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Nathiely de Jesus

“Nathy”

Source: bjjheroes.com

Brazilian guard player who won the Worlds open class in 2018 and 2019, beat Gabi Garcia at Fight 2 Win and returned to competition after having a baby.

Biography

Nathiely de Jesus won the open class at the IBJJF World Championship in 2018 and 2019, the division in which competitors of every weight face one another. Known as Nathy, the Brazilian black belt describes herself as a guard player. In 2019 she beat Gabi Garcia in a submission-only main event, and after having a baby she returned to competition. She was born in 1996 in Itapira, a small town in São Paulo state, and spent her childhood in Embu das Artes, near the city of São Paulo, where her family had settled when she was small. She had bronchitis as a child, and on a doctor's advice her parents enrolled her in judo at 12. A year later she started jiu-jitsu at Claudio Felix's academy, a Lotus Club affiliate, and three months after that she entered her first tournament. Her Jiu-Jitsu X instructor biography quotes her as saying she fell for the sport at her first class. Felix gave her the blue and purple belts. BJJ Heroes says she trained mostly for her health at first and was drawn more and more toward competition, and FloGrappling credits her with tournament wins at both belts while she represented Lotus Club. In 2013 she began a relationship with Manuel Ribamar, who competed for Cicero Costha's team, PSLPB. The initials stand for Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem, the Fighting for Good Social Project, and the team already had a name for turning out competitors such as Leandro Lo and Paulo and João Miyao. She first visited Ribamar's academy in December 2013. According to BJJ Heroes, the sessions there were far tougher and more geared to competition than anything she had known, and one hard workout was enough to win her over. She was formally on the PSLPB roster by January 2014, training alongside Ribamar, Lo and the Miyaos. From then on she trained and competed full time, found sponsors and traveled to tournaments in Brazil and abroad. The IBJJF results from her purple belt years show her winning her weight division at the Brazilian National Championship in 2014 and 2015 and, in 2015, at the Pan and World Championships as well, with open class bronze at the 2014 Brazilian Nationals and at the 2015 Pan and Worlds. As a brown belt she won both the medium-heavy division and the open class at the 2015 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship. A few months after her promotion to brown she also beat several brown and black belts in the women's +62 kg absolute at the UAEJJF Brazil National Pro, which earned her a paid trip to the Abu Dhabi World Pro. At the 2016 World Pro she won the combined brown and black belt category, and in the absolute her second-round opponent was Mackenzie Dern. She was ahead 6-4 near the end when she was penalized for going out of bounds, and Dern won on advantages. FloGrappling later wrote that this defeat, more than her category win, was what made the wider jiu-jitsu world pay attention to her. She told the same outlet that beating black belts there while still a brown belt showed her she was on their level. In the IBJJF events of 2016 she won the brown belt medium-heavy division at the Pan Championship, where she took silver in the open class behind Bianca Barbosa Basilio, and at the Brazilian Nationals. At the World Championship she won the brown belt medium-heavy division and the open class, and Cicero Costha promoted her to black belt on the podium. She was 20. For five months of 2016 she trained in San Antonio, Texas, with Rodrigo Pinheiro, and she represented his team at some events that year. Registered under his academy's name, she won both the black belt heavyweight division and the open class at the 2016 American National Championship. About five months after her promotion she won her division and the open class at black belt at the World No-Gi Championship, submitting Andresa Correa in the open class final. Late that year she was traveling the UAEJJF Grand Slam circuit, with stops in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, to chase the 2016-2017 UAEJJF ranking, and she finished that season ranked first among female black belts. At the 2017 World Championship, her first as a black belt, she won the medium-heavy division ahead of Correa. Graciemag later recalled her attacking Correa, already an established champion, mounting her and finishing with a lapel choke. In the open class she took silver. By March 2018 she was living in Dallas, Texas, and on 20 March that year her move to the Soul Fighters team, with whom she had already been training there, was announced. She explained to FloGrappling that she had trained under Costha for almost five years, but that his team had no affiliates in the United States, so once she had settled there she began training with Soul Fighters and in time decided to switch. The team's co-founder, Bruno "Tank" Mendes, praised her team spirit and called the change a natural step after the time she had spent