Elisabeth Clay

Elisabeth Clay Moreira is an American submission grappler, Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and competitor.[lower-alpha 1]

Elisabeth Clay Moreira
BornElisabeth Ann Clay
(2000-06-10) June 10, 2000
Katy, Texas, U.S.[1]
DivisionGi weight classes
Medium Heavy
-74 kg (163.1 lb)
Middleweight
-69 kg (152.1 lb)
TeamAres BJJ[2]
Legacy
Anchorage Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
RankBJJ black belt[lower-alpha 1]
OccupationBJJ instructor
Websitehttp://www.theclays.com/
Medal record
Representing  United States
Submission Grappling
ADCC North American Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Burbank, USA +60kg
Gold medal – first place 2017 Anaheim, USA -60kg
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2021 California, USA −74 kg
World No-Gi Championship
Gold medal – first place 2022 California, USA -66.5
Gold medal – first place 2022 California, USA Absolute
Gold medal – first place 2021 California, USA − 71.5 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 California, USA Absolute
Pan-American Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 Florida, USA −69 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 Florida, USA −74 kg
Pan No-Gi Championship
Gold medal – first place 2022 Texas, USA − 66.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Texas, USA Absolute
Gold medal – first place 2021 Texas, USA − 71.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 Texas, USA Absolute
European Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Paris, France −69 kg
Brazilian Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil − 69 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Absolute
Silver medal – second place 2022 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil −74 kg
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Silver medal – second place 2022 Miami, USA -70kg

Clay won multiple World and Pan championships titles (Gi and No-Gi) throughout her colored belts as well as the ADCC West Coat Trials when just a 16-year-old blue belt. She is a black belt 3X World No-Gi champion, a 4X Pan No-Gi champion as well as a World, European Open and Brazilian Nationals medallist. Clay is currently ranked No. 1 in the 2022–2023 IBJJF No-Gi black belt division.[3]

Early life

Elisabeth Ann Clay Moreira was born on June 10, 2000, in Katy, Texas, USA.[1] when she was still a child her family moved to Oklahoma and then Alaska. From a family of competitive gymnasts Clay tried gymnastics before joining a local MMA gym at 12 where she started Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[4]

Early career

In 2016, after competing at IBJJF World Championship in the juvenile blue belt division, winning gold in heavyweight and silver in the Absolute, Clay moved to Legacy Jiu Jitsu (an Ares Affiliate) in Anchorage, Alaska.[5] Clay trained under coach Jordan Kontra and started competing in major tournaments. As a 16-year-old blue belt, Clay upset the bracket by winning 2017 ADCC Submission Grappling West Coat Trials.[6][lower-alpha 2] Clay started to be known as a "black belt killer" after defeating brown and black belt opponents.[7] In 2018 she won medium heavy and the open class at Pan Championship then became absolute blue belt World champion. She was then promoted to purple belt.[8]

Mid-2018, Clay moved to Modesto, California to train under Samir Chantre and Osvaldo Moizinho at the Ares Jiu-Jitsu Team headquarters.[9] In February 2019 she arrived third in the 2nd ADCC North American Trial.[10] In March 2019, Clay won double bronze at purple belt at the 2019 Pan Championship.[11] In 2019, she won IBJJF World No-Gi Championship at brown belt, submitting all her opponents in the process.[12] At Fight 2 Win 143 in June 2020 she defeated World No-Gi super-heavy and open weight black belt champion Kendall Reusing via Split Decision.[13] At Fight 2 Win 147 in July 2020 Clay submitted 2x IBJJF world champion Luiza Monteiro via outside heel hook.[14]

Black belt career

2020-2022

In November 2020 she received her black belt from Moizinho and Chantre.[15][16] In January 2021 FloGrappling chose her as the "2020 Female Grappler of the Year".[17] In February she made her black belt Gi debut at Fight to Win 165 where she submitted no. 2-ranked medium heavyweight Maria Malyjasiak via toehold, winning in the process the welterweight Gi title.[18]

In May 2021 at Subversiv 5 taking place in Miami in May, Clay won the Superfight submitting Andressa Cintra with a kneebar,[19] a few weeks later Clay won silver at the Pan-American Championship then double gold at the 2021 Pan No-Gi with a 100% submission rate at both middleweight and in the absolute division, submitting Kendall Reusing in the openweight final.[20] In October Clay won her first black belt world title at the 2021 World No-Gi Championship, also winning silver in openweight.[21]

In April 2022 Clay participated in the ADCC West Coast Trials but lost on points to Amy Campo in the semi-final. In September she was invited to compete at the 2022 ADCC World Championship replacing Carina Santi,[22] Clay lost on points to Amy Campo.[23] At the 2022 Pan No-Gi taking place in October Clay won her weight and the openweight for the second year in a row after submitting all six of her opponent.[24]

2023

Clay competed in the 2023 IBJJF European Championship, winning a bronze medal in the middleweight division.[25] Clay is currently ranked No. 1 in the IBJJF No-Gi black belt division.[3] She was then invited to compete in the women's under 66kg grand prix at Polaris 23 on March 11, 2023.[26] Clay defeated Joanna Dineva, Ffion Davies, and Amy Campo in one night to win the tournament.[27]

