Aurélie Le Vern, the First French UFC BJJ Champion

Las Vegas, December 11, 2024 — In the iconic UFC APEX bowl, under the Las Vegas spotlights, Aurélie Le Vern has written one of the most beautiful pages in French Brazilian jiu-jitsu history. At 34 years old, the French Guiana fighter became the very first French UFC BJJ champion in the featherweight division (-65.7 kg), winning by submission in the first round against American Raquel Canuto, a multiple-time international champion.

The victory was spectacular: after 3 minutes and 30 seconds of intense combat, Le Vern locked in a devastating kimura that forced Canuto to tap. A technique she had practiced “night and day” during her training camp. This performance also earned her the honorary title of “Submission of the Night.”

Draped in the French Guiana flag on her shoulders, eyes shining with emotion, Aurélie savored a moment that transcended the simple sporting result. “I don’t have the words to describe what I feel. I put all my work into this submission. Now my name is into UFC BJJ history. Not just mine, but also Tyrone’s (Gonsalves), Six Blades’, French Guiana’s, my family’s.”

And when the interviewer mentioned her mother, Aurélie revealed the full depth of what she carries: “This is the most beautiful Christmas gift I could give her.”

Finally, Aurélie said “Jiu-jitsu is magical,” so BJJ-Rules would like to add that on that night, Aurélie, it was you who was magical!

UFC BJJ: When Jiu-Jitsu Meets the Big Show

This victory carries historical significance on multiple levels. UFC BJJ represents Dana White’s ambition to elevate Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the ranks of spectacular and lucrative combat sports. The format borrows everything from traditional UFC: an inclined “bowl” that prevents mat exits and forces continuous action, rules favoring aggression and finishes rather than point-scoring.

“It’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu, UFC format,” explains Aurélie Le Vern. “The finish is chaos. The rules encourage action, pressure, submissions. It perfectly matches my game.”

Facing her was Raquel Canuto, who already had several UFC BJJ victories in this division. But from the first seconds, Le Vern imposed her tempo, despite Raquel’s aggressiveness and power. “Tyrone and Xande (Ribeiro) were coaching me from the corner. They told me to go more toward the head, to squeeze even tighter. Her arm cracked. I got the finish.” (What a pleasure to hear French coaching at UFC BJJ!)

Aurélie Le Vern thus becomes the first French athlete to conquer a UFC BJJ belt, a title that will forever be associated with her name.

From the Garden in the Rain to the World Summit

Yet nothing predestined Aurélie Le Vern to become one of the best grapplers of her generation. Born on July 12, 1991, in Aix-en-Provence, she grew up in Marseille practicing extreme sports: rock climbing, downhill mountain biking, high-altitude mountaineering (over 5,200 meters in Mexico), paragliding, motocross, windsurfing…

Judo That Didn’t Love Her

Before jiu-jitsu, Aurélie tried three times to start judo in Marseille. Each time, the same scenario: black belts who, faced with this strong and determined young woman, threw her violently to the ground. “I was injured two or three times. I had a torn shoulder, I had to have surgery and I thought: judo doesn’t like me.”

The Call of French Guiana

In 2016, after her degree in physical education, she flew to French Guiana where a teaching position at Gérard Holder middle school awaited her. She enrolled in judo for a year, earned her blue belt. But it was while watching Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes taught by Tyrone Gonsalves, in the same Suzini dojo in Remire-Montjoly, that the revelation was born.

In September 2017, at 26 years old, an age considered late in the world of high-level BJJ, Aurélie walked through the door of her first Brazilian jiu-jitsu session.

The Words That Changed Everything

Her background in extreme sports forged unsuspected weapons: grip strength, endurance, stress management. From her first year as a white belt, she dominated: four tournaments won, all opponents submitted.

But it was an encounter that would crystallize her ambition. In 2019, while she was a blue belt, she heard Saulo Ribeiro, a living legend of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, say these words about her:

“If she keeps learning and listens to everything her teacher tells her, nobody will be able to beat her later. She’s going to be really tough.”

“When Saulo said that, I thought: Oh my God. If Saulo says that, it’s because he sees my potential. It was something really special.”

That same year, 2019, she won the title of IBJJF European champion as a blue belt. “It’s that victory that lit everything up. From that moment, I decided to pursue BJJ even more intensely.”

