Filipinho Assis and Livia Barasine were the big names of the Rio Spring International Open in the gi, an IBJJF tournament held on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, in Rio de Janeiro. In the adult black belt division, both climbed to the top of the podium twice. The ‘Black Cat’ won the men’s heavyweight division and the open class. Livia left nothing for anyone at medium-heavyweight and in the women’s open class.
What stood out most was how the titles came. Both built their runs on a string of submissions, giving opponents no room to react. For anyone in the gym that weekend, it was a display of high-level Jiu-Jitsu, with a hard pace from start to finish. It also confirmed that both are in a brilliant stretch of their black belt careers.
Rio Spring opened the IBJJF’s weekend in Rio with the no-gi divisions, and The Mat Nation already showed how Diogo ‘Baby Shark’ Reis got past every opponent by submission to take no-gi featherweight gold. The same day, Rodrigo ‘Braguinha’ left the corner, put on his rash guard and also walked off the mats with lightweight gold.
‘BLACK CAT’ ON THE LOOSE: FILIPINHO ASSIS DOMINATES HEAVYWEIGHT AND CONFIRMS HIS FORM WITH THE OPEN CLASS TITLE IN RIO
At heavyweight, Filipinho worked through the bracket to the final against João Carlos Nascimento, who took silver. Marcos Vinícius Alcântara and Vinicius de Barros shared bronze. In the open class, the challenge was facing athletes from every weight class. Even so, the ‘Black Cat’ kept the same pace and won the final against Renan Santiago, the ultra-heavyweight bronze medalist. João Carlos returned to the podium in third, alongside Welerson Gonçalves, who reached bronze despite competing at featherweight.
A product of Cantagalo, a community between Copacabana and Ipanema, Luiz Felipe Assis dos Santos started training at age nine in a social project in the favela. A black belt under Rodrigo Thiago, he has about two years at the top rank and is already a name among the circuit’s leading heavyweights. In 2026, he won the Pans, his first title at one of the IBJJF’s three biggest championships, a year after missing the podium at the same event.
After that, Filipinho took heavyweight bronze at the Worlds, held in May at the iconic Pyramid in California. Away from competition, he is also known as the private instructor of actor Cauã Reymond, a black belt in the Gentle Art. The double gold in Rio shows the heavyweight is heading into the final stretch of the season in strong form. The plan now is to keep writing his name among the division’s greats.
LIVIA BARASINE LEAVES NOTHING FOR ANYONE AND ADDS ANOTHER DOUBLE GOLD TO HER SHORT, WINNING BLACK BELT CAREER
At women’s medium-heavyweight, Livia won the final against Ana Clara Caetano, while Thaynara Silva took bronze. In the open class, the mission was tougher. Across the mat was Natacha Ribeiro, the heavyweight champion at the same tournament. Livia came out on top in that matchup too and closed her run with two gold medals around her neck. Carol Kerr, the super-heavyweight champion, and Jhenifer Barboza dos Santos Canezin, the heavyweight runner-up, rounded out the podium.
Livia’s rise is one of the fastest in the Gentle Art in recent years. After a relentless run through the colored belts, she won the ADCC Brazilian Trials this year and earned a spot in the biggest submission grappling tournament on the planet. Promoted to black belt while still very young, she wasted no time. In August, she made her black belt debut at BJJ Stars 19 with a katagatame win over Giovanna Carneiro, after passing the guard and attacking from the back.
Her behavior on the mats has stayed the same since The Mat Nation covered her debut in the adult division, when she left Rio Summer with four gold medals and the promise to remain the most feared athlete in the division. Now among the black belts, Livia is repeating the formula. A hard pace, with the submission always lurking. One more double title for the collection of an athlete who is only just getting started.
OTHER BLACK BELT CHAMPIONS SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT ON RIO SPRING’S GI WEEKEND
Beyond the two double champions, Rio Spring’s adult black belt division crowned other names. On the men’s side, Lucas ‘Coruja’ took super-heavyweight gold and Pablo dos Santos Cruz won ultra-heavyweight. Arthur Silva Carvalhaes took lightweight and Lucas Dias finished on top at medium-heavyweight. On the women’s side, Natacha Ribeiro won heavyweight and Caro Kerr was the super-heavyweight champion, before both crossed paths with Livia in the open class.
RIO SPRING 2026 ADULT BLACK BELT GI CHAMPIONS:
MEN
Lightfeatherweight: Raimundo Ítalo Pereira de Almeida
Featherweight: Marcos Paulo de Amorim Pinheiro
Lightweight: Arthur Silva Carvalhaes
Middleweight: Facundo Hernan Ciancio
Medium-heavyweight: Lucas Dias da Silva
Heavyweight: Luiz Felipe Assis dos Santos (Filipinho)
Super-heavyweight: Lucas de Bonis Lopes
Ultra-heavyweight: Pablo dos Santos Cruz
Open class: Luiz Felipe Assis dos Santos (Filipinho)
WOMEN
Lightfeatherweight: Jessica Caroline Coelho Dantas
Featherweight: Elisa do Carmo Brito da Cruz
Middleweight: Angela Paz Correa Alarcón
Medium-heavyweight: Livia Barasine Correa
Heavyweight: Natacha Amanda Ribeiro da Silva
Super-heavyweight: Carolina Clara Gonçalves Kerr
Open class: Livia Barasine Correa
Full results for every belt and division are on the official IBJJF page.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