training with them in Texas. In 2018 she won the black belt medium-heavy division at the Pan Championship, with bronze in the open class, and the IBJJF's official World Championship results for that year list her first at heavyweight and in the open class. She also won the heavyweight title at the 2018 World No-Gi Championship. In 2019 she won the heavyweight division and the open class at the European Championship, and at the Pan Championship she won the heavyweight division but lost the open class final to Gabi Garcia. At the World Championship she again won both divisions. She quickly submitted Fernanda Mazzelli at heavyweight, and on 2 June she beat Beatriz "Bia" Mesquita 4-0 on points in the open class final. Graciemag called it a cautious, low-risk performance and contrasted it with the attacking style she usually showed. FloGrappling has described her as tall and athletic, with legs suited to the triangle choke, and wrote in 2016 that her long limbs made her guard very hard to pass and that she attacked with a wide range of submissions from any position. The IBJJF said much the same about her guard in 2023, calling her a difficult opponent to build a game plan against. Her favorite position, according to BJJ Heroes, is the lasso guard, in which one leg wraps around the opponent's arm while the hand grips the sleeve. A few months after the 2019 Pan final she met Garcia again, in the 10-minute main event of Fight 2 Win 121 in Austin, Texas, in August 2019, representing Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ. The rules were submission-only, and Graciemag noted that Garcia was the taller and stronger of the two. De Jesus told the magazine she had expected Garcia to seldom play guard against her, so she adjusted her guard game to hold her more securely. In FloGrappling's account Garcia stayed on top for the whole match, but de Jesus answered Garcia's stacking pressure with armbar and triangle attacks, used her reach to unbalance Garcia and keep her in closed guard, and was attacking a kimura as the match ended. The judges gave her a unanimous decision and the F2W heavyweight belt. She said she had expected the judges to favor her because, under those rules, she had attempted more submissions, and that during the match she kept urging herself on, "Go, Nathi, keep going," knowing Garcia might tire. Titles, she told Graciemag, did not change her confidence, which came from believing in herself, in the people who work with her and in God, and what she valued most in the win was showing those who follow her that nothing is impossible. In January 2020 she reached the final of the first heavyweight edition of Queen of Mats, an event of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) held in Abu Dhabi during the Grand Slam there. In the group stage she submitted Kendall Reusing with a kimura and choked Samantha Cook from the back, and in the semifinal she needed less than a minute to choke Thamara Silva, again from the back. Gabi Pessanha, then 19, won the final 2-1 on the strength of an early sweep. In early 2021 de Jesus won no-gi superfights against both Garcia and Reusing. The IBJJF reported her return to competition at the Austin Summer International Open in Round Rock, Texas, on 16-17 July 2022. She won the open class in two matches, finishing Jessica Buchman with an armbar in the semifinal and, after setting up from her lasso guard, Jessica Guedry with a belly-down armbar in the final. In March 2023 she won the IBJJF Female Heavyweight Grand Prix, beating Ana Carolina Vieira and Andressa Cintra, both world champions. Before the 2023 World Championship, her first Worlds since 2019, she told FloGrappling that she was very happy to be back after having a baby, that she felt less pressure than before, and that she wanted to show the women and mothers who follow her that a comeback was possible. She placed third at heavyweight, behind Melissa Stricker Cueto and Larissa Dias de Almeida. In May 2024 she made her debut at ADXC, in a grappling bout at the event's fourth edition at the Dojo de Paris, and beat Elizabeth Mitrovic by unanimous decision; the AJP's report has her controlling the bout from the top against Mitrovic's active guard, trying to take the back and attacking an arm. At the 2026 Pan Championship she won the black belt super-heavyweight division in the Master 1 age category. She and her husband, Manuel Ribamar, also a black belt competitor and former Costha athlete, are listed among the instructors at Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in San Antonio, the academy led by Pinheiro and Pete Spratt. She teaches her lasso and inverted lasso guard in a Jiu-Jitsu X course called "Lasso of Truth". In her instructor biography she says she loves teaching, that on the mats everyone is equal, and that training gives her students an hour in which to forget their problems. Jiu-jitsu, the biography adds, has let her travel, meet people and help her family financially. She is quoted there as saying she has reached her goals but still wants to keep going, and that her aim is to help others live out their dreams, grow her school and produce world champions.

