With 2024 coming to a close, it's time to reflect on one of the biggest years in grappling history. There was so much great action and so many elite athletes putting on incredible performances that we expanded our pool of nominees to eight - eight women who have risen above the field to be nominated for grappler of the year

VOTE HERE FOR THE FLOGRAPPLING AWARDS

Adele Fornarino, Atos Jiu-Jitsu/Dominance MMA

2024 will be remembered by many within grappling as the year Adele made history, as the Australian standout captured double gold at the ADCC Worlds in one of the best runs ever. She made her WNO debut and eventually won the championship and she is poised to stand atop the grappling world in 2025.

Ana Carolina Vieira, Aviv Jiu-Jitsu

Ana Carolina looked incredible all year long, first submitting everyone to punch her ticket to the 2024 ADCC World Championships at the South American Trials, then winning gold at the Worlds with impressive wins over Amanda Leve, Bia Mesquita, and Helena Crevar. She is a force to be reckoned with against anyone in the world.

Brianna Ste-Marie, Brazilian Top Team

Brianna had a dramatic year that she ended on top, winning The Crown and the No-Gi Worlds in spectacular fashion. After a silver medal at Brasileiros, she made the World finals in 2024 but lost to Luiza Monteiro and then finished ADCC with a 1-3 record. From there, Brianna has spoken about changing things up mentally and finding a new approach to competition. For her to finish the year so strongly is what gets her included on the list.

Elisabeth Clay, Ares Jiu-Jitsu

Elisabeth Clay took much of the year off from competition, but only because she was pregnant and welcoming her first child. Only weeks after delivering her son, she was back on the mats and won double gold at the IBJJF No-Gi Pans before a month later taking home World gold. Even though her year was short in terms of number of events, the remarkable achievements she got earns her a nomination.

Ffion Davies, Essential Jiu-Jitsu

Ffion continues to be one of the most exciting grapplers in the world and in 2024 she picked up more big wins after finishing 2023 as the No-Gi Worlds double gold. Ffion beat BSM, Mo Black, and more top contenders and won the lone women's bout on the Craig Jones Invitational when she submitted Mackenzie Dern.

Gabi Pessanha, InFight Jiu-Jitsu

Another year of dominance for Gabi, the queen of the game. At just 24, she added her fourth straight double Grand Slam in the gi by winning super-heavy and the open class at Euros, Pans, Brasileiros, and Worlds. She followed that up by winning the Crown and finally making her long-awaited no-gi debut where (no shock) she won double gold at the No-Gi Worlds. She beats everyone, she does it by submission, and she is only competing with the record books already in her young career.

Helena Crevar, New Wave Jiu-Jitsu

Helena is the youngest athlete to ever be nominated in this category - another record broken for the New Wave brown belt in 2024. She won the ADCC West Coast Trials and then had a great Worlds where she became the youngest medalist ever. With more gold medals at the IBJJF Worlds (in the juvenile gi & no-gi divisions) and continued success on stages like WNO, Helena cemented herself as one of the top women in the game.

Mayssa Bastos, Art of Jiu-Jitsu

Mayssa Bastos's reign of dominance in light weight women's grappling continued in 2024, with world titles in both gi and no-gi. She was dominant in her weight classes, also capturing ONE atomweight gold with wins over Danielle Kelly.

VOTE HERE FOR THE FLOGRAPPLING AWARDS

Watch BJJ On FloGrappling

FloGrappling is the streaming home to the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events and news coverage. FloGrappling is the streaming home of: 

• ADCC
• IBJJF
• WNO
• Fight to Win
• And more!

Join The BJJ Conversation By Following FloGrappling On Social

• Follow us on Twitter @flograppling
• Follow us on Instagram @flograppling
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook