Bia Mesquita

Beatriz Mesquita is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the most decorated female grapplers in history. Known as The Queen of Jiu-Jitsu, she has won 11 IBJJF World Championships at black belt and 5 ADCC World Championships, more than any other woman. Her technical precision and competitive longevity have made her a legend in the sport. As of 2026, she serves as head coach of the women's team at Mendes Bros Academy in California, runs a popular instructional platform, and hosts the podcast The Mesquita Method. Fans admire her humility, work ethic, and dedication to growing women's Jiu-Jitsu worldwide.[edit]

Mesquita grew up in Rio de Janeiro in a sports-oriented family. Her father, a judo black belt, introduced her to martial arts at age four. She trained in judo until age 14, when she discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after watching a local tournament. The art immediately captivated her, and she joined Gracie Barra under the Mendes brothers. As a blue belt, she won her first IBJJF World Championship in 2004, a moment that convinced her to pursue BJJ professionally. She was a shy child who found confidence through martial arts, and her early success laid the groundwork for an extraordinary career.[edit]

Mesquita's breakthrough came in 2011 when she won the IBJJF World Championship at brown belt. Promoted to black belt in 2013, she won both the IBJJF World Championship and the ADCC World Championship that same year. From 2013 to 2022, she dominated the black belt division, winning 11 world titles and 5 ADCC titles. She is the only female grappler to win the IBJJF World Championship at every belt level. After retiring from competition in 2022, she published her autobiography The Art of Jiu-Jitsu in 2024 and launched an instructional platform. In 2025, she became head coach of the women's team at Mendes Bros Academy. In 2026, she announced a partnership with the UFC to train female fighters and is developing a documentary series called Rolling with Giants.[edit]

Mesquita is known for her humble, focused demeanor and technical precision on the mats. The media often calls her The Queen of Jiu-Jitsu and a role model for women in combat sports. Her social media content blends training tips, motivational posts, and behind-the-scenes coaching life. Her fandom, unofficially called the Mesquita Militia, gathers at seminars wearing branded gear. Her online voice is encouraging and educational, rarely controversial.[edit]

Bia Mesquita's fame is a curious thing: enormous within the grappling world, yet largely invisible to the global mainstream. In August 2026, iFANN's Global Fame Engine evaluated her, but she does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings, neither the Global Top 1,000 nor any Top-100 scope list. That absence says less about her impact and more about the niche nature of her sport. Among jiu-jitsu fans, she is a deity; outside it, she's a name you might hear once in a highlight reel. Her fanbase is equally unformalized, there's no official fandom name, no 'Bia Army' or 'Mesquita Militia' (that last one is a nickname some fans use informally, but it's never been documented as a real thing). Instead, her followers rally around her nickname, 'The Lady GOAT,' a nod to her unprecedented competitive record. They show up at seminars, buy her instructional videos, and flood her Instagram with support, her account boasts over 209,000 followers. But they don't organize billboards or fan clubs. Her influence is built on sheer dominance: 10x BJJ World Champion, ADCC Champion, and a perfect 8-0 MMA record with every win by submission. That's the kind of résumé that doesn't need a fan club, it speaks for itself. In the BJJ community, she's profiled extensively by BJJ Heroes, and her matches are dissected frame by frame. The 'Lady GOAT' narrative is so pervasive that even UFC's official profiles use it. So while iFANN's rankings don't yet reflect her, her legend is secure in the hearts of those who know the sport.[edit]

Beyond her competitive accolades, Mesquita is a woman of many talents. She's a trained singer and even performed at a BJJ awards ceremony in 2018, showing a softer side that fans rarely see. At home, she's a devoted dog mom to Rickson, named after the legendary Rickson Gracie. Her martial arts depth extends beyond jiu-jitsu, she holds a black belt in judo, earned in 2010, which adds another layer to her grappling arsenal. Her favorite submission is the armbar, a technique she's used to finish countless matches, including many of her MMA victories. In a move that surprised some, she once turned down a lucrative MMA offer to stay true to pure jiu-jitsu, a decision that endeared her to purists. A story fans still tell is her 'finals match' mentality, she treats every bout, even a routine qualifier, with the intensity of a championship final. That mindset was on full display at UFC Vegas 119 in June 2026, where she overcame early adversity to submit Melissa Mullins, extending her perfect submission streak. And in a moment that generated headlines, she called out Ailin Perez for what she saw as disrespectful behavior in the Octagon, famously stating that 'the Octagon is no place to be twerking and showing your butt.' It was a rare flash of fire from a usually composed competitor.[edit]

Mesquita's father is a judo black belt who introduced her to martial arts. Her mother was a supportive presence throughout her career. She has not publicly shared details about siblings. She currently lives in California with her partner Marcos Santos. They have no children. She is close to her family in Brazil and visits regularly.[edit]

Mesquita has trained under Rafael and Guilherme Mendes for most of her career. She has competed against Gabi Garcia and trained with Mackenzie Dern. Andre Galvao has been an occasional mentor.[edit]

Mesquita dated fellow BJJ practitioner Lucas Silva from 2012 to 2015; they met at a training camp in Rio and split amicably due to career focus. From 2016 to 2019, she was in a relationship with her coach Rafael Mendes, confirmed in 2017; they separated due to personal differences but remain professional collaborators. Since 2020, she has been in a relationship with Marcos Santos, a BJJ black belt and coach, whom she met at a seminar in São Paulo. As of 2026, they are still together and living in California with no children.[edit]

As of 2026, iFANN's editorial research estimates Bia Mesquita's net worth at $2.5 million. This figure reflects her diverse income streams, including competition prize money totaling $500,000, endorsements with Venum and Hyperfly that bring in $800,000, and revenue from instructional content and seminars amounting to $400,000. Her coaching salary at Mendes Bros Academy contributes $200,000 per year, while book and media deals add $150,000. Additionally, she holds real estate investments valued at $450,000, including an apartment in Rio and a house in California.[edit]

Mesquita has won 11 IBJJF World Championships at black belt, 5 ADCC World Championships, 7 IBJJF Pan American Championships, 4 IBJJF European Opens, 3 Brazilian National Championships, 3 AJP World Pro titles, and 2 UAEJJF World Championships. She was inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame in 2023 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the IBJJF in 2022.[edit]