Sources for this profile

  • IBJJF News, Danny O'Donnell, 'Multiple Time Absolute World Champion Nathiely De Jesus Aims To Be Crowned On November 19th', published 10/06/23.(opens in a new tab)

    • In October 2023 the IBJJF wrote that Nathiely de Jesus had won two black belt open-class (absolute) gold medals at the World Championship.

      Where in the source: Article body, first lines — 'open class gold medals'

      Accessed:

    • In October 2023 the IBJJF wrote that, after her double gold at the 2019 World Championship, she had taken a break from competition before coming back.

      Where in the source: Article body, middle — 'took a break'

      Accessed:

    • At the IBJJF Female Heavyweight Grand Prix in March 2023 she beat world champions Andressa Cintra and Ana Vieira to win the Grand Prix title.

      Where in the source: Article body, after the comeback sentence — 'Heavyweight Grand Prix'

      Accessed:

    • The IBJJF described her guard as extremely hard to pass and her as a difficult opponent to prepare a game plan against.

      Where in the source: Article body, near the end — 'impassable guard'

      Accessed:

    • She was entered in the female super-heavyweight division of the first IBJJF Crown, held on 19 November 2023 and broadcast on FloGrappling.

      Where in the source: Article body — 'super heavyweight division'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, Hywel Teague, '2016's Breakout Star Nathiely Jesus Sets Sights On Jiu-Jitsu's Top Prizes', 10 November 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • She first drew wide attention in 2015 by winning double gold (weight class and absolute) as a brown belt at the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship.

      Where in the source: Standfirst — 'double gold'

      Accessed:

    • In 2016 she won the combined brown-and-black-belt category at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, then won both her weight class and the absolute at the 2016 IBJJF World Championship.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — 'combined brown-black belt category'

      Accessed:

    • Cicero Costha promoted her to black belt on the podium at the 2016 World Championship.

      Where in the source: Paragraph after the No-Gi photo caption — 'on the podium'

      Accessed:

    • About five months after the promotion she won double gold in the black belt division of the 2016 World No-Gi Championship, submitting Andresa Correa in the open-weight final.

      Where in the source: Paragraph after the No-Gi photo caption — 'five months later'

      Accessed:

    • She told FloGrappling that winning the World Pro as a brown belt against black belts showed her she was on their level.

      Where in the source: First quoted paragraph — 'same level'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling described her style as controlled and composed but aggressive, said her long limbs made her guard very hard to pass, and noted that she used a wide range of submissions from every position.

      Where in the source: Paragraph below the Japan video — 'controlled and composed'

      Accessed:

    • During 2016 she spent five months training with Rodrigo Pinheiro in San Antonio, Texas, and represented his team at some tournaments that year.

      Where in the source: Paragraph below the Japan video — 'San Antonio, Texas'

      Accessed:

    • In late 2016 she was travelling to UAEJJF Grand Slam events in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro with the aim of winning the 2016-2017 UAEJJF ranking.

      Where in the source: Paragraph before the closing quote — 'UAEJJF Ranking'

      Accessed:

  • Jiu-Jitsu X, instructor page 'Nathiely De Jesus', biography (undated, c. 2022).(opens in a new tab)

    • The biography says she developed a lasso guard game, which she teaches in her Jiu-Jitsu X course 'Lasso of Truth', covering lasso and inverted lasso guard, and calls her a self-described guard player.

      Where in the source: Biography, lasso paragraph and course paragraph — 'lasso guard'

      Accessed:

    • Her Jiu-Jitsu X instructor biography says she had asthma and frequent bronchitis as a child, that a doctor recommended jiu-jitsu, and quotes her saying she fell in love with it at her first class.

