Maria Raniele Alencar

Main Achievements

Black Belt Accolades:

• 2nd Place — IBJJF Pan American Championship (2026 Silver Medalist)

Colored Belt Accolades:

• 2x 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship (2025 Brown Belt Weight & Absolute Grand Slam Champion)
• 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship (2024 Purple Belt Champion)
• 2x 1st Place — IBJJF Pan American Championship (2025 Brown Belt Weight & Absolute Grand Slam Champion)
• 1st Place — IBJJF European Championship (2025 Brown Belt Champion)
• 1st Place — CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2024 Purple Belt Champion)

Overview

Maria Raniele Alencar Lima, widely recognized on the international circuit as Maria Alencar, is an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor representing the world-renowned Atos Jiu-Jitsu Team. Standing out in the Super Pesado (Over 79 kg / 175 lbs) division, she earned the affectionate nickname “Avatar” from training partners due to her distinctively tall, lean, and athletic frame. After a historic colored belt campaign highlighted by back-to-back IBJJF world titles and multiple absolute division crowns, she has quickly cemented her position as a premier heavyweight force at the sport’s highest tier.

Rapid Rise to Prominence

Alencar discovered martial arts relatively late, walking into a local Jiu-Jitsu academy at age 15 after passing it on a casual stroll through her hometown of Crato, Ceará, Brazil. Captivated by her very first class, she dedicated herself entirely to the sport under the guidance of her first instructor, Pierry Góis, who oversaw her development from white to purple belt.

Her explosive talent and physical attributes as a purple belt quickly caught the attention of professional scouts, earning her a spot on the prominent Fratres team in São Paulo. There, she continued her rapid ascent, eventually receiving her brown belt from senior squad competitor Yara Soares.

Colored Belt Dominance and Atos Transition

As a brown belt, Alencar established herself as one of the most dominant and feared athletes on the global circuit. Her competitive momentum caught the eye of André Galvão and Angelica Galvão, who invited her to join the powerhouse Atos headquarters in San Diego, California.

During her storied colored belt career, Alencar captured gold as a purple belt at the 2024 Worlds and 2024 Brazilian Nationals before putting together an unforgettable 2025 campaign. She secured a historic double-gold performance (winning both her Weight Class and the Open Weight Absolute divisions) at the IBJJF World Championships and the Pan American Championships, alongside a gold-medal run at the European Championship. Following her multi-championship run as a brown belt, she was promoted to black belt by André and Angelica Galvão on May 31, 2025.

Elite Black Belt Career

Stepping immediately into the sport’s most unforgiving tier, Alencar has asserted herself as a well-rounded and dangerous submission hunter. She proved her elite status at the highest levels by capturing a silver medal at the prestigious 2026 IBJJF Pan American Championship, testing her skills against the absolute best in the world. Boasting a flawless finishing rate in her professional black belt victories, Alencar utilizes a versatile submission arsenal featuring back triangles, armbars, and precision chokes to cement her place as a premier force in the heavy divisions.