Promotion season isn't over, as four high profile competitors were recently rewarded for their efforts by being bumped up a rank. 

The three athletes who earned a new rank were Rudson Mateus, Catherine Fuhro Perret, Devhonte Johnson and Nicole Evangelista. 

Mateus was promoted to black belt after taking double gold at Worlds at brown belt, winning the medium heavyweight and open class divisions. From Manaus in Brazil, he is a student of Caio Terra. He returns to Brazil after a successful 2017 competition season which saw him take close out his weight division and win absolute gold at Pans. 

Checkmat athlete Catherine Fuhro Perret won brown belt lightweight gold at both Pans and Worlds this year. The distinctive competitor, known for her long dreadlocks and beaming smile, hails from Brazil and trend extensively with Rico Vieira in Rio de Janeiro, but is now based in California and trains with Marcelo Mafra and Leo Vieira. 



Devhonte Johnson, who hails from New Jersey, won purple belt gold at three major IBJJF tournaments this year. He emerged champion in the absolute at Europeans, and was super heavyweight champion at both Pans and Worlds. He was promoted to brown belt by Murilo Santana at Unity Jiu-Jitsu in New York. 

Another Caio Terra student on the list is the teenaged Nicole Evangelista, who made her debut in the adult divisions this year by winning blue belt gold at Europeans and Pans.