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Thamara Ferreira Silva

A former gymnast who found jiu-jitsu through free college classes, Thamara Ferreira won IBJJF world titles at medium-heavy in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Biography

Thamara Ferreira Silva won the women's black belt medium-heavy division at the IBJJF World Championship in 2024, 2025 and 2026, after reaching the world podium at middleweight in each of the three years before. A former gymnast, she started jiu-jitsu in free classes at her college without knowing what it was, and at first she did not like it. According to BJJ Heroes, she was born in 1995 in Suzano, in São Paulo state, and grew up in neighboring Itaquaquecetuba. As a child she competed in artistic gymnastics nationally and internationally under coach Rodrigo Miranda, and spent a few months at the national training center in Guarulhos before stopping at 12. In her teens she played football for a regional team for two years, then left it for a university preparation course with the aim of studying law. She was 16 and doing no sport when she joined the free classes. The coach on her campus, Marco Barbosa, became her first instructor and taught her until blue belt. What kept her going, BJJ Heroes says, was the tournaments, which suited her competitive nature. After her promotion to blue belt she gave up her studies to concentrate on the sport and moved to Cicero Costha's team, where she stayed through the colored belts until Costha promoted her to black belt in June 2019. Representing Cicero Costha Internacional, she took silver in the purple belt middleweight division at the 2017 World Championship, behind Julia Boscher Seixas Pinto. In 2018 she won the brown belt middleweight title at the World No-Gi Championship and took silver in the open class behind Kendall Reusing. In 2019, still at brown belt, she won the middleweight division at the Brazilian Nationals, where her team was entered as PSLPB Cicero Costha, and at the World Championship. BJJ Heroes also lists a brown belt gold at that year's Abu Dhabi World Pro, and names Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem (PSLPB) as one of her former teams. At black belt she took bronze in the medium-heavy division at the 2019 World No-Gi Championship. The Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP) named her as one of six competitors for its first Queen of Mats heavyweight event, held in Abu Dhabi in January 2020 with a 95-kilo limit. The organizer's announcement presented her as a 70-kilo athlete who had dominated that weight at its World Pro and Grand Slam events since brown belt, and said her armbars and triangles were feared. BJJ Heroes' fight log has her beating Martina Gramenius on points and losing to Gabrieli Pessanha in the round robin, losing her semifinal to Nathiely de Jesus, and beating Kendall Reusing on points to take bronze. The same site lists spider guard and lasso guard as her favorite positions. At the 2020 European Championship she won the black belt middleweight title, with Danielle Alvarez second. BJJ Heroes' log records submissions in her quarterfinal, semifinal and final there: kneebars on Vedha Toscano and Alvarez and a toe hold on Hannah Rauch. By August 2020, BJJ Heroes counted three UAEJJF Grand Slam titles for her at black belt, along with the European gold and the Queen of Mats bronze. According to BJJ Heroes, she was widely seen as one of the leading women at Costha's academy when, in August 2020, she moved to Guigo Jiu-Jitsu, another gym in the São Paulo region; she joined officially on 10 August. She told the site that the move had not been planned. She had first gone to Guigo's gym to help Yara Soares prepare for a competition, liked the atmosphere, and saw coach Luiz Guigo as "a very complete leader". She said she had been used to working like "a machine, turned on and off", without much guidance, and felt that the more rational approach there could benefit her. She identified with the closeness of the team and with men and women training "as equals", and said she was glad when that happened naturally rather than through campaigning. When she told Cicero Costha face to face, she said, he respected her decision and wished her success, and she credited his academy, "a champions factory" in her words, with forming her drive. Representing Guigo JJ, she reached the 2021 world final at middleweight and lost it to Andressa Cintra on advantages after a 2–2 tie on points. Later that year, Fight To Win 186 in Dallas matched her with Elisabeth Clay in its no-gi title match on 29 October. BJJEE's preview noted that her best results so far had come in the gi, while Clay had more experience in no-gi. Ferreira submitted Clay with a foot lock. In 2022 she won the middleweight division at the Pan Championship, with Chloé McNally second, and took bronze at the Worlds after a 2–0 semifinal loss to Thalyta Silva. Her IBJJF entries in 2023 list her team as Brasa CTA. Elite Sports reported in May of that year, quoting her Instagram, that she had started 2023 representing Caio Terra Academy under Caio Terra. At the Pan Championship she lost her semifinal to Clay on a referee decision and took bronze, and at the Worlds she lost a semifinal to Cintra on advantages after a 4–4 tie, again finishing third. Andressa Cintra was the middleweight world champion in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Ferreira met Clay again at the American Nationals, where BJJ Heroes' log has her winning 2–0 in the final and 12–10 in the open-class semifinal; IBJJF lists her as middleweight champion and as open-class runner-up behind Melissa Stricker Cueto. At the no-gi American Nationals, Clay won their open-class final with an inside heel hook. Ferreira also took silver at middleweight at the 2023 World No-Gi Championship, behind Gabrielle McComb Lima. From 2024 she entered the World Championship at medium-heavy. Listed with Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she won the division in 2024 and 2025. BJJ Heroes' reports from those events record a 4–2 quarterfinal win over Izadora Cristina in 2024, followed by semifinal and final wins over Amy Campo and Maria Vicentini, both on advantages after 0–0. In 2025 she submitted Salla Simola with a toe hold in the semifinal and beat Ingridd Alves on advantages in another scoreless final. On the AJP circuit that year she competed at 70 kilos, and BJJ Heroes' log records final wins in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. At the 2026 World Championship she was entered with UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team. IBJJF's recap described her game as strong top pressure combined with an athleticism that lets her keep pushing the pace. It reported a 12–0 opening win and a seven-point semifinal win over Izadora Cristina, 9–2 in BJJ Heroes' log. The final against Ingridd Alves went the full ten minutes without a point and was decided by two advantages, with Ferreira still on the attack at the end. With that win, the recap noted, she became a three-time medium-heavyweight world champion.