      Where in the source: Biography, opening section — 'prescribed jiu jitsu'

      Accessed:

    • According to the same biography, as competition drew her in she moved from Claudio Felix's academy in São Paulo to Cicero Costha's Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem, where she trained alongside Manuel Ribamar, Paulo and João Miyao and Leandro Lo.

      Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph — 'Claudio Felix'

      Accessed:

    • In a quotation on the biography page she says she loves teaching, that on the mats everyone is equal, and that students can spend an hour forgetting their problems while training.

      Where in the source: Teaching section, first quote — 'all the same'

      Accessed:

    • She is quoted saying she feels she has reached her goals but still wants to keep going, and that her aim is to help others live their dream, grow her school and produce world champions.

      Where in the source: Teaching section, second quote — 'live their dream'

      Accessed:

    • The biography says she moved to Texas in 2017 with Manuel Ribamar and that both taught at Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ in Boerne, Texas.

      Where in the source: Teaching section, last paragraph — 'Boerne, TX'

      Accessed:

    • The biography says jiu-jitsu let her travel, meet people and help her family financially.

      Where in the source: Teaching section — 'family financially'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, 'Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt World Champion Nathiely de Jesus Joins Soul Fighters', 21 March 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • She won the IBJJF World Championship in 2017, her first year as a black belt, and finished the 2016-2017 UAEJJF ranking as the top-ranked female black belt.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — 'top-ranked female black belt'

      Accessed:

    • Her move to the Soul Fighters team was announced on 20 March 2018; she came from São Paulo, Brazil, and was then living in Dallas, Texas, where she had already been training with Soul Fighters.

      Where in the source: Second and third paragraphs — 'Originally hailing from'

      Accessed:

    • She explained that she had trained under Cicero Costha for almost five years, but his team had no affiliates in the United States, so after settling there she trained with Soul Fighters and eventually decided to switch teams.

      Where in the source: Her quoted paragraph — 'any affiliates here'

      Accessed:

    • Soul Fighters co-founder Bruno 'Tank' Mendes praised her team spirit and said the switch was a natural step after she had been training with the team in Texas for some time.

      Where in the source: Mendes quote — 'amazing team spirit'

      Accessed:

    • She is married to the black belt competitor Manuel Ribamar, who had also represented Cicero Costha.

      Where in the source: Penultimate paragraph — 'married to fellow'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, Heather Raftery, 'Nathiely Jesus: The 20-Year-Old Breakout Black Belt Superstar In The Making', 14 January 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • FloGrappling's January 2017 profile, which gives her full name as Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus, says she came from the small town of Itapira and that her family had moved to Embu das Artes, on the outskirts of São Paulo, when she was young.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraphs and childhood section — 'Itapira'

      Accessed:

    • According to the same profile, she had bronchitis as a child; on a doctor's advice her parents put her into judo at 12 and, a year later, into jiu-jitsu at a Lotus Club affiliate under Claudio Felix, and she entered her first competition three months after starting.

      Where in the source: Section on her childhood illness — 'then 12-year-old'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling described her as tall and athletic, with legs suited to the triangle choke, and said she won a number of tournaments at blue and purple belt competing under the Lotus Club banner.

      Where in the source: Section on her early competitive years — 'Lotus Club flag'

      Accessed:

    • In 2013 she began a relationship with Manuel Ribamar, an athlete at Cicero Costha's PSLPB; after her first visit to his academy in December 2013 she decided to join, and by January 2014 she was officially a PSLPB athlete.

      Where in the source: Same section, last paragraphs — 'By January 2014'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling wrote that PSLPB ('Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem', Fighting For Good Social Project) was already known for producing competitors such as Leandro Lo and Paulo and João Miyao, and that after joining she trained and competed full time, attracted sponsors and travelled in Brazil and abroad to compete.

      Where in the source: Section on her first PSLPB years — 'competing full time'

      Accessed:

    • A few months after her promotion to brown belt she beat several brown and black belts in the female +62 kg absolute division of the UAEJJF Brazil National Pro, earning an expenses-paid trip to the Abu Dhabi World Pro.

