JitsCast #15 features top competitor Maggie Grindatti Lira ahead of her next major superfight appearance. She rose to prominence during her run through the colored belt ranks; as she won the IBJJF World Championship at blue, purple, and brown belt. She was then promoted to black belt at the end of 2019 and has since shared the mats with many of the best female competitors of her generation. She has stood on the podium of many major IBJJF events as a black belt and although she began her career at the highest level representing Fight Sports, she has since left them and joined ATOS instead.
We spoke to Grindatti Lira about how she ended up pursuing Jiu-Jitsu, primarily because she started the sport pretty late in life compared to many of her peers. She explained how she first began training with MMA as her goal, but found a love for Jiu-Jitsu and enjoyed a lot of success very early on. She also shared some unique insight into her transition to the highest level of the sport as a black belt, including some of the struggles that she had making that jump. That led to her also revealing how her approach to training and competition actually ended up having a negative effect.
Grindatti Lira then spoke about her retirement from competition in 2023, sharing some of the reasons behind her decision to leave the sport behind while still in her athletic prime. She has since returned with a superb performance at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9, and she revealed why she came back and how she was able to find her love for Jiu-Jitsu again. Grindatti Lira also looked to the future, as she currently has a match with Helena Crevar booked for UFC Fight Pass Invitational 10. She explained how she’s approached her training for this match and the plans she has for what comes after it.
JitsCast #15 with Maggie Grindatti Lira is now available to watch on the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
