Ana Carolina Vieira Srour - The Top Notch BJJ Athlete

Ana Carolina Vieira Srour was born on November 19, 1993, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sometimes, she is also known as Baby or Carol. She is one of the most popular female fighters in the middleweight division. She is the younger sister of the famous Rodolfo Vieira who is known for his grappling style. Vieira participated extensively inBJJ tournaments. Over the years, she has won three IBJJF Gi World Championships and made a name for herself in the competitive No-Gi world. In 2016, she received her BJJ black belt from Julio Cesar.

Ana Carolina was not initially interested in martial arts at a young age, even though her brother was a prominent athlete. Anna wanted to be a gymnast. She was passionate and searched for gymnastics clubs to train in the sport, but couldn’t find any gymnastics club near her house. Srour couldn’t fulfill her dream of becoming a gymnast.

When she realized that pursuing a career in gymnastics was not an option, Srour decided to train in capoeira (a Brazilian martial art that combines the elements of dance, music, and acrobats). After a short period, at the age of 14, she incorporated jiu-jitsu training into her schedule.

Srour’s interest in jiu-jitsu grew from the first training class. She developed a passion to learn new BJJ techniques and wanted to polish her grappling skills. However, the lack of female trainers and students in her class prevented her from fully enjoying the learning process. Moreover, the injuries and different scars embarrassed her so much that she left the academy. She took a break for some time and started watching her brother’s training and practices, developing more interest in jiu-jitsu. Her family also supported and encouraged her.

When she was 17, Srour went with her family to watch her brother, Rodolfo Vieira, fight at a local BJJ event. After seeing the family’s endless support for her brother, she gained motivation and started thinking about resuming jiu-jitsu training. As a result, Srour returned to the mats and found much-needed guidance in her first coach, Gabriel Marinho.

Marinho trained Srour well and urged her to participate in the Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials in 2012. At this point, Srour had just received her blue belt, but she hesitated to compete as the tournament seemed too tough. However, her brother and family supported her so she agreed to compete. She won the first four matches - three by submission - and reached the finals to fight against an intimidating opponent, Monique Elias.

Winning in Brazil boosted Srour’s confidence and career. She decided to become a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and began training at the headquarters of Grappling Fight Team Jiu-Jitsu Academy (GFT). There she met Julio Cesar, the head instructor of the team. Later, she also trained with the SK2 training coach, Luiz Fernando.

GFT’s female team became prominent because of Ana’s performance. She won many international tournaments including three IBJJF World Championships. She received her black jiu-jitsu belt in June 2016.

At the GFT academy, Ana Carolina not only found excellent mentorship but also great camaraderie. She drew inspiration from fellow grapplers such as Vanessa Oliveira, Nadia Melo, Mayssa Bastos, Thamires Aquinos, and Amanda Monteiro.

Srour started her professional BJJ career after winning the Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials in Gramado, Brazil in 2012. She became confident and motivated. Anna started training more with GFT Academy’s instructors.

In June 2016, Master Julio Cesar Pereira deemed Ana Carolina worthy of a black belt and awarded her himself.

She followed the GF team that was trained by Julio Cesar. This team became more popular after Anna achieved higher-ranked belts and gold medals. This team includes popular athletes such as Mayssa Bastos, Vanessa Oliveira, Thamires Aquino, Nadia Melo, Amanda Monteiro, and a few others.

In 2012, Ana Carolina competed in the IBJJF World Championship for the first time and won the gold medal. One victory led to another, and Srour managed to bag gold medals in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2018 and 2021, she secured 3rd place on the podium and received bronze medals.

In the 2021 Pan Championship, Ana Carolina Vieira Srour faced Elisabeth Clay in the final. Elisabeth Clay was a fresh black belt while Ana had been a black belt holder since 2016. Anna Carolina was confident that she would easily dominate her opponent.

In the final 20 seconds, Srour grabbed Clay’s gi collar and pushed her down on her knees. Carolina maintained control by pinning her opponent to the ground and immobilizing her. In the end, Carolina won the match and claimed the fourth world title at the black belt level.

Anna Carolina Vieira Srour competed with Luiza Monteiro in 2019 World Championship. It was a tough fight as Monteiro was a strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor. Both competitors fought with full strength, but Anna won the match by six points.

In 2018, Anna Carolina fought against Raquel Canuto in the IBJJFWorld Finals. It was a highly-anticipated middleweight bout. In the concluding minutes, Carolina already had the lead by five points. In a desperate attempt to win, Canuto attempted an unsuccessful guard that Srour managed to pass. Srour then proceeded to attempt an arm in Ezekiel choke and subdued her opponent to claim the title. After a lot of struggles, she won the 2018 Woman’s Middleweight World Championship. 

Carolina is 27 years old now and is not retired yet. She is still competing in many championships and has a bright future ahead. She is working on making videos to provide tips on jiu-jitsu techniques. She has opened a jiu-jitsu academy, Aviv Jiu-Jitsu with her wife and BJJ black belt athlete Luanna Alzuguir.

• IBJJF World Championship
• IBJJF World Championship No-Gi
• IBJJF PAN Championship
• 3CG Kumite 7 Grand Prix
• CBJJ Brazilian Nationals
• UAEJJF Grand Slam, Rio de Janeiro
• CBJJ Brazilian National Team Championship
• CBJJ Brazilian Nationals

Year Event Belt Position

Year Event Belt Position

Ana Carolina Vieira - WNO Championship

Yara Soares v Ana Vieira / Pan Championship 2021

Ana Vieira v Gabrieli Pessanha / Pan Championship 2021

Ana Carolina Vieira VS Paivi Aittamaa / European championship 2017

Photo credit: @anacarolinavieir4