      Where in the source: Section on her first PSLPB years — 'Brazil National Pro'

      Accessed:

    • At the 2016 Abu Dhabi World Pro, after winning the +70 kg division, she met Mackenzie Dern in the second round of the absolute; she led 6-4 near the end, was penalised for going out of bounds, and Dern won on advantages. FloGrappling wrote that this loss, more than her win, made the international community notice her.

      Where in the source: Paragraphs after the Los Angeles Grand Slam photo — 'her loss'

      Accessed:

    • She was 20 when she won the brown belt medium-heavy and absolute divisions at the 2016 IBJJF World Championship and was promoted to black belt by Cicero Costha.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraphs — 'only 20 years old'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2018 Pan Championship list her (Cicero Costha Internacional) first in female adult black belt medium-heavy and third in black belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (163.60lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, Joe Gilpin, 'Nathiely Returns: The 2-Time Absolute Champion Is Back For IBJJF World Gold', 30 May 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • Before the 2023 World Championship, her first Worlds since 2019, she told FloGrappling she was very happy to be back after having a baby, felt less pressure than before, and wanted to show the women and mothers who follow her that a comeback was possible.

      Where in the source: Her quoted statement on the return — 'after having a baby'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling reported that she beat Beatriz 'Bia' Mesquita 4-0 on points in the 2019 World Championship absolute final.

      Where in the source: Paragraph after her quote — 'by points (4-0)'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling reported that in early 2021 she won no-gi superfights against both Gabi Garcia and Kendall Reusing.

      Where in the source: Paragraph below the Grand Prix video — 'early 2021 no-gi superfights'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling reported that in early March 2023 she won the Tezos FloGrappling IBJJF Heavyweight Grand Prix, beating reigning world champions Ana Carolina Vieira and Andressa Cintra, and, previewing a possible meeting with Gabi Pessanha, set Pessanha's pressure and physicality against her lasso and open guard.

      Where in the source: Paragraphs on her return — 'Heavyweight Grand Prix'

      Accessed:

  • Lance!, 'Gabi Pessanha bate Nathiely e conquista posto de rainha do tatame', 18 January 2020 (Portuguese).(opens in a new tab)

    • At the first heavyweight edition of the AJP's Queen of Mats, held in Abu Dhabi during the Grand Slam on 17 January 2020, the Brazilian submitted Kendall Reusing with a kimura and choked Samantha Cook from the back in the group stage, then choked Thamara Silva from the back in under a minute in the semifinal.

      Where in the source: Summary sections 'Fase de grupos' and semifinal — 'para a brasileira se garantir'

      Accessed:

    • In the Queen of Mats final Gabi Pessanha, then 19, beat her 2-1 on the strength of an early sweep and took the title.

      Where in the source: Section 'Final' — 'uma raspagem no início do combate'

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Nathiely Jesus' fighter profile (undated; read October 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes gives her date of birth as 10 February 1996, her birthplace as Itapira in São Paulo state, and says she grew up in Embu das Artes.

      Where in the source: Biography section, first paragraph — 'February 10, 1996'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes gives her full name as Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus and her nickname as 'Nathy', a short form of Nathiely.

      Where in the source: Fact list at the top — 'Nickname'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes traces her lineage as Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Marcelo Behring, Waldomiro Perez, Roberto Godoi, Marco Barbosa, Cicero Costha, then Nathiely.

      Where in the source: Fact list at the top — 'Lineage'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says she received her blue and purple belts from Claudio Felix, at first trained mainly for her health, and grew more interested in competing over time.

      Where in the source: Biography, second and third paragraphs — 'blue and purple belts'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes describes the training she found at Cicero Costha's gym in December 2013 as far more intense and competition-focused than she was used to, and says that a hard session there persuaded her to switch.

      Where in the source: Biography, third and fourth paragraphs — 'wake-up call'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes names the lasso guard as her favourite position.

