Stephanie Faure

Stéphanie Caroline Delphine Faure (born October 1990, in Limoges, France) is a highly accomplished French grappler holding black belts in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Representing Team Checkmat, Faure successfully transitioned a lifetime of elite judo competition into a dominant career on the international jiu-jitsu circuit, capturing multiple major titles across Europe and South America.

Early Life & Elite Judo Career
Faure grew up on her parents’ farm in the countryside outside of Limoges. At age nine, she began practicing judo at a local club, quickly falling in love with the sport’s competitive nature. By age 12, she joined a dedicated judo training center, entering France’s highly competitive national judo circuit and earning her black belt in 2006 at just 16 years old.

As a junior competitor, she moved to a prominent training center in Bordeaux, and later to Orléans to pursue an engineering degree while joining the French National Judo Team at the junior level. She completed her engineering degree in 2013 following a highly successful competitive run that included a gold medal at the French Seniors Semi-Finals and a bronze medal at the European Club Championships.

Global Travels & Introduction to Jiu-Jitsu
After working to save money, Faure took a one-year hiatus to travel the world. Due to years of elite competition, she was sidelined by numerous sports injuries and stopped training entirely during her travels. In January 2017, while working on a contract in Frutillar, Chile, she noticed a group of locals grappling on the beach. After learning about her judo background, they invited her to train at their jiu-jitsu club under Daniel Carcamo. Having recovered from her injuries, she decided to try it and was instantly hooked.

She quickly progressed to blue belt before returning to France, where she continued her training under Emmanuel Fernandez, who awarded her a purple belt in 2018. Wanting to immerse herself in the roots of the sport, she accepted a corporate contract in Brazil, joining Checkmat Equipe 1 under coach Sebastian Lalli. It was there she met her future husband and coach, Marcelo Bruno De Souza. The pair trained and competed extensively in Brazil for three years before returning to France in 2021 to open their own academy in Limoges. On July 13, 2023, she was officially promoted to black belt by Marcelo De Souza.

Main Achievements
1st Place: CFJJB French Nationals (2024 / 2025)

1st Place (Purple Belt): CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019)

2nd Place: IBJJF European Championship (2025)

2nd Place: AJP Grand Slam, London (2025)

2nd Place (Purple Belt): IBJJF World Championship (2019)

3rd Place: IBJJF World Championship (2024)

3rd Place: AJP Grand Slam, Rome (2024 / 2025)
*Double Gold Winner (Weight & Absolute)

Favorite Position/Technique: Outside Passing / Bow and Arrow Choke
Weight Division: Peso Leve (64.00 kg / 141.5 lbs)
Primary Team Affiliation: Checkmat / Pythagore

Tactical Profile and Style
Combining her world-class judo base with an incredibly sharp submission game, Faure boasts an exceptionally aggressive style on the mats. Nearly half of her professional victories come by way of submission, showing a heavy statistical preference for chokes from the back and classic bow-and-arrow submissions. Her rare ability to dictate where the match takes place using her high-level takedown pedigree makes her one of Europe’s most formidable lightweight competitors.