The second half of 2025 was marked by Ana Mayordomo‘s striking arrival at the top tier of grappling. A black belt coached by John Danaher at Kingsway, in Austin, Texas, Ana surged to the lead in September, when she won an ADCC trial in Europe. That gold medal opened the door to more glory: she debuted at UFC BJJ with a Submission of the Night bonus, won the No-Gi Pans and the No-Gi Europeans, and still had the drive to take first place at another ADCC event, the East Coast Trials.
In an exclusive interview with The Mat Nation, Ana said a champion’s mindset, even before having her hand raised by the referee, was one of the key factors that propelled her career at the highest level of the sport. According to her, the turning point came in September, at the ADCC trial.
“The big change came at the first European ADCC trial, in September. The mental state I reached was one where I truly believed in my skills, in myself. I was sure I wanted it more than anyone else there,” she said.
Consistency and patience are the key words in Ana Mayordomo’s path so far. She did not earn her black belt last year after a mediocre run through the colored belts. Disciplined, she learned how to reach and sustain good results.
“I’ve been doing this for eight, almost nine years, and the most important lesson I’ve taken from that time is patience. Everyone works on their own timeline. The best thing you can do is find that place in your mind where you fully believe in yourself. The only way to get there is by being confident all the time, not just forcing it before a tournament, especially when you do the complete opposite day to day,” she explained.
LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE AGE 13, ANA SAYS SHE TOOK HER JIU-JITSU TO A NEW LEVEL AT KINGSWAY
Ana Mayordomo was born in Spain but moved with her family to Denver, in the United States, at age thirteen. Before settling on Jiu-Jitsu, she tried basketball, tennis and even Muay Thai. Ana started training the Gentle Art as a teenager under Eliot Marshall, the coach she stayed with from white belt to black belt. On her coach’s recommendation, she met John Danaher and has trained full time at Kingsway since 2023.
“I’ve always had very good technical guidance. When I moved to Texas two years ago, I started training with John and Gordon Ryan and tested myself against some of the highest-level women in grappling, in the country and in the world. That changed the game for me,” she said.
Ana carries the demands of a professional athlete’s routine; however, she can’t say she makes a living solely from the sport. On top of her excellent competitive results, she keeps a conventional office job. According to the multiple-time champion, her entire training schedule has to be shuffled to avoid conflicts with her other professional obligations.
“I have a full-time corporate job. I work online, so I’m always in meetings and I have to adjust my training around meeting times and the deliverables I need to hand in. My job is still the priority. So I make sure I get in at least a minimum number of sessions a week, always with a goal in mind, making every minute on the mats count,” she said.
GOALS: IBJJF NO-GI WORLDS GOLD IS THE PRIZE TO CLOSE OUT 2025; THE ADCC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS IN THE PLANS FOR NEXT SEASON
The 2025 season isn’t over for Ana yet. She is registered for the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, which starts on the 11th in Las Vegas. With a routine that keeps her in shape all season, she says her camp is focused on refinement and strategic details based on her opponents’ styles.
“I train all year. So there are no big changes in my preparation. We focus more on the rules of the next event and the adjustments needed so I’m ready. It’s more about sharpening my skills so I’m prepared no matter who is in front of me,” she noted.
Closing out 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center with her eyes on the top of the podium at the IBJJF’s last major event of the year, Ana is targeting a spot at the ADCC World Championship in Poland in 2026. Winner of two ADCC Trials in a very short span, Ana needs to punch her ticket to the main event by winning another European trial, the second one. That is her main goal for 2026.
There is still no gender equality among the athletes competing in the sport’s biggest grappling tournament with the aim of performing at the World Championship. Ana is aware of it and hopes for changes in the future, but stresses she will keep competing at ADCC with the grit of someone who wants a spot in the main event, which is held every two years.
“Obviously, I knew these rules when I signed up: that if I won both trials, I wouldn’t be qualified for the World Championship. I want the future to bring changes on that front, so that on the women’s side we can have a full bracket and a variety of divisions like the men, including the open class. Last year there was an open class because Gaidama, which also supports me, sponsored the inaugural women’s open division. I don’t see ADCC as an enemy. I’m going to compete in another trial in Europe and give my best to earn a spot at the World Championship,” she stressed.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