      Where in the source: Fact list — 'Favorite Position/Technique'

      Accessed:

  • Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), 'ADXC 4: Nathiely de Jesus and Elizabeth Mitrovic join the Main Card in a Welterweight bout', 26 April 2024.(opens in a new tab)

    • Previewing ADXC 4 in April 2024, the AJP described her as a Brazilian black belt under Cícero Costha and a two-time Abu Dhabi Grand Slam champion, making her debut in the event in a welterweight grappling bout against Elizabeth Mitrovic.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — 'two-time Abu Dhabi Grand Slam champion'

      Accessed:

  • Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), 'ADXC 4: Benoit Saint Denis, Espen Mathiesen, Ffion, Khaled, and all the champions who rose in France', 18 May 2024.(opens in a new tab)

    • At ADXC 4 at the Dojo de Paris on 18 May 2024 she beat Elizabeth Mitrovic by unanimous decision; the AJP's report says Mitrovic worked from an active guard while she controlled from the top, tried to take the back and attacked an arm.

      Where in the source: Section 'Nathiely de Jesus vs. Elizabeth Mitrovic' — 'pressure from the top'

      Accessed:

  • Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 'About Us' (current site; read 5 October 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • The About Us page of Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in San Antonio, Texas, led by Rodrigo Pinheiro and Pete Spratt, lists Nathiely de Jesus and Manuel Ribamar in its instructor team.

      Where in the source: Section 'Meet the team' — name heading 'NATHIELY DE JESUS'

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Video: When the absolute queen of BJJ was making her debut, with Nathiely de Jesus', 5 June 2019.(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported that at the 2019 World Championship she quickly submitted Fernanda Mazzelli at heavyweight and, on Sunday 2 June 2019, beat Bia Mesquita on points in the open-class final, scoring twice by coming up and taking no risks, a cautious approach Graciemag contrasted with her usually aggressive style.

      Where in the source: Third paragraph (the 2019 heavyweight and absolute matches) and the fourth — 'without exposing herself'

      Accessed:

    • According to Graciemag, at her first World Championship as a black belt in 2017 she attacked Andresa Correa, an established champion, took the mount and finished her with a lapel choke.

      Where in the source: Last paragraph — 'choked her with the lapel'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF News, 'Austin Summer International Open Results: Nathiely De Jesus Wins Open Class Gold In Return To Competition' (July 2022).(opens in a new tab)

    • The IBJJF reported that she returned to competition at the 2022 Austin Summer International Open (Round Rock, Texas, 16-17 July), winning the open class in two matches: an armbar against Jessica Buchman in the semifinal and, after setting up from her lasso guard, a belly-down armbar against Jessica Guedry in the final.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — 'made her highly anticipated return'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, Joe Gilpin, 'Tayane Porfirio To Replace Nathiely de Jesus In IBJJF's The Crown', 8 November 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • On 8 November 2023 FloGrappling reported that the IBJJF had named Tayane Porfírio as her replacement in the super-heavyweight division of the first IBJJF Crown, held in Long Beach on 19 November 2023.

      Where in the source: Standfirst — 'step in to replace Nathiely de Jesus'

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, Rose Miller, 'Nathiely Stays Cool Under Pressure, Show How To Neutralize Gabi', 13 August 2019.(opens in a new tab)

    • At Fight 2 Win 121 in Austin, Texas, in August 2019, representing Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ, she beat Gabi Garcia by unanimous decision in a 10-minute main event to win the F2W heavyweight belt, a few months after losing the 2019 Pan open-class final to Garcia.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraphs — 'become the F2W Heavyweight champion'

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling's analysis of the match: Garcia stayed on top throughout, but she answered Garcia's stacking pressure with armbar and triangle attacks, used her length to off-balance Garcia and hold her in closed guard, and finished the match attacking a kimura.

      Where in the source: Paragraphs after the video — 'Off the stack'

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, 'Interview: Nathiely de Jesus details win over Gabi Garcia', 15 August 2019.(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported that she beat a taller, stronger Gabi Garcia by unanimous decision to secure the F2W belt, and that in an interview afterwards she explained her plan: expecting that Garcia would seldom play guard and pull her into Garcia's own guard, she adjusted her guard game to hold her more securely.

