Clay upsets Pessanha, Moura moves up four divisions to win heavyweight world title at 2025 IBJJF No Gi Worlds

Key Highlights

• Fornarino immediately latched onto a footlock and submitted Mayordomo in just 16 seconds, capping a world title run that saw her submit every single one of her opponents. UFC BJJ star Cassia Moura moves up four divisions to win second world title19-year-old BJJ prodigy Cassia Moura was also one of the biggest winners at the 2025 IBJJF No Gi World Championships.
• Having already become the youngest world champion in last year’s No Gi Worlds, Moura decided to move up a whopping four weight classes from featherweight to heavyweight, as she literally chased for bigger challenges. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShe was trying to match up against Helena Crevar to try and take her claim as the top pound-for-pound star, but Crevar eventually competed and won at medium-heavyweight instead.
• Moura, who is also 4-0 in UFC BJJ, continued on to beat three much larger heavyweights, including ADCC Trials champ Nia Blackman. Moura is now a back-to-back no gi world champion, with her two titles being four divisions apart. Moura and Crevar weren’t the only teen prodigies who shined at the event.
• Mia Funegra became the youngest world champion in the gi earlier in the year, and now her twin sister Ashlee Funegra has achieved a similar feat by winning the light featherweight no gi world title in her first attempt at black belt. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementElisabeth Clay upsets Gabi Pessanha to win double gold at IBJJF No Gi WorldsGabi Pessanha has been incredibly dominant in recent years as she continued to break records and make history, but in the 2025 No Gi Worlds, it was Elisabeth Clay who pulled off a monumental upset in the absolute division. After Clay won gold at middlweight, she also went on an incredible run in the absolute division.
• She choked out Adele Fornarino in her second match, then went on to also submit and upset the much larger Gabi Pessanha in the finals.