At the Pan American Championships, we saw previous Pan Ams champ Nathalie Riberio get the gold once again, this time, against 2021 No-Gi IBJJF World Champion Ffion Davies. Nathalie Ribeiro won her second Pans title, this time beating Ffion Davies, who she had previously never beaten in four matches. However, both women have a reputable catalog of outstanding achievements, and both have been IBJJF black belt world champions, so it really was any women’s game. Both competitors presented great sportsmanship on their instagram accounts with posts reciting their experiences from the match.
After getting the win, Nathalie Ribeiro posted to Instagram: “2X TIMES PAN AMERICAN CHAMPION. As you all saw I made a big deal with this title 😅 but it was very special in a lot of ways. I was having a rough week and I wasn’t feeling well mentally. I had an anxiety attack last Wednesday and my body was exhausted due to all tournaments I had fought in the past few weeks – I don’t want to make a drama here I just want you to understand why this was special – as much as I didn’t want to come, I didn’t have the option to miss this tournament because I set a goal to compete the IBJJF grand slam this year and I don’t like giving up without even trying.
Then I came and I fought, my knee popped out in the beginning of my second match against Janaina but I was like “you don’t give up so easily right Nathalie you can do it” then I could menage to win and go to the final. And who was my final match?! Ffion, the girl who defeated me four times. Was I waiting for this moment? Yes and no! I really wanted to fight and try again but I was hopeless because if she defeated me so many times why wouldn’t she defeat me again?! But at the same time I was like “Nathalie you said you don’t give up easily right mf so go and try it again” and since when Ffion defeated me for the third time (it was in 2019 when we had a great fight at worlds and I locked a triangle on her and after 5min inside it, she escaped and attacked my back and submitted me) she really got into my mind…
BUT I was reading few of her posts on Instagram and she said how hard things are/were for her specially mentally, and I identified myself with her and I thought “if after everything she said, she still go out there and give her best and achieved so many things, I can do it too” she inspired me and at this Pan Ams I was able to win against her after so many defeats. It’s just so nice when we get inspired by our own opponents to be better and better.
So that’s a little bit of why this years Pans was special for me, I could face my two opponents, myself and the person who I was so afraid of fighting:)
Thank you everyone for supporting me and never giving up on me 
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Thank you to best photographer @elisabethcristianna for the pictures ️”
“We all have the same goal and will likely all have our moment. Don’t dull anyone else’s shine.” – Ffion Davies
2021 IBJJF World Champion Ffion Davies posted a picture on instagram with the caption: “Took silver at IBJJF Pans. It’s been a tough road here but grateful always for the challenges these women give me, ultimately I want to be the best I can be regardless of the result. Congratulations @tatawribeiro , you’re amazing and our matches always push me to be better. Thank you to the amazing girls who supported me this week @rosa_bjj @amanda_pamela_nicole @libbygengebjj @gami_bjj ️
8 weeks to improve for worlds, head first, fearless 💛”
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