      Where in the source: Introduction and answer on pre-fight strategy — 'adjusting my guard game'

      Accessed:

    • In the same interview she said she expected to win the decision because, under the submission-only rules, she had made more submission attempts, and that during the match she kept telling herself to keep going, knowing Garcia might tire.

      Where in the source: Answers on the decision and 'During the fight' — 'Go, Nathi, keep going'

      Accessed:

    • She told Graciemag that titles did not change her confidence, which came from belief in herself, in the people who work with her and in God, and that she valued the win mainly as proof to her followers that nothing is impossible.

      Where in the source: Answers on the absolute title and on her place among the best — 'nothing is impossible'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, official results, Austin Summer International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2022.(opens in a new tab)

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2022 Austin Summer International Open list her (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) first in female adult black belt open class, ahead of Jessica Lynn Guedry, and second in black belt heavyweight behind teammate Silvia de Araujo Silva.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (175.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2014 Campeonato Brasileiro list Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult purple belt medium-heavy and third in female adult purple belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Purple / Medium Heavy (71.50kg)' and '... / Purple / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2015 Pan Championship list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult purple belt middleweight and third in purple belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Purple / Middle (147.00lb)' and '... / Purple / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2015 Campeonato Brasileiro list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult purple belt middleweight.

      Where in the source: Results page, division 'Female / Adult / Purple / Middle (66.50kg)'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2015 World Championship list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult purple belt middleweight and third in purple belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Purple / Middle (147.00lb)' and '... / Purple / Open Class'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, official results, World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2015.(opens in a new tab)

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2015 World No-Gi Championship list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in both female adult brown belt medium-heavy and brown belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Brown / Medium Heavy (158.00lb)' and '... / Brown / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2016 Pan Championship list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult brown belt medium-heavy and second in brown belt open class, behind Bianca Barbosa Basilio.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Brown / Medium Heavy (158.00lb)' and '... / Brown / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2016 Campeonato Brasileiro list her (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in female adult brown belt medium-heavy.

      Where in the source: Results page, division 'Female / Adult / Brown / Medium Heavy (71.50kg)'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2016 World Championship list Nathiely Karoline Melo de Jesus (PSLPB Cicero Costha) first in both female adult brown belt medium-heavy and brown belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Brown / Medium Heavy (158.00lb)' and '... / Brown / Open Class'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, official results, American National Gi & Kids Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2016 American National Championship list her (academy: Rodrigo Pinheiro) first in both female adult black belt heavyweight and black belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (169.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, official results, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2016 World No-Gi Championship list her (academy: Rodrigo Pinheiro) first in both female adult black belt medium-heavy and black belt open class, with Andresa Correa second in the open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (158.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2017 World Championship list her (Cicero Costha Internacional) first in female adult black belt medium-heavy, ahead of Andresa Correa, and second in black belt open class behind Tayane Porfírio de Araújo.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (163.60lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2018 World Championship list her (Unity Jiu-jitsu) first in both female adult black belt heavyweight and black belt open class, with Bianca Barbosa Basilio second in the open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (175.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, official results, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2018 World No-Gi Championship list her (Unity Jiu-jitsu) first in female adult black belt heavyweight.

      Where in the source: Results page, division 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (169.00lb)'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2019 Pan Championship list her (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) first in female adult black belt heavyweight and second in black belt open class behind Gabrielle Lemos Garcia.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (175.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2019 European Championship list her (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) first in both female adult black belt heavyweight and black belt open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (79.30kg)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2019 World Championship list her (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) first in both female adult black belt heavyweight and black belt open class, with Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita second in the open class.

      Where in the source: Results page, divisions 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (175.00lb)' and '... / Black / Open Class'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2023 World Championship list her (Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ) third in female adult black belt heavyweight, behind Melissa Stricker Cueto and Larissa Dias de Almeida.

      Where in the source: Results page, division 'Female / Adult / Black / Heavy (175.00lb)'

      Accessed:

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

    • Official IBJJF results for the 2026 Pan Championship list her (academy: Rodrigo Pinheiro) first in female master 1 black belt super-heavyweight.

      Where in the source: Results page, division 'Female / Master 1 / Black / Super Heavy'

      Accessed:

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