Aurélie Le Vern: An Exceptional Record at Every Belt

What followed was a succession of titles:

2019 (blue belt): IBJJF World Champion, European Champion (including Open Weight), Pan-American Champion

2020 (blue belt): IBJJF European Champion

2021 (purple belt): IBJJF World Champion, World Runner-up (Open Weight)

2022 (brown belt): IBJJF World Champion, Double gold at Pan-Americans (weight and absolute), No-Gi World Runner-up

Fred’s Garden: Where Champions Are Born

But behind these titles lies a reality few imagine. “To win my purple belt world championship, I was training in a friend’s garden.”

Before having their current dojo—a magnificent 200m² space two minutes from the beach—Aurélie and Tyrone trained in precarious conditions. Expelled from municipal facilities, they found refuge at Frédéric Cocasson’s place, a student who became a friend.

“We set up the mats in his garden,” Tyrone recalls. “At noon, we laid them out, trained, removed them because it rains a lot in Guiana. In the evening, we did it again. We trained in the rain several times because when the storm hit, we continued.”

Aurélie adds: “I won my purple belt world championship training like that. Every day, for months. When you really want something from the depths of your heart, it doesn’t matter where and with whom you train.“

In January 2023, after only 5.5 years of practice, Aurélie received her black belt from Tyrone Gonsalves’ hands… on the podium of the IBJJF European Championship.

The Gamble of Leaving Everything

That same year, Aurélie made the most difficult decision of her life: she resigned from the National Education system, where she had tenure. “All my salary went into championships. I had a double life until my black belt. If I really wanted to know how far I could go, I had to give everything.”

Tyrone remembers: “Before each major championship, there was always something. Either she got injured a few days before, or she received a call about her mother, or she fell ill. How you handle that adversity shows who you are.“

The gamble paid off. In her first year as a black belt: bronze at the IBJJF Pan Championship and the IBJJF World Championship 2023.

2024: The Year of All Achievements

The year 2024 marked a decisive turning point:

• January: Gold at IBJJF European Championship (black belt)
• April: Historic qualification for the ADCC World Championship (13 years after Nicolas Reigner)
• May: First UFC BJJ appearance against Helena Crevar (loss by decision)
• July: UFC BJJ victory against Maggie Grening by submission in under one minute
• August: ADCC World Championship — first-round loss to Crevar
• October: Double gold at IBJJF No-Gi European Championship — “I was in France taking care of my hospitalized mother. I thought: since I’m here, might as well compete”
• November: Decisive victory against Ana Carolina Vieira at ADXC 7 in Rio

The Mental Revenge: Beating the ADCC Winner

This victory against Ana Carolina Vieira held capital importance. “She had just won my division at ADCC. Honestly, it really helped me mentally.”

“After my first-round loss at ADCC to Crevar, I had experienced crazy hype for two months at Melqui [Galvão’s]. I had really progressed. When I lost, it destroyed everything. This fight against Ana Carolina was my opportunity to put everything I had learned into practice.”

“When I won that, it put me back on top. I felt I had the abilities. She wasn’t stronger than me, not more technical. All possibilities reopened. It’s magical.“

The Parisian Moment That Changed Everything

During the final of the 2024 European Championship in Paris, in the last minute of the fight, the entire arena began chanting her name. Her face appeared on the jumbotron. The entire Palais des Sports was vibrating.

Aurélie became that day the first woman (and one of the rare French athletes, all genders combined) to generate such fervor at a BJJ competition of this caliber.

“I’ll never forget that moment. It was as if the entire journey made complete sense. I was no longer fighting just for myself, but for everyone who supported me, for Guiana, for France.”

The High-Level Philosophy: “School Subjects”

How does one reach the summit? Aurélie has developed a unique vision of high-level performance. “There’s no miracle plan. No book that explains how to get there. What frustrates people in France is that we’re not used to that.”

Her method? Treat each aspect of performance as a “subject” to master:

Physical Preparation

“It’s the easiest. You go to the gym, they tell you to do five sets of 12 reps. If you don’t do it, you’re stupid. Strength, speed, explosiveness, endurance, cardio.”

BJJ Technique

“You have to be complete. Technique on bottom, on top, in submissions, in guard passing.”

