The next IBJJF Grand Prix on March 3rd, 2023 will feature a women’s heavyweight division, and the promotion has now confirmed all four of the women who will be battling it out for the grand prize. Alongside this, there will also be a men’s lightweight grand prix at the same event and several superfights to break up each tournament. Each of the past IBJJF Grand Prix events have been action-packed, but from now on they promise to be even more so after the introduction of several new rules to help prevent athletes from stalling to victory.
One of the women invited to compete in the tournament is Ana Vieira, a five-time IBJJF world champion who won her most recent title in the medium-heavyweight division last year. Vieira is a fantastic competitor at any weight and she proved this last year with a bronze medal in the absolute division as well. She is more than capable of beating any woman on the planet on her day, although the other three women in the division will undoubtedly do everything in their power to stop her.
Nathiely de Jesus is also a five-time IBJJF world champion in her own right, and she has a fantastic achievement on her record that no other woman can lay claim to. De Jesus is the only woman to hold two wins over Gabi Garcia in competition after beating her for the second time at Who’s Number One in 2021. While she would normally be a favourite in any other tournament, there is too much talent spread between these four women to pick one out.
Andressa Cintra has also been invited after winning an IBJJF World Championship last year, in the middleweight division instead. Cintra is a three-time world champion in her own right and the Gracie Barra black belt is a massive challenge for anyone in the gi. Cintra is a tough and incredibly skilled competitor, so it really would be no surprise to see her in the final of the women’s heavyweight IBJJF Grand Prix 2023.
The final woman invited is Melissa Stricker Cueto, rounding out the division as the final IBJJF world champion to be competing for the grand prize. She won her title in 2019 but has been a consistent feature on the podium of both the IBJJF gi and no gi world championship ever since. While it’s impossible to say which of these four women will walk away with the grand prize, it’s almost a certainty that each of these matches will produce plenty of excitement for the fans.
The full women’s heavyweight IBJJF Grand Prix will be available to watch live on March 3rd, 2023 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe.
