BUNNELL, Fla. – Ella Desario is a rising star in the world of combat sports.
“The first class I did, I loved it,” Desario said. ”From there on I just wanted to keep training. It was fun.”
She trains up to six hours a day. She’s traveled across the country, won national titles, and now, she’s preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime.
The St. Augustine 11-year-old is an orange belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. She is one of just 11 athletes selected to represent USA Grappling at the world championships in Greece.
“I was pretty much born into it, but I started when I was around 4 years old,” Desario said.
Ella isn’t just competing — she’s winning. She finished the 2024 season ranked #1 with ADCC Youth Advanced, and #2 overall in the 17-and-under female division, at just 11 years old.
She’s a multi-time Pan Kids Champion with wins in both Gi and No Gi competitions and has stepped onto some of the biggest platforms in youth jiu-jitsu, like Fight to Win and the World Series of Jiu-Jitsu.
“I’ve seen Ella competing since she was little,” Ella’s coach Igor Mancebo said. ”Her work ethic is always on point. She was always very good. I knew she always worked very hard and when she started coming here and training with us, it elevates the whole gym.”
Grappling may not involve punches or kicks, but make no mistake, it’s full-contact competition and it’s international. This will be Ella’s first time traveling overseas, after winning qualifiers in Kansas City and Dallas to earn her spot on the roster.
“Super excited to see a whole new country, a whole different place, train with new people and fight different people,” Desario said.
“I watched her compete and she was very smooth, very controlled, and she just dominated her matches,” USA Grappling head coach John Morgan said.
Before Greece, Ella will take the mat at the Pan Kids tournament on July 25, the largest youth Gi competition in the country.
From St. Augustine to the world stage, her journey is just beginning.
“My goal is to be a black belt world champion,” Desario said. ”I want to be the youngest black belt world champion.”
USA Grappling is covering Ella’s travel and expenses for the trip. Her coach says she’s the first athlete from his gym, Spartan Academy Palm Coast, to ever compete for Team USA.
A huge congratulations to Ella and best of luck overseas!