Mental Preparation (The Most Important)

“It’s the hardest because it’s very subtle. It’s not as physical as a 5 kg weight. Mental preparation is life therapy. If you’re not good with yourself, you can’t perform.”

“It’s too easy to train physically. For muscles, you know what to do. But your thoughts? Few people can say: I’m mentally rested.“

Management and Coordination

“The most important: who will coordinate all this for you? For me, that person is Tyrone. I told him from the beginning: take me as high as I can perform.”

Her philosophy: “I always choose difficulty. The easy choice won’t bear fruit.”

Her Inspirations

Aurélie is inspired by Tim Grover, Michael Jordan’s legendary coach. “He wrote a book that really impacted me: Winning. He personifies ‘winning’ as an evil character. Even if you do everything right, it doesn’t mean you’ll perform. And when you manage to shake Winning’s hand, a second later, he gives you a big fuck in the back. When he let go of your hand, you have to start all over again.”

She even got a tattoo: “Raised to greatness”.

Tyrone Gonsalves: The Professor Who Forms Champions

Tyrone Gonsalves is a pioneer of jiu-jitsu in French Guiana. Practicing for 18 years, black belt for 14 years, his journey is remarkable:

• IBJJF European Vice-Champion
• Pan-American Champion
• Absolute Vice-Champion at Campeonato Brasileiro
• 2x CBJJE World Champion

“For 7-8 editions of the European Championships, I lost in the first round. Then I joined Team Ribeiro. Three or four months later, first podium. The environment change changed everything.“

His Teaching Philosophy

“An athlete is there to listen and execute. What I see today is that people practice for a year or two and already want to give their opinion. When you want to impose your point of view, you suppress the role of the person guiding you.”

He uses a simple metaphor: “It’s like a baby learning to walk before wanting to run. We’ll fall. But each time, we come back to the club to adjust.”

His advice: “Put yourself in a student’s posture. I come to attend a class, I’ll listen.”

Six Blades: More Than a Club, a Family

The Six Blades club is a 200m² dojo, two mats, an open carbé in a private property two minutes from the beach.

Six Blades Values

Each “blade” represents a value:

1. Family
2. Respect
3. Loyalty
4. Discipline
5. Attitude
6. Honor

“We don’t talk about a ‘sports club,’ but a school,” Aurélie insists. “We’ve built learning curricula. It’s not just physical techniques. It’s an entire methodological and social framework.”

Today, Six Blades has over 200 members and about ten instructors. “What makes our success is the organization. In the shadows, there are about ten black belts without whom we couldn’t achieve what we do.”

Woman in a Man’s World: Fighting Ego Daily

Aurélie’s journey is also that of a pioneer in a predominantly male environment.

“From white belt, if you’re strong with energy, higher belts want to slow you down by beating you. That’s the story of my entire jiu-jitsu. I was really beaten by all the higher belts, including men.”

Male Ego

“I’m a physically strong woman. But when a man feels: oh my God, she’s a woman and she’s strong, he thinks: I can’t tap to a woman because I’m a man. That was the entire story of my jiu-jitsu.”

“I was injured several times against men who didn’t want to tap or who wanted to make me tap at all costs.”

Anthony Albertini, BJJ pioneer in Guiana, would tell his students: “With her, do it like with a guy, or you’ll get massacred.”

“That meant my strength as a woman wasn’t legitimate. Men don’t realize how possible it is for a woman to be strong, for a woman to be more technical, for a woman to be better trained.”

Tyrone’s Role

“Tyrone was the main character in this story. I talked to him every day: I’m scared because I know people want to hurt me. And he told me: but you know a lot of things now, apply the techniques.”

“When you trust someone who tells you things to make you grow, it’s one of the best things in the world.“

The Evolution of Women’s Jiu-Jitsu

“During my colored belts, there were only one or two girls with me. I won all my world championships training with men.”

But she now recognizes the importance of training with women: “The first time I competed against women, I thought: wow, they’re flexible, the passes I did on guys don’t work. It’s a different body.”

“Today, Anna Rodriguez opened an entirely female academy in São Paulo. The global women’s level has exploded so much. Helena Crevar is a prodigy. You need to feel a woman when you’re a woman.“

The Training Camp: Preparation to Perfection

To prepare for her fight against Raquel Canuto, Aurélie left Guiana for Rio de Janeiro, at Pyramid Grappling.

