This past weekend, a pair of ONE Championship’s most talented female submission grappling stars added to their trophy cases in a big way.
The two BJJ black belts beat the best gi competitors in the world and left Long Beach with gold medals!
This past weekend, a pair of ONE Championship’s most talented female submission grappling stars added to their trophy cases in a big way.
Cambodian-American phenom Jessa Khan and Brazilian veteran Bianca Basilio both picked up gold medals at the 2023 IBJJF World Championships – the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi tournament of the year.
The event took place in Long Beach, California, and brought together the planet’s top gi competitors, each vying for a spot in the history books, as well as the honor of being called the world’s best.
A representative of the famed Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, California, the 21-year-old Khan captured her first career IBJJF World Title as a black belt.
She took home the gold in a loaded 16-woman light featherweight division.
In the final, after defeating three other elite black belts, the Cambodian-American grappler took out Brazilian Champion Thamires Aquino with a spectacular, last-second sweep to seal the victory and mark one of the most dramatic moments of the entire tournament.
And in the very next match, Basilio earned her second career IBJJF Black Belt World Title, adding to an impressive resume that also includes an ADCC World Championship.
In the final of the featherweight division, the Almeida Jiu-Jitsu athlete squared off against two-time IBJJF World Champion Anna Rodrigues – a woman considered by many to be the planet’s top pound-for-pound female gi competitor.
After jockeying for position on the feet for much of the match, Basilio scored an advantage in the final seconds to secure the victory and assert herself as the queen of the featherweights.
ONE Championship congratulates these two athletes on their momentous accomplishments!