# Rafaela Guedes

> Manaus-born Atos black belt, 2024 ADCC +65 kg World Champion, 2022 ADCC silver medalist, and WNO heavyweight champion.

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- **Source site:** Ossmeta (https://ossmeta.com)
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-18

## Identity

- **Name:** Rafaela Guedes
- **Full name:** Rafaela Ribeiro Guedes
- **Belt:** black belt
- **Team:** Atos Jiu-Jitsu
- **Nationality:** Brazil
- **Born:** 1992-05-23
- **Birthplace:** Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- **Weight class:** Heavyweight / Pesado (IBJJF 79.3 kg / 175 lb; ADCC +65 kg)

## Biography

Rafaela Ribeiro Guedes was born on May 23, 1992, in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Before jiu-jitsu she was a competitive handball player, starting around age 10, until a serious teenage injury ended that path. After spending time watching cousins compete at local tournaments, she began Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 17 through a neighborhood social project, then moved to coach Dailson Pinheiro's academy in Manaus when she decided to take competition seriously.

At 22, Guedes left Manaus for Sao Paulo to train in Brazil's stronger tournament circuit, spending formative years at New School Brotherhood, the team associated with Leandro Lo and Luiza Monteiro. In 2018, after questioning whether she should continue as a full-time competitor, she visited Atos headquarters in San Diego through Monteiro's encouragement. The environment under Andre Galvao and Angelica Galvao revived her career, and Guedes stayed in California, earning her brown belt and then her black belt from Galvao in September 2020.

The move to Atos quickly translated into major results. As a brown belt, Guedes won the 2019 IBJJF World Championship and collected UAEJJF/AJP Grand Slam medals. Her black-belt debut season was even louder: in 2020 she won IBJJF Pan gold in the gi at weight and absolute, added No-Gi Pans absolute gold, and beat elite opponents on the professional circuit. In 2021 she defeated Maggie Grindatti by rear naked choke at WNO, won the WNO Championship heavyweight bracket over Elisabeth Clay, Amanda Leve, and Kendall Reusing, and captured IBJJF World No-Gi gold at heavyweight and absolute.

Guedes became one of the defining women's heavyweights in no-gi. She took silver at the 2022 ADCC World Championship after wins over Eleftheria Christodoulou and Kendall Reusing, then returned in 2024 to win the +65 kg world title. Her ADCC gold run included a points win over Nia Blackman, a guillotine submission against Kendall Reusing, and a 2-0 final over Nathiely de Jesus; she also beat Bianca Basilio in the absolute division before an injury kept her out of the bronze match. Known for closed guard, lasso guard, guillotines, armbars, and a dangerous back-attack game, Guedes has kept competing across WNO, IBJJF, and ADCC while teaching in San Diego.

## Lineage

Carlos Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar > Andre Galvao / Angelica Galvao > Rafaela Guedes

## Instructors

- Andre Galvao
- Angelica Galvao
- Dailson Pinheiro

## Signature techniques / game

- Lasso guard
- Closed guard
- Guillotine
- Armbar
- Rear naked choke
- Inside heel hook
- Omoplata

## Major achievements

- 1st Place ADCC World Championship (+65 kg, 2024)
- 2nd Place ADCC World Championship (+60 kg, 2022)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi - black belt heavyweight and absolute (2021)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship - black belt weight and absolute (2020)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi - black belt absolute (2020)
- Who's Number One (WNO) Championship heavyweight tournament winner (2021)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship - black belt heavyweight (2022)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship - black belt absolute (2022)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World No-Gi Championship - black belt heavyweight (2023)
- Professional wins over Nathiely de Jesus, Kendall Reusing, Elisabeth Clay, Maggie Grindatti, Ana Carolina Vieira, Bianca Basilio, and Paige Ivette

## Colored belt highlights

- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2019, brown belt)
- 1st Place UAEJJF/AJP Grand Slam Miami (2020, brown and black belt divisions)
- 1st Place UAEJJF/AJP Grand Slam Los Angeles (2017, purple belt)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2019, brown belt)
- 2nd Place UAEJJF/AJP Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro (2017, purple belt)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2016 purple belt; 2019 brown belt absolute)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2019, brown belt absolute)
- 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2016 weight and absolute; 2017; 2018, purple belt)

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafaelaguedesjj/

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes - Rafaela Guedes](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/rafaela-guedes)
- [FloGrappling - Rafaela Guedes athlete profile](https://www.flograppling.com/people/6800512-rafaela-guedes)
- [FloGrappling - 2024 ADCC +65 kg title](https://www.flograppling.com/articles/12786354-rafaela-guedes-is-the-new-65kg-2024-adcc-world-champion)
- [IBJJF - Rafaela Guedes athlete results](https://ibjjf.com/athletes/rafaela-guedes)
- [Legion AJJ - Rafaela Guedes instructor profile](https://legionsandiego.com/instructors/rafaela-guedes/)
- [Tatami Fightwear - Rafaela Guedes](https://www.tatamifightwear.com/blogs/athletes/rafaela-guedes)
- [Instagram - Rafaela Guedes](https://www.instagram.com/rafaelaguedesjj/)

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