2017 and 2018 IBJJF World Champion (in both her division and the open weight division) Tayane Porfirio has switched teams and is now with Gracie Barra, according to GracieMag.
The super heavyweight athlete was formerly with Alliance as a part of Alexandre Paiva’s team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, she’s spent the past few months living and training in London for a seminar tour. There’s no immediate evidence of animosity toward her former gym, and the switch appears to be prompted by Porfirio’s love for the UK and the support she received from the Gracie Barra gym in London (run by Lucio Rodrigues) during her time there. She also cited economic difficulties in Brazil as a reason for making the move.
This opens up the opportunity for Porfirio to compete against her former teammate, Gabi Garcia. However, Porfirio preferred not to discuss the topic in her interview with GracieMag, saying that there were many athletes in her category and she didn’t want to just focus on one.
