2025 has been a banner year for Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), as the sport rapidly grows and more opportunities are available for athletes in the professional grappling scene. We’re going over some of the best performances and top milestones of the year, as we unveil the winners of the 2025 BJJ Awards here at MMA Mania.
Following up on our Submission of the Year and Event of the Year awards, our third category tackles the best male and female breakthrough grapplers of 2025.
While “breakthrough” athlete of the year awards typically have different definitions depending on the outlet, we will be only be focusing on grapplers that didn’t have a black belt world title or major championship prior to the calendar year. In that regard, we will really be able to filter out those that made a true leap from prospect to the elite level within the year. This classifier would also further differentiate this category from the upcoming “Grappler of the Year” award.
Unfortunately, it would also disqualify the inclusions of quite a few grapplers that made a similarly large leap in 2025 — like Helena Crevar, Declan Moody or DeAndre Corbe, who won $100,000 and beat Diego Pato for arguably the biggest upset of the year, as they already have previously won ADCC Trials titles.
Best Breakthrough Grapplers of 2025
Best Male Breakthrough Grapplers
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11: Landon Elmore reacts after submitting Nate Hernandez in a 145-pound match during the UFC BJJ 4 event at UFC APEX on December 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Honorable mentions: Gavin Corbe, Landon Elmore
While he fell short of taking major titles, Gavin Corbe broke out as one of the most talented and entertaining lighter weight grapplers in 2025. He joined CJI 2, then took silver at ADCC East Coast Trials by beating world champs like Gianni Grippo and Keith Krikorian, and capped the year with a big win over B-Team star Owen Jones at WNO 30.
Landon Elmore also had a notable run in 2025. The teenage Kingsway product won the EBI title and effortlessly submitted UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell in seconds, then stole the show at UFC BJJ 4 with a swift heel hook victory.
Nolan Stuart was promoted to black belt midway through 2023. In 2025, the 23-year-old Brazilian-American broke through and proved he’s an elite level champion. Primarily a gi grappler, Stuart won his first major title at black belt by taking gold at the 2025 IBJJF Pan Championship. He also took silver at both the World Championships and the IBJJF Brasileiros, only losing both times to six-time world champion Erich Munis.
Those medals are already impressive enough, but what secured Stuart’s spot in this list is his massive title win at the 2025 IBJJF Crown. He beat veteran BJJ champ Lucas Barbosa, then scored an incredible upset by actually submitting IBJJF Grand Slam champion Adam Wardzinski to take his Crown and win the IBJJF’s premier gi event.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 02: Jalen Fonacier reacts after a submission victory against Pedro Nakano in a 135-pound match during the UFC BJJ 3 event at UFC APEX on October 02, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Nicknamed “The Future,” Filipino-American grappler Jalen Fonacier quickly proved in his rookie black belt year that he’s already the best in the world at present. In 2025, he won gold at both the IBJJF Pans and the IBJJF World Championship at just 19-years-old.
Apart from winning a world title in the gi, he also made waves in the professional no gi scene, where he moved up a division and stole the show in both of his UFC BJJ appearances. Just weeks after supposedly starting to learn heel hooks from Mikey Musumeci — a technique that isn’t allowed in the gi — Fonacier swiftly wrecked his foes with his new toy.
Jalen Fonacier’s first two pro no gi bouts were at UFC BJJ 2 and UFC BJJ 3, and it’s where he beat more experienced grapplers in two-time no gi world champ Everton Teixeira and Pedro Nakano. The BJJ rising star submitted them both within the first few seconds, and both by inside heel hook.
Musumeci, who is the current UFC BJJ champion at bantamweight, called for the promotion to open a flyweight division for his teammate Fonacier.
After having a massive 2025 both with and without the gi, Fonacier takes the number two spot on this list.
Screengrab via @IBJJF
1. Male Breakthrough Grappler of the Year: Pawel Jaworski
While the two spots were seemingly hard to top, there was one BJJ rising star that had an even better year in 2025. 21-year-old Pawel Jaworski takes the award for Male Breakthrough Grappler of the Year after a monster year that saw him win a world title and collect medals in just about every major tournament he joined.
The Polish BJJ star won gold at the CJI 2 Trials, ADCC EMEA Trials, IBJJF No Gi Euros, IBJJF No Gi Pans, and the IBJJF No Gi World Championships. Apart from winning all those titles at around 170-188 lbs, Jaworski’s incredible run also saw him beat larger men in the absolute divisions to take double gold at the IBJJF Euros, and bronze at both the Pans and World Championships.
Jaworski also competed at Polaris, where he had wins over BJJ champs PJ Barch and Devhonte Johnson.
Taking all those medals and major championships in just his first year at black belt secured Pawel Jaworski the top spot as MMA Mania’s Male Breakthrough Grappler of the Year.
Best Female Breakthrough Grapplers
Photo via @mendesbros
3 & 4. Mia Funegra and Ashlee Funegra
The Funegra sisters have long built a reputation from their time in the renowned AOJ kids program, but 2025 was the year twins Mia Funegra and Ashlee Funegra turned 18 and immediately made their mark in the adult black belt divisions.
The twins won major titles at brown belt earlier in 2025, then continued their winning ways once they became eligible at black belt. Last June, Mia became the youngest ever BJJ world champion a mere three days since being promoted to black belt. A few months later, and it was her twin sister Ashlee’s turn as she won the no gi equivalent and took home the IBJJF light featherweight world title.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Ana Mayordomo easily had one of the best runs in the entire sport in 2025. The Spanish-American dual citizen won not one but two ADCC Trials titles, two IBJJF major titles at the No Gi Pans and No Gi Euros, along with a submission of the night award from UFC BJJ 3 — all within a couple of months.
To close out 2025, she also took silver at the no gi world championships, where she only lost in the finals against the reigning ADCC double champion in Adele Fornarino. It was a meteoric rise in her first year as a black belt, which nets Mayordomo the second spot on this list.
Her run also put the ADCC’s antiquated rules for women in the spotlight, as Mayordomo might have to win an unprecedented third trials event before qualifying for the ADCC 2026.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
1. Female Breakthrough Grappler of the Year: Sarah Galvao
We’ve seen some incredible runs from top prospects and rookie black belts in this list, but taking the top spot as our 2025 Female Breakthrough Grappler of the Year is Sarah Galvao.
The daughter of BJJ legend Andre Galvao had a banner year, starting 2025 as a brown belt where she won the IBJJF Grand Slam at her belt, which included a win over a heavier foe and potential longterm rival in Helena Crevar.
While now only a black belt for a few months, the teenage BJJ prodigy already has a major title in the IBJJF No Gi Pans, along with some big wins in the professional scene from WNO 26, WNO 30 and CJI 2. Galvao’s biggest achievement came from winning the stacked 2025 IBJJF Crown tournament, where she beat Brianna Ste-Marie, Cassia Moura and Janaina Lebre.
Including her show stealing CJI 2 win over current ADCC champion Ana Vieira and going 1-1 with Crevar, Galvao has wins over at least four reigning BJJ world champions in the past year.
With those big name wins, 2025 saw Galvao immediately jump from a top prospect to the very top of the sport, making the 19-year-old a clear choice for our Female Breakthrough Grappler of the Year award.
MMA Mania’s 2025 BJJ Awards:
Best SubmissionsBest EventsBest Breakthrough Grapplers
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