Juliana Velasquez

Juliana Velasquez was born in Rio de Janeiro on 19 October 1986 and was put on the judo mat by her father at four. She reached high-level competition eleven years later, winning medals on the South American judo circuit, and at 28, having missed out on Brazil's Olympic judo team, turned to mixed martial arts. In 2013 she drew national attention in a Shooto Brazil promotion built around a supposed bout with a male fighter, which the promoter revealed was a campaign against violence towards women rather than a real fight.

She won her amateur debut in 2014 by submission and opened her professional career the same year, going 5–0 on the Rio circuit and winning a regional bantamweight title before signing with Bellator MMA. Her Bellator debut in December 2017 ended with a second-round armbar; wins followed over Rebecca Ruth, Alejandra Lara and Kristina Williams, and she went on to become Bellator Women's Flyweight World Champion.

How the name is written

A Brazilian Velasquez: in Portuguese-speaking Brazil the name appears without the accent.

Sources

Facts in this profile are drawn from the Wikipedia article(s) linked below, consulted on 21 September 2026; the text is original. Wikipedia (English) · Wikipedia (Spanish)

More people named Velasquez — Sports

Cain Velasquez — Two-time UFC heavyweight champion and NCAA All-American wrestler.
Julio Velázquez — Football manager — the youngest ever in Spain's Segunda División, later Villarreal, Alavés, Udinese and Levski Sofia.
John R. Velazquez — "Johnny V" — Hall of Fame jockey, three Kentucky Derbies and the sport's all-time leading money earner.
Nelson Velázquez — Major League outfielder — Cubs, Royals, Cardinals and Astros; 2021 Arizona Fall League MVP.
Vince Velasquez — Major League pitcher — Astros, Phillies, Padres, White Sox, Pirates, Cubs — and Lotte Giants in Korea.
Andrew Velazquez — "Squid" — Bronx-born infielder for the Rays, Indians, Orioles, Yankees, Angels and Royals; minor-league on-base record holder.
Wilmer Velásquez — "El Matador" — all-time top scorer of the Honduran league with 196 goals and 12 titles with Olimpia.
Jorge Velásquez — Hall of Fame jockey — Alydar's rider in the great 1978 Triple Crown rivalry, Kentucky Derby winner on Pleasant Colony.

All 47 profiles and the pages about the name →

Profiles are compiled from public sources for general information. They are not affiliated with or endorsed by the people described. Corrections are welcome at carol@velasquez.info.