Sources for this profile

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2026 World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva first in the female adult black belt medium-heavy division (163.60 lb), ahead of Ingridd Alves de Sousa in second, with Izadora Cristina Silva and Maria Carolina Barón Vicentini in third.

      Where in the source: Results table, category 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (163.60lb)', place 1 row — 'Thamara Ferreira Silva'

      Accessed:

    • In the 2026 World Championship results, the academy listed for Thamara Ferreira Silva is UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team.

      Where in the source: Same medium-heavy category, place 1 row, academy line — 'UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team'

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF News, '2026 World Championship Black Belt Recap', by Kaelan Crisosto, page dated 06/04/26.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's recap of the 2026 World Championship black belt divisions says Thamara Ferreira of UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team came into the event as the medium-heavyweight champion of the two previous editions, and describes her game as strong top pressure combined with athleticism that lets her keep pushing the pace.

      Where in the source: Female Divisions, section 'Medium-Heavyweight' (the second of that name), first sentences — 'strong top pressure'

      Accessed:

    • According to IBJJF's recap, she won her 2026 opening match by twelve points to none and then beat Izadora Cristina by seven points in the semifinal.

      Where in the source: Female Divisions, section 'Medium-Heavyweight' — 'twelve unanswered points'; 'seven point victory'

      Accessed:

    • IBJJF's recap reports that she beat Ingridd Alves in the 2026 final by two advantages after the full ten minutes, finishing the match on the attack, and that the win made her a three-time medium-heavyweight world champion.

      Where in the source: Female Divisions, section 'Medium-Heavyweight', closing sentences — 'two-advantage victory'; 'medium-heavyweight World Champion'

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2025 World Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva, representing Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, first in the female adult black belt medium-heavy division, ahead of Ingridd Alves de Sousa.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (163.60lb)', place 1 row — 'Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu'

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2024 World Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva, representing Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, first in the female adult black belt medium-heavy division, ahead of Maria Carolina Barón Vicentini.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (163.60lb)', place 1 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2023 World Championship list Thamara Ferreira Silva of Brasa CTA among the two third-place finishers in the female adult black belt middleweight division (152.60 lb), won by Andressa Mezari Cintra.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)', place 3 row — 'Brasa CTA'

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Thamara Ferreira' (fighter profile), undated; fight log runs to 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes gives her full name as Thamara Ferreira Silva and her birth date as 26 November 1995, in Suzano in São Paulo state, Brazil, and says she grew up in the neighbouring city of Itaquaquecetuba.

      Where in the source: Biography section, opening paragraph — 'November 26, 1995'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says that as a child she competed in artistic gymnastics at national and international level under coach Rodrigo Miranda, including a few months at the national training centre in Guarulhos, before stopping at 12.

      Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph — 'artistic gymnastics'

      Accessed:

    • According to BJJ Heroes, she played football for a regional team for two years as a teenager, then stopped to enter a university preparation programme with the aim of studying law.

      Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph, football passage — 'law degree'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says she took up jiu-jitsu at 16, at a time when she was doing no sport, after learning that her college ran free classes, although she did not know what jiu-jitsu was.

      Where in the source: Biography section, third paragraph — 'free BJJ classes'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says her first instructor was Marco Barbosa, the coach at her campus, who taught her until blue belt, and that she did not like jiu-jitsu at first; it was competition, which suited her competitive temperament, that kept her in it.

      Where in the source: Biography section, fourth paragraph — 'did not enjoy'

      Accessed:

    • According to BJJ Heroes, after her blue belt promotion she left her degree to concentrate on jiu-jitsu and joined Cicero Costha's team, where she stayed through the coloured belts until she received her black belt in June 2019; its lineage line runs from Marco Barbosa to Cicero Costha to her.

