B.C. fighter victorious in Texas Brazilian jiu jitsu debut<\/p>\n
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, April 1, 2026<\/p>\n
UPDATE APRIL 1: <\/p>\n
The Lilli continues to bloom in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.<\/p>\n
Days after winning her division at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation\u2019s Pans event in Florida, Vernon\u2019s Lillian (Lilli) Marchand fought on the undercard of WNO (Who\u2019s Number One) 32, a one-night event in Austin, TX.<\/p>\n
Marchand, making her WNO debut, scored a decision in her back-and-forth bout with Brazil\u2019s Jaine Fragoso.<\/p>\n
She is one of the youngest rising talents in the sport.<\/p>\n
Representing Atos Jiu-Jitsu out of San Diego, Marchand leads the women\u2019s \u201cDream Team\u201d alongside Sarah Galv\u00e3o.<\/p>\n
ORIGINAL STORY<\/p>\n
With gold on the line, Vernon Brazilian jiu jitsu fighter Lillian Marchand said to hell with the sister city.<\/p>\n
Marchand used a devastating armlock submission to defeat Elisabeth Clay from the Ares BJJ Association \u2013 located in Vernon\u2019s sister city of Modesto, Cal. \u2013 in the female black belt middleweight division final at the 2026 International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation\u2019s Pans tournament in Kissimmee, Fla.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a victory, it was dominance,\u201d said thebackstagejiujitsu on its Instagram page about Marchand\u2019s victory. \u201cLilli showed a direct, aggressive jiu jitsu with no margin for error, reaching the final as one of the most dangerous athletes in the bracket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making her first Gi (traditional uniform worn by competitors) Grand Slam final at Pans, in her debut season as a black belt, Marchand entered the competition seeded 17th.<\/p>\n
Representing her club in San Diego \u2013 Atos \u2013 Marchand opened her run to the final with a hard-fought decision win. That was followed up by a pair of submission victories in the quarter- and semi-finals. She made it to the final match with a submission win over Brazil\u2019s Aghata Fernandes.<\/p>\n