Watch Ivanka Trump show off her jiu-jitsu blue belt skills – BJJ Beat

Welcome to the BJJ Beat! On this recurring feature, we’ll tackle the biggest news from the professional grappling scene, and roll everything up in an easily digestible and familiar jiu-jitsu format.

Warm Ups

Ivanka Trump shows off her BJJ blue belt skills

In case you didn’t know, Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump has been a BJJ blue belt for a while now. She previously revealed that she fell in love with the sport because of its “spiritualism” and “Samurai tradition.”

The gym she trains at has released a demo reel of her showcasing some of things she’s been working on. Watch a glimpse of the US President’s daughter showing off her jiu-jitsu skills on the clip below:

As the striking and knife defense clips show, Trump obviously isn’t training in your typical jiu-jitsu gym. She is part of the Velente Brother’s gym in Florida, which focuses on self defense “jujutsu” and “life coaching,” instead of sport jiu-jitsu and competition.

In a previous interview, the US President’s daughter also noted how her coaches created a “code” that she likens to a “religion.”

“That was developed with some of the sort of Samurai principles in mind, and all my kids have memorized it,” Trump said about the 15 pillars of this gym’s code. “It’s an unbelievable thing. They’ll actually integrate it into conversations… It’s the mind, body and soul.

“The kids can only advance and get their stripes if they really internalize this. My kids will come home from school and they’ll tell me examples of how things happen that weren’t aligned with the 753 code. So it’s like a framework, much like religion is in our house, and it can be for others.”

Drills

Three promising BJJ bouts set for UFC FPI 11

A few bouts have been officially confirmed for the upcoming UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 (UFC FPI 11) card, including the highly anticipated match between the two best female grapplers in the world.

Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino, which was the scrapped UFC FPI 10 headliner, has been rebooked for this event on May 29, 2025. The match will once again be taking the main event slot.

Two other promising bouts have also been confirmed for UFC FPI 11. The always entertaining William Tackett will take on second generation BJJ competitor Achilles Rocha, who is coming off a win at UFC FPI 10. 2024 ADCC world champion Ana Viera will also take on three-time no gi world champion Raquel Canuto in a featherweight match.

Although no opponents have been revealed yet, UFC FPI 11 is also expected to have Mikey Musumeci and Mason Fowler competing in separate bouts.

Move of the Day

Gogoplata and palm strikes puts grappler to sleep!

Eddie Bravo’s Combat Jiu-jitsu ruleset allows for palm strikes, and EBI 23 produced a wild result because of it. Watch Dominic Lobo put a guy to sleep from a gogoplata and palm strikes.

Rolls

Stacked WNO 27 fight card finalized

The best BJJ card this month has its fight card finalized, and it is looking very good. Apart from the promising battle between openweight champions, big names are also on the WNO 27 line up.

It’s ADCC double champ vs. CJI champ in the main event, with Kaynan Duarte taking on Nick Rodriguez. Fresh off his UFC FPI 10 main event win over Nicky Rod, Victor Hugo will be taking on Luke Griffith on the WNO 27 co-headliner. There will also be a female title bout between Helena Crevar and Elisabeth Clay, along with entertaining grapplers and fan favorites like Andrew Tackett and Owen Jones.

BJJ legend Xande Ribeiro will also be on the WNO 27 main card, while the prelims will also feature the likes of B-Team’s Chris Wojcik and 10th Planet’s Ben Eddy. Check out the full line up below.

WNO 27 fight card

Main Card

Kaynan Duarte vs Nick Rodriguez
Victor Hugo vs Luke Griffith
Elisabeth Clay vs Helena Crevar [WNO FW title]
Andrew Tackett vs Fabyury Khrysthyan
Owen Jones vs Julian Espinosa
Xande Ribeiro vs Richie Martinez

Undercard

Chris Wojcik vs. Michael Esquivel II
Trinity Pun vs. Taylor Hishaw
Sebastian Attard vs. Colin Carr
Ben Eddy vs. Josh Wyland

Cooldown

BJJ star Felipe Costa suspended by USADA, stripped of No Gi world title

Cassio Felipe Costa has been suspended by USADA for one year, after testing positive for clomiphene. Clomiphene affects testosterone, and according to the anti-doping agency, Costa needed an exemption to use the banned substance.

“After a thorough review of the case, USADA determined that Sousa Costa’s positive test was caused by a medication prescribed for therapeutic purposes under the care of a physician. Although the substance was taken at the direction of a physician, Sousa Costa did not meet the criteria for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE),” the announcement read. “The Code requires that athletes obtain a TUE before using a prohibited substance.”

Costa originally won gold at the 2024 IBJJF no gi world championship, but has since been stripped of his medal for failing the drug test. His suspension applies to IBJJF events, and he won’t be able to compete in the organization until December 30, 2025.

The ADCC 2024 Trials winner last competed at UFC FPI 10, losing by points to Ronaldo Junior.

Review

To close things out, here are other interesting BJJ stories you might have missed:

For the latest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and grappling-related news click here.