      Where in the source: Biography section, closing paragraph — 'June 2019'; lineage line in the profile data list

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists spider guard and lasso guard as her favourite positions.

      Where in the source: Profile data list, favourite position line

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says she was formerly with the Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem (PSLPB) team and that she first made her name with world titles in the coloured-belt divisions of both the IBJJF and the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) circuits; its list of coloured-belt results includes a brown belt gold at the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Pro.

      Where in the source: Profile opening paragraph — 'Lutando Pelo Bem'; coloured-belt achievements list, Abu Dhabi World Pro row

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log for the 2020 Abu Dhabi Queen of Mats (95 kg) records a points win over Martina Gramenius and a loss to Gabrieli Pessanha in the round robin, a semifinal loss to Nathiely de Jesus, and a points win over Kendall Reusing for third place.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the four 2020 Queen of Mats rows at 95 kg

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log shows that she lost the 2021 world final to Andressa Cintra on advantages after a 2–2 points tie, the 2022 world semifinal to Thalyta Silva 2–0, and the 2023 world semifinal to Andressa Cintra on advantages after 4–4, all at 69 kg.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, World Championship rows at 69 kg for 2021, 2022 and 2023

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log records her 2020 European Championship quarterfinal, semifinal and final as submission wins: a kneebar against Vedha Toscano, a toe hold against Hannah Rauch and a kneebar against Danielle Alvarez.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the three 2020 European Open rows at 69 kg

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log for the 2026 World Championship (74 kg) shows wins over Maria Malyjasiak 12–0, Izadora Cristina 9–2 in the semifinal and Ingridd Alves on advantages after 0–0 in the final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, the three World Championship rows at 74 kg for 2026

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' record of her logged matches counts 62 wins, 33 of them by submission, and 19 losses.

      Where in the source: Grappling record panel above the fight history table

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log records final wins at 70 kg at AJP events in Dubai (over Jamile Lima) and Abu Dhabi (over Anna Remneva) in 2025.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, 2025 rows at 70 kg for the AJP events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, final stage

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes' fight log records a toe hold win over Elisabeth Clay at Fight To Win 186 in 2021, and four further meetings in 2023: a semifinal loss by referee decision at the Pan Championship, a 2–0 win in the American Nationals final, a 12–10 win in the American Nationals open-class semifinal, and a loss by inside heel hook in the American Nationals No-Gi open-class final.

      Where in the source: Fight history table, rows with opponent Elisabeth Clay (2021 and 2023)

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2022 World Championship list Thamara Ferreira Silva of Guigo JJ among the two third-place finishers in the female adult black belt middleweight division, won by Andressa Mezari Cintra.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)', place 3 row — 'Guigo JJ'

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2021 World Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Guigo JJ second in the female adult black belt middleweight division, behind Andressa Mezari Cintra.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)', place 2 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2019 World Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Cicero Costha Internacional first in the female adult brown belt middleweight division.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Brown / Middle (152.60lb)', place 1 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2017 World Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Cicero Costha Internacional second in the female adult purple belt middleweight division, behind Julia Boscher Seixas Pinto.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Purple / Middle (152.60lb)', place 2 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2019 Brazilian National Championship (Campeonato Brasileiro) place Thamara Ferreira Silva first in the female adult brown belt middleweight division (69 kg), with her team listed as PSLPB Cicero Costha.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Brown / Middle (69.00kg)', place 1 row — 'PSLPB Cicero Costha'

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2018 World No-Gi Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Cicero Costha Internacional first in the female adult brown belt middleweight division and second in the brown belt open class, behind Kendall Marie Reusing.

      Where in the source: Categories 'Female / Adult / Brown / Middle (147.00lb)' (place 1) and 'Female / Adult / Brown / Open Class' (place 2)

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2019, official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2019 World No-Gi Championship list Thamara Ferreira Silva of Cicero Costha Internacional among the two third-place finishers in the female adult black belt medium-heavy division (158 lb).

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (158.00lb)', place 3 row

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2020, official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2020 European Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Cicero Costha Internacional first in the female adult black belt middleweight division (69 kg), ahead of Danielle Renee Alvarez.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (69.00kg)', place 1 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2022 Pan Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Guigo JJ first in the female adult black belt middleweight division, ahead of Chloé Michelle McNally.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)', place 1 row — 'Guigo JJ'

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2023 Pan Championship list Thamara Ferreira Silva of Brasa CTA among the two third-place finishers in the female adult black belt middleweight division.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)', place 3 row

      Accessed:

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

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2023 American National Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Brasa CTA first in the female adult black belt middleweight division and second in the black belt open class, behind Melissa Stricker Cueto.