On March 26, 2023, Clay won a gold medal in the middleweight division of the IBJJF Pan Championship 2023.[28] She then competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu on May 7, 2023 and won a pair of bronze medals in the middleweight and absolute divisions.[29] Clay then competed at the IBJJF American National Championship 2023, winning a silver medal at middleweight and a bronze medal in the absolute division on July 7.[30] In the no gi edition of the competition on July 8, she won a gold medal at middleweight and a gold medal in the absolute division.[31]

Clay competed against Brianna Ste-Marie for the vacant featherweight Who's Number One title at WNO: Night of Champions on October 1, 2023.[32] She won the match by unanimous decision.[33]

Championships and accomplishments

Main Achievements (black belt level):[1][34]

Main Achievements (colored belts ):[1]

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Junior > Samir Chantre > Elisabeth Clay[1]

Notes
  1. under Osvaldo Moizinho and Samir Chantre
  2. The ADCC 2017 Trials were qualification events for the ADCC 2017 World Championships which Clay was unable to attend due to a knee injury.
  3. Weight and absolute
  4. Absolute

References
  1. "Elisabeth Clay". BJJ Heroes – Elisabeth Clay.
  2. "Elisabeth Clay". Parry Athletics. June 23, 2020.
  3. "2022–2023 Ranking". 2022–2023 Ranking. January 30, 2023.
  4. "BJJ Athletes – Elisabeth Clay Biography Interview". BjjTribes. August 12, 2020.
  5. "IBJJF 2016 World". IBJJF.
  6. "Who is Elisabeth Clay!?". Zebra Athletics. May 5, 2017.
  7. Clements, Averi (February 9, 2021). "Elisabeth Clay To Battle Maria Malyjasiak For Welterweight Gi Title At F2W 165". Jiu-Jitsu Times.
  8. "2018 Worlds: ADCC breakout wins blue belt absolute". Graciemag. June 1, 2018.
  9. "Elisabeth Clay, Alaska's Grappling Phenom". BJJ Heroes – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News. June 17, 2020.
  10. "2ND ADCC NORTH-AMERICAN TRIAL 2019 • ADCC NEWS". adcombat.com. November 14, 2018.
  11. Stockton, Corey (February 22, 2021). "Lis Clay Set For First Black Belt Gi Match vs Maria Malyjasiak At F2W 165". FloGrappling.
  12. "Elisabeth Clay – Grappling". FloGrappling.
  13. Clements, Averi (June 12, 2020). "Fight 2 Win 143 RESULTS: Victor Hugo Submits Fellipe Andrew In Quick Main Event". Jiu-Jitsu Times.
  14. "F2W 147 Results Elisabeth Clay Submits Monteiro And Shocks The Grappling World". BJJ Heroes – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News. July 18, 2020.
  15. "Elisabeth Ann Clay – BJJ Champion". Fighters Choice – Supplements Developed by Fighters for Fighters. June 10, 2000.
  16. Stockton, Corey (November 14, 2020). "After A Year Hunting Black Belts, Lis Clay Gets Promoted". FloGrappling.
  17. "Elisabeth Clay Is The 2020 FloGrappling Female Grappler Of The Year". FloGrappling. January 11, 2021.
  18. Coate, Ben (March 1, 2021). "Fight to Win 165 Results: Elisabeth Clay Wins Black Belt Gi Debut by Submission". Grappling Insider.
  19. "SUBVERSIV 5 Team Vs Team Tournament". BJJ Heroes – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News. May 2, 2021.
  20. Lindsey, Alex. "Elisabeth Clay Submits Everyone To Take Double Gold At IBJJF No Gi Pan-Ams". JitsMagazine. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  21. Clay, Elisabeth (October 22, 2021). "Elisabeth Clay Reacts to Winning her First Black Belt World Title". Zebra Athletics.
  22. Burne, Kathrine (August 20, 2022). "Elisabeth Clay Makes Her ADCC Debut In Place Of Carina Santi". Jitsmagazine.com.
  23. "2022 ADCC results, videos: Day 1 recap and standouts". Bloody Elbow. September 18, 2022.
  24. Lindsey, Alex (May 17, 2021). "Elisabeth Clay Submits Everyone To Take Double Gold At IBJJF No Gi Pan-Ams". Jitsmagazine.com.
  25. "IBJJF European Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  26. Lindsey, Alex. "Polaris Announces Under 66kg Women's Grand Prix". JitsMagazine. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  27. "Polaris 23 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  28. "IBJJF Pan Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  29. "IBJJF Brazilian National Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  30. "IBJJF American National Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  31. "IBJJF No Gi American National Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  32. Phillips, Sabrina. "Brianna Ste-Marie And Elisabeth Clay Meet For Vacant Featherweight WNO Title". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  33. "Who's Number One 20: Night Of Champions Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  34. "Athlete Results Elisabeth Clay". Athlete Results. February 22, 1999.
  35. "Athlete Results". Athlete Results. February 22, 1999.
  36. "Polaris 23 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  37. "Elisabeth Clay – Fighter profile". Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro. February 2, 2023.
  38. "IBJJF European Championship 2023 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine.com. January 30, 2023.
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