneário Open, and among her 2021 AJP results first places at the Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro and the World Pro Brazilian qualifier and a third place at the Abu Dhabi World Pro.

      Where in the source: Note regarding her record (two paragraphs before the record tables) and the colored-belt achievements list (AJP rows marked brown + black)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists closed guard as her favourite position and her weight division as heavyweight (79.3 kg).

      Where in the source: Profile fields for favourite position ("Closed Guard") and weight division

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes traces her lineage from Luis França through Oswaldo Fadda, Monir Salomão and Júlio César Pereira to Vinícius Marinho, and from him to her.

      Where in the source: Profile field for lineage (six names)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history records her World Championship heavyweight results in detail: in 2022 she beat Rafaela Guedes in the final on an advantage after 0-0 on points; in 2023 she lost the final to Melissa Cueto on an advantage after 0-0; in 2024 she lost her semifinal to Amanda Magda by toe hold; and in 2025 she beat Yara Soares 8-6 on points in the final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, rows with competition "World Champ.", weight 79KG, years 2022 (F), 2023 (F), 2024 (SF) and 2025 (F)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight history lists three matches for her at The Crown in 2025 in the over-79 kg division: a win over Giovanna Carneiro by choke from the back, a semifinal loss to Tayane Porfirio on an advantage after 0-0, and a toe-hold win over Maria Alencar in a match marked 3RD.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, rows with competition "The Crown", weight O79KG, year 2025

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2017 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu, Larissa Dias de Almeida of GF Team placed first in both the female adult blue belt medium-heavyweight division (74 kg) and the female adult blue belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results list, sections FEMALE / ADULT / BLUE / MEDIUM HEAVY (74.00KG) and FEMALE / ADULT / BLUE / OPEN CLASS: place 1 with team GF Team in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Sul-Americano de Jiu-Jitsu 2017 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 South American Championship (Campeonato Sul-Americano), Larissa Dias de Almeida of GF Team placed first in both the female adult blue belt medium-heavyweight division (74 kg) and the female adult blue belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results list, sections FEMALE / ADULT / BLUE / MEDIUM HEAVY (74.00KG) and FEMALE / ADULT / BLUE / OPEN CLASS: place 1 with team GF Team in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2018 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of GF Team placed second in the female adult blue belt medium-heavyweight division (163.6 lb), behind Kayla Jasmine Dehm of Team Lloyd Irvin.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLUE / MEDIUM HEAVY (163.60LB): place 1 Kayla Jasmine Dehm, place 2 with team GF Team

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2019 IBJJF World Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of GF Team won the female adult purple belt medium-heavyweight division (163.6 lb).

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / PURPLE / MEDIUM HEAVY (163.60LB): place 1 with team GF Team

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2021 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2021 Pan IBJJF Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida, listed with Alliance, won the female adult brown belt medium-heavyweight division (163.6 lb).

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BROWN / MEDIUM HEAVY (163.60LB): place 1 with team Alliance

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2022 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2022 Pan IBJJF Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of MJN Jiu-Jitsu took one of the two third places in the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb), which Melissa Stricker Cueto of Alliance won.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 Melissa Stricker Cueto, place 3 with team MJN Jiu-Jitsu

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2023 Pan IBJJF Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of MJN Jiu-Jitsu won the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Ingridd Alves de Sousa of DreamArt placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team MJN Jiu-Jitsu, place 2 Ingridd Alves de Sousa

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2025 Pan IBJJF Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of R1NG BJJ won the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Maria Malgorzata Malyjasiak of Abmar Barbosa Association placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team R1NG BJJ, place 2 Maria Malgorzata Malyjasiak

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2026 — Results (official results page).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2026 Pan IBJJF Championship, Larissa Dias de Almeida of Elementum Jiu-Jitsu won the female adult black belt heavyweight division (175 lb); Maria Malgorzata Malyjasiak placed second.

      Where in the source: Results list, section FEMALE / ADULT / BLACK / HEAVY (175.00LB): place 1 with team Elementum Jiu-Jitsu, place 2 Maria Malgorzata Malyjasiak

      Accessed:

  • Danny O'Donnell, "2022 Dallas Open Results and Standout Performances", IBJJF News, 28 March 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF reported that at the 2022 Dallas International Open, Larissa Dias of MJN Jiu-Jitsu, then a fairly new black belt, won her weight class and also the open class, beating Vedha Toscano in the open-class final.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph, on her result ("double gold"; "relatively new black belt")

      Accessed:

  • Danny O'Donnell, "Atlanta Spring International Open Results: Roberto Traven BJJ and Creighton MMA Win Team Titles", IBJJF News, 9 May 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF reported that at the 2022 Atlanta Spring International Open, Larissa Dias of MJN Jiu-Jitsu had no opponents in the super-heavyweight division, entered the open class and won it; in remarks quoted by IBJJF she said all three of her open-class wins came by submission: the first after building a 12-point lead and ending it with a back-mount choke, the second with a triangle after pulling guard.

      Where in the source: Paragraph on the female open class; her quoted account ("won all 3 fights by submission")

      Accessed:

  • Danny O'Donnell, "Houston International Open Results: Matheus Gabriel Returns to Competition Ahead of the Worlds", IBJJF News, 23 May 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF reported that Larissa Dias of MJN Jiu-Jitsu won the open class at the 2022 Houston International Open with three matches, the last a final win over Fernanda Cristo (Evox BJJ); in her quoted account, she pulled guard against black belt World Champion Amanda Canuto, swept to mount and finished with an armbar, and in the final swept from single-leg X, passed, mounted and submitted from the back.

      Where in the source: Paragraph on the open class and her quoted account ("swept from single leg x")

      Accessed:

  • Danny O'Donnell, "New Haven International Open Results: Larissa Dias And Italo Lima Win Absolute Gold", IBJJF News, 14 August 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF reported that Larissa Dias of R1NG BJJ, the 2022 World Champion, won the black belt open class at the 2023 New Haven International Open with two wins, in what IBJJF called her fifth event of the year; earlier in 2023 she had won gold at the Pans, the Atlanta Winter Open and the Orlando Summer Open and silver at the Worlds.

      Where in the source: Paragraph beginning with the 2022 World Champion line ("fifth event of the year")

      Accessed:

  • Danny O'Donnell, "2X World Champion Larissa Dias Is Stepping Up To Go For The Crown", IBJJF News, 10 October 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • In October 2025 IBJJF announced that two-time World Champion Larissa Dias would debut at The Crown, presented by FloGrappling, in the women's super-heavyweight division on 23 November, describing her as known for precise guard work and a relentless pace.

      Where in the source: Subtitle and body ("precise guard work and relentless pace")

      Accessed:

Lineage

No teaching connections are shown on this page.

Open lineage