      Where in the source: Categories 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (152.60lb)' (place 1) and 'Female / Adult / Black / Open Class' (place 2)

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2023, official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF's official results for the 2023 World No-Gi Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva of Brasa CTA second in the female adult black belt middleweight division (147 lb), behind Gabrielle Mc Comb Lima.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Middle (147.00lb)', place 2 row

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 2024, official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Conflicting accounts

      IBJJF's official results for the 2024 Brazilian National Championship place Thamara Ferreira Silva second in the female adult black belt medium-heavy division (74 kg), behind Sábatha Laís Francisco dos Santos; both are listed with Fratres Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

      Where in the source: Category 'Female / Adult / Black / Medium Heavy (74.00kg)', place 2 row

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Thamara Ferreira Moves To Guigo Jiu-Jitsu Team', 20 August 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes reported in August 2020 that since her move to black belt in mid-2019 she had won three UAEJJF Grand Slam events and the European title, and had taken bronze at the Queen of Mats in Abu Dhabi earlier in 2020.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph — 'Grand Slam'

      Accessed:

    • In August 2020 she left Cicero Costha's academy, where she had trained since blue belt and where, according to BJJ Heroes, she was widely seen as one of the team's leading women, for the Guigo Jiu-Jitsu team, also in the São Paulo region; BJJ Heroes says she officially joined on 10 August 2020.

      Where in the source: Third and final paragraphs — 'August 10, 2020'

      Accessed:

    • She told BJJ Heroes that the move was unplanned: she first visited Guigo's gym so she could help Yara Soares prepare for a competition, liked the atmosphere, and saw coach Luiz Guigo as a complete leader; she said she had been used to working like a machine switched on and off, without much guidance, and felt the more rational approach there could benefit her.

      Where in the source: Fourth paragraph, her quoted answer — 'complete leader'

      Accessed:

    • She told BJJ Heroes she identified with how close the Guigo team was and with men and women training there on equal terms, adding that she was glad when this happened naturally rather than through campaigning.

      Where in the source: Fifth paragraph, her quoted answer — 'as equals'

      Accessed:

    • She said Cicero Costha, who had promoted her to black belt, respected her decision when she told him face to face and wished her success, and she credited his academy, which she called a 'champions factory', with forming her drive.

      Where in the source: Sixth paragraph, her quoted answer — 'champions factory'

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, '2024 World Championship Results, Records Shattered And History Made', 2 June 2024.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes' 2024 World Championship report records her medium-heavy run as a 4–2 quarterfinal win over Izadora Cristina, a semifinal win over Amy Campo on advantages after 0–0, and a final win over Maria Vicentini on advantages after 0–0.

      Where in the source: Female medium-heavy bracket list (quarter-finals, semi-finals, final rows naming her)

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'IBJJF World Championship 2025 Results, Records Shattered And History Made', 1 June 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes' 2025 World Championship report records her semifinal win over Salla Simola by toe hold and her final win over Ingridd Alves on advantages after 0–0.

      Where in the source: Section 'MEDIUM-HEAVY, FEMALE', SF and F rows naming her

      Accessed:

  • Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP), undated news item announcing the six competitors for the first Abu Dhabi Queen of Mats heavyweight event, January 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • Announcing the first Abu Dhabi Queen of Mats heavyweight (-95 kg) event for January 2020, the AJP named Thamara Ferreira as one of its six competitors and described her as a -70 kg athlete who had dominated that division in its World Pro and Grand Slam events since brown belt, with feared armbar and triangle attacks.

      Where in the source: Competitor list, entry 'Thamara Ferreira (Brazil)'

      Accessed:

    • The AJP lists Thamara Ferreira's country as Brazil.

      Where in the source: Competitor list, entry 'Thamara Ferreira (Brazil)'

      Accessed:

  • BJJEE, 'Fight To Win 186: Elisabeth Clay vs. Thamara Ferreira Title Match Announced', 28 October 2021.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJEE reported in October 2021 that she had been booked against Elisabeth Clay for the no-gi title match of Fight To Win 186 on 29 October 2021, noting that her best results so far had come in the gi while Clay was the more experienced no-gi competitor.

      Where in the source: Article body, first two paragraphs — 'title fight'

      Accessed:

  • BJJEE, 'F2W 186: Full Results and Highlights', 2 November 2021.(opens in a new tab)

    • At Fight To Win 186 in Dallas, Texas, on 29 October 2021, she won the title match against Elisabeth Clay by submission with a foot lock.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph and first line of the results list — 'via Foot Lock'

      Accessed:

  • Elite Sports blog, 'Thamara Ferreira - Top Middleweight Female Black Belt', by Oscar Pereira, 29 May 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • Elite Sports reported in May 2023, quoting her Instagram, that at the start of 2023 she began representing Caio Terra Academy under Caio Terra.

      Where in the source: Section '2.8. Joined Caio Terra Academy'

      Accessed:

Lineage

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