Lana Stefanac

Lana Stefanac is an American mixed martial artist, grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. Stefanac is a World, Pan American, and US National Brazilian jiu-jitsu Champion in colored belts, she is a two-time black belt world champion^[a] and the first American woman to become world champion in both her weight class and in the Open class.^[6]

Lana Stefanac
Born	(1975-06-16) 16 June 1975 (age 50)[1] Cleveland, Ohio, US
Other names	Lethal[2]
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Division	Medium heavy[3] Middleweight (MMA)
Reach	70.0 in (178 cm)
Team	Relson Gracie Open Dor Bjj Gracie Elite trinity bjj[4]
Rank	BJJ black belt
Years active	2006–2009 (MMA)[5]
Mixed martial arts record
Total	6
Wins	6
By knockout	1
By submission	4
By decision	1
Losses	0
Other information
Website	http://lanastefanac.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record Representing  United States Grappling ADCC World Championship 2007 Trenton, USA +67kg ADCC North American Championship 2008 Newark, USA +60kg Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2009 California, USA +74kg 2009 California, USA Absolute 2011 California, USA +74kg 2011 California, USA Absolute

Career

Lana Stefanac was born on 16 June 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio, US, her father was born in Lika, Croatia before emigrating to the US.^[7] Stefanac started training in Muay Thai then after meeting 3rd degree black belt Donald Park, a student of Royler Gracie, she started Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in 2003.^[7]

In 2006, after receiving her blue belt, she won the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship in her division, that same year Stefanac started competing MMA winning 3 matches that year, all won by submission. Her first match was against champion boxer Martha Salazarbe.^[5] Stefanac won again the Pan Ams in the purple belt division in 2007 in both Gi and No-Gi then won silver at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships. Stefanac won three more MMA matches between 2006 and 2008, ending her MMA career with an impressive 6–0 professional record. In 2008 she had a record of 200 wins, 3 losses in both Gi and No Gi.^[b][8] In 2008, she won the ADCC North American Trials.^[5]

Stefanac was promoted to black belt in 2009 by Randy Bloom straight after winning double gold at the 2009 Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship after defeating Kyra Gracie in her division and Gabi Garcia (16-0) in the Open class.^[9][10] Stefanac retired from MMA undefeated in 2009.^[5] In 2011 she won Bronze at the world championship in both her weight and in Open class, that same year she announced giving up competing to pursue her career in law enforcement.^[11]

Championships and accomplishments

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Main Achievements (Black belt):

• IBJJF World Champion (2009^[c][4][d])
• 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2011^[12][d])

Main Achievements (Colored belt):

• IBJJF Pan American No-Gi Champion (2007^[13][e]))
• IBJJF Pan American Champion (2006 Blue^[14] / 2007 Purple^[15])

Grappling

• ADCC West Coast Trials winner (2008^[16])
• 2nd Place ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship (2007^[17])

Mixed martial arts

• 3 Professional MMA Title Belts in 2 weight divisions

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown

6 matches	6 wins	0 losses
By knockout	0	0
By submission	4	0
By decision	2	0

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Win	6–0	Teyvia Reid	Technical Submission (Armbar)	FFF 4 – Call of the Wild	April 3, 2008	1	0:36	Los Angeles, United States
Win	5–0	Megumi Yabushita	Decision (Unanimous)	Smackgirl 7th anniversary: Starting Over	December 1, 2007	2	5:00	Tokyo, Japan
Win	4–0	Franita Gathings	Decision (Unanimous)	AOW – Art of War 3	September 1, 2007	1	1:07	Dallas, United States
Win	3–0	Teyvia Reid	Technical Submission (Armbar)	FCFS 4 – Damage Control	November 19, 2006	1	5:00	Indiana, United States
Win	2–0	Stacy Piper Ford	Submission (Armbar)	FCFS 3 – Full Contact Fight Series	September 16, 2006	1	0:29	Indiana, United States
Win	1–0	Martha Salazar	Submission (Guillotine Choke)	Extreme Wars 3 – Bay Area Brawl	June 3, 2006	1	2:09	Oakland, United States

Private life

Stefanac's brother Mark is a police officer, a BJJ black belt and the owner of the Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Willoughby, Ohio.^[18]

Notes

1. As a brown belt competing in the combined brown and black female division
2. According to the ADCC
3. black/brown division^[4]
4. Weight and Absolute^[4]
5. blue/purple division^[13]