A fast-rising young Filipino jiu-jitsu artist achieved a milestone in her budding career by bagging a gold medal in the world’s biggest jiu-jitsu tournament for kids.
Aleia Aielle M Aguilar of Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu outpointed Lyla Rose Warren of Shark BJJ in their Pee Wee 2 grey finals confrontation in the Pan Kids IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025 over the weekend at the Silver Spur Arena in Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
“She [Aielle] is not afraid to compete at the global stage at her incredibly young age. I am really proud of her,” her father Alvin Aguilar, the founding father of Filipino mixed martial arts, Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) and DEFTAC, said.
“She fought pretty well, and her instinct, confidence, and consistency were great all along,” he added. “She fought different taller and stronger opponents from the other clubs abroad and she was not afraid to go up against anybody on the mat.”
In her run-up to the championship round, the seven-year-old three-time jiu-jitsu world champion in Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) since 2022 proved consistent, with none of her opponents managing to score.
Earlier, the young Aguilar defeated Trinity Grace Thome of Gracie Barra in the quarterfinal round of the division featuring participants under 46.60 pounds.
The victory set her up in a semifinal meeting with Maite Almeida De Oliveira of Carlson Gracie Team, who drew a bye. The Filipina did not waste time adding De Oliveira to her growing list of victims.
She advanced to the finals opposite Lyla Rose Warren, who had earlier defeated Zara Scarlett Hernandez of Pablo Silva BJJ in the semifinals.
Lyla Rose Warren settled for the silver, while De Oliveira and Slade ReShae of the Alliance team won bronze medals.
