Ffion Davies is a Welsh black belt from Swansea and one of the most successful British competitors in jiu-jitsu. She won IBJJF World titles in the gi (2022, 2023) and no-gi (2018, 2021, 2023), and in 2022 became the first British and Welsh ADCC world champion. Her game is built on finishing, with armbars and back chokes making up most of her submission wins.
Background and lineage
Davies is a native Welsh speaker who played rugby as a child and switched to judo at eight, becoming a Welsh and British Open junior champion. She found jiu-jitsu through MMA training in 2013, alongside Brett Johns, and earned her blue belt under Chris Rees in Swansea. After moving to Dublin she trained at East Coast Jiu-Jitsu, where Darragh O'Conaill promoted her to black belt on 27 November 2018. Her lineage runs through Alexandre and Saulo Ribeiro to Royler Gracie. Since early 2022 she has trained at Essential Jiu Jitsu under JT Torres.
Competition highlights
- ADCC: silver at −60 kg in 2019, after an armbar on Beatriz Mesquita in the semi-final and a toe hold loss to Bianca Basilio in the final. Gold at −60 kg in 2022.
- IBJJF World (gi): lightweight gold in 2022 and 2023, after bronze in 2019.
- IBJJF World No-Gi: gold in 2018 and 2021, then weight and absolute double gold in 2023. Wikipedia notes she was the first lightweight to win double gold there.
- Other: European Open titles in 2019 and 2020 (weight and absolute), the 2019 Pans, and the 2019 Brazilian Nationals, where she was the first European champion.
- Professional events: the WNO flyweight title in 2023, Polaris and Subversion titles in 2024, and an exclusive UFC Fight Pass contract in 2025.
Style and signature techniques
BJJ Heroes names the armbar as her favourite technique, and it is her most common finish (14 wins). The rear naked choke (13), other chokes from back control (8) and the bow and arrow choke (3) show how much of her game runs through the back. She has also won with the reverse triangle, triangle, toe hold and kata gatame.
Notable matches
- Beatriz Mesquita, ADCC 2019: an armbar on the multiple-time gi world champion.
- Bianca Basilio, Worlds and ADCC 2019: two submission losses in one year, by straight ankle lock in the Worlds semi-final and toe hold in the ADCC final.
- Mackenzie Dern, CJI 2024: an armbar on the UFC fighter in a grappling superfight.
- Amanda Bruse, UFC BJJ 9 (2026): another armbar finish under the UFC Fight Pass banner.