Bursting onto the scene in 2015 with a double gold win as a brown belt at the IBJJF World No-Gi championships, Nathiely Jesus has risen to the top of the black belt ranks in short time. 

Jesus had an outstanding performance in Abu Dhabi, winning the combined brown-black belt category at the 2016 World Pro, and followed it with a dominant double gold, winning both her weight class and the absolute at the 2016 IBJJF Worlds. 

Nathiely Jesus submits Andresa Correa of Alliance in the black belt absolute finals of the 2016 World No-Gi Championships. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling
She was promoted to black belt on the podium at Worlds by Cicero Costha and five months later won double gold in the black belt division at No-Gi Worlds (submitting Alliance veteran Andresa Correa in the openweight final). 

Winning my first World Championship in my first year as a black belt was a unique and inexplicable sensation. The penny still hasn't dropped that I was both weight and absolute champion.

"It was good for my mind after I won World Pro as a brown belt, fighting with the black belts, because I could see that I was on the same level as them," Jesus said.

Watch Nathiely Jesus rolling with Gabriel Arges in Japan

Jesus' style is controlled and composed, yet aggressive at the same time. Her long limbs make her guard near impassable, and she employs a variety of submissions from all positions. She spent five months training with Rodrigo Pinheiro in San Antonio, Texas, which is why you'll have seen her rep his team at some tournaments this year. 

"From then to now I didn't change anything," she said. "I continued with my training, always focused on my goal of being champion at black belt. I think the main thing is you need to believe in yourself." 


Following her incredible success in winning medals over the past 12 months, Jesus sets her sights on another challenge: to win the 2016-2017 UAEJJF Ranking. To do so, she's been traveling to and compete in UAEJJF events such as the Grand Slam tour in Los Angeles and Tokyo, and the next stop is Rio de Janeiro. 

It's kind of crazy to go from one competition to another, from no-gi to gi! But I'm used to always be competing and it's what I love to do the most. I'm going after that ranking for the year and I believe I'm going to be able to win, but there's still a long way to go.

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How to Watch 

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tour Rio de Janeiro

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