“I can’t stay in Guiana for this kind of fight. When I stay there, I have a lot of work. I own the club, I teach many classes. Getting out of that environment allows me to return to 100% athlete life.“

Specific Work: Wrestling

“I chose Pyramid also because they have a very good wrestling coach. I think the fight will happen a lot standing and took private lessons to make my wrestling the best possible.”

Tyrone reminds: “For the elite, you need to be surrounded by killers. The camp must be up to par. For ADCC, they’re snipers. There’s no room for doubt.“

The UFC Bowl: An Advantage

“I’ve already fought twice in this bowl. The big advantage is you can’t escape. For my pressure game, it’s perfect. It’s not just a wall, it’s a curve. You slide to the middle.“

The Difficult Choice: UFC or ADCC?

Aurélie has already signed another contract with UFC. If she keeps her belt, she won’t be able to participate in the 2025 ADCC Trials.

“It was a difficult choice. But I never miss an opportunity. And I’ve already done so many tournaments.”

Pragmatic Reasons

“Having this kind of contract is good for focusing and being healthier. Jiu-jitsu athlete life is really hard. I’ve already had many injuries.”

“And UFC pays me much more than other tournaments. I’m not so young to keep doing crazy things. I need to think about putting food on the table.“

A Team of Champions

Behind Aurélie’s victory, there’s an entire team:

• Tyrone Gonsalves: coach, husband, mentor
• Xande Ribeiro: in her corner at UFC BJJ 4
• Bruno Bastos: manager, “He helped put my name on the biggest stages”
• Fa Institute Anabolis: nutritionist
• Mariela: psychologist, “I feel much better now”
• Itallo Vilardo: physical trainer
• The Six Blades Team: all instructors and members

The Future: Defending the Belt and Building a Legacy

“I’m a UFC BJJ athlete now. The future will be brilliant, it’s going to be incredible.”

Aurélie is considering moving, perhaps to Brazil or the United States, to continue developing her career.

A Message for France and Beyond

With this UFC BJJ belt, Aurélie Le Vern becomes a symbol, an inspiration for thousands of French practitioners.

Her journey demonstrates that it’s never too late to start, that passion and work can compensate for a late start, and that the wildest dreams are within reach.

“I want to show the world that women can be technical, can be dangerous, can finish matches with deadly submissions. That’s jiu-jitsu.“

At 34 years old, after 7 years of practice, Aurélie Le Vern has written an indelible page of history. With her title defense scheduled for 2026, the French Guiana champion is about to begin a new chapter.

Her name now resonates around the world. Aurélie Le Vern, UFC BJJ featherweight champion.

A pioneer. A warrior. Legend in the making.

Aurélie Le Vern’s Complete Record

Black Belt:

• 🥇 UFC BJJ Featherweight Champion (2024) + Submission of the Night
• 🥇 IBJJF European Champion (2024, medium-heavyweight)
• 🥇🥇 Double gold IBJJF European No-Gi (2024, medium-heavyweight + absolute)
• 🥇 ADCC World Championship Qualified (2024, via European Trials)
• 🥇 ADXC 7 (2024, victory over Ana Carolina Vieira)
• 🥈 IBJJF European Vice-Champion (2025)
• 🥈 IBJJF Pan Championship Vice-Champion (2025)
• 🥉 IBJJF Pan Championship (2023)
• 🥉 IBJJF World Championship (2023)

Colored Belts:

• 🥇 IBJJF World Champion (2019 blue, 2021 purple, 2022 brown)
• 🥇 IBJJF European Champion (2019 blue + Open Weight, 2020 blue, 2023 brown)
• 🥇 Pan Championship Champion (2019 blue, 2022 brown + Open Weight)
• 🥈 IBJJF World Vice-Champion (2021 purple, Open Weight)
• 🥈 IBJJF No-Gi World Vice-Champion (2022 brown)
• 🥉 IBJJF World Championship (2022 brown)

Club: Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu (Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana)
Professor: Tyrone Gonsalves (black belt)
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Royler Gracie > Saulo Ribeiro > Alexandre Ribeiro > Tyrone Gonsalves > Aurélie Le Vern
Favorite Position: Pressure Passing
Division: Medium-Heavyweight / Featherweight (-74 kg / -65.7 kg depending on competitions)