Mayssa Bastos is widely recognized as the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete to ever compete in the sport’s lightest weight classes – and she’ll soon enjoy the opportunity to add to her jam-packed trophy case.

On August 2, in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video, the 26-year-old black belt will challenge American superstar Danielle Kelly for her ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title.

Mayssa Bastos emphasizes the importance of the Miyao brothers in her MMA career

That submission-only matchup goes down at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and has the BJJ world buzzing with excitement. A nine-time IBJJF World Champion, Bastos is renowned for her dynamic and modern guard game. The centerpiece of that game is her trademark berimbolo – an advanced technique that involves inverting upside-down, lifting her opponent’s hips, and eventually taking the back.

Once on the back, the Brazilian is an incredible finisher. Today, her berimbolo is arguably the best the world has ever seen, but she says she drew inspiration for the move from twin brothers Joao and Paulo Miyao.

The Miyaos were at the forefront of the berimbolo revolution that changed BJJ forever, and at the time, Bastos was an up-and-coming grappler.

She says she looked to the Miyao brothers as she developed her signature technique: “My inspiration in jiu-jitsu was the Miyao brothers. I discovered them when I was very young and watched their fights on YouTube. I saw a highlight of them doing the berimbolo, and that’s when I discovered this position that became my favorite position, as well. I think the berimbolo is one of the most beautiful positions of jiu-jitsu, and I think that’s what caught my attention.”

Bastos trains with Mendes brothers for world title showdown

Following in the footsteps of the Miyaos, Bastos has racked up gold medals at practically every major competition available to her. She’s now in her final preparations for her World Title showdown with the submission-savvy Kelly, and she’s been sharpening her weapons under the careful tutelage of brothers Gui and Rafa Mendes at the famed Art of Jiu-Jitsu in Costa Mesa, California.

Just like she drew inspiration from the Miyaos, Bastos now fine-tunes her game under the Mendes brothers. “The Miyao brothers were my role models and an inspiration to me in jiu-jitsu when I was younger, especially because I really liked the berimbolo, a technique they were experts in,” said Bastos

He further added, “But nowadays, I follow the example of my teachers, the Mendes brothers, who were successful as competitors and are now also successful as teachers.”