Paige Ivette has been vocal about the disparity in opportunities available to female competitors compared to their male counterparts. In a candid discussion on the Jits and Giggles podcast, she shared her perspectives on how major tournaments, particularly ADCC, have historically limited women’s participation.
When Ivette first transitioned from MMA to competitive jiu-jitsu, she had high expectations about the earning potential for female athletes.
“I honestly thought that when I was changing from MMA to jiu-jitsu, I thought that women were going to make, like, at ADCC, the championship. I thought you were going to make 40 grand,”
she revealed. The reality proved starkly different:
“I was blown away at the five grand.”
This revelation highlights a broader issue within competitive jiu-jitsu.
This was one of the viral stories last year. Ffion Davies was on record as being able to make more money just from a seminar in a weekend than she’d made upto that point with winning the ADCC. Even then organizer Mo Jassim agreed that $5000 was a bit too humble. After all to win the ADCC you need to actually invest and have a proper camp so the cost can far outweight even the top prize. This was the catalyst for the first CJI.
Ivette expressed frustration with the structural limitations placed on women’s divisions. Regarding ADCC specifically, she stated:
“I wish it was a 16-man bracket or a woman bracket, and it’s not, which is unfortunate, but I know it’s Abu Dhabi, and that’s how they want to do things. They just, like, put limitations on women, and I think that we shouldn’t because, you know, women have their value in the world, too.”
The conversation extended to other major tournaments and the general landscape of competitive opportunities. Ivette emphasized her belief that creating more space for women is essential for growth.
“Make more space for it,”
she insisted when discussing tournament organizers’ claims that there weren’t enough high-level female competitors. She firmly believes qualified women exist who could fill larger brackets if given the opportunity.
When asked about continuing to grow women’s jiu-jitsu, Ivette suggested:
“I think having more organizations that, like, focus on women’s jiu-jitsu and, like, promoting it, because people love to watch women.”
She noted that while mixed-gender events are valuable,
“I feel like, man, maybe we should start doing a little more for the women community.”
Ivette also addressed the argument that women can’t compete at the same level as men in certain weight classes. She pushed back against this notion, citing examples of successful matches across weight divisions and questioning why similar opportunities aren’t extended to women.
“There were plenty of size mix matches” at events like CJI,
she pointed out, asking
“why not do that with women?”
The disparities extend beyond bracket sizes to prize money. While Ivette acknowledged that equal pay might make sense when competition structures are equal, she strongly advocated for better compensation overall to attract and retain top talent. She believes that improving financial incentives would encourage more women to pursue jiu-jitsu seriously, potentially addressing the participation gap that organizers often cite.
Despite these challenges, Ivette remains optimistic about the direction of women’s jiu-jitsu. She noted that younger generations starting earlier and understanding techniques like leg locks are
“creating that movement”
that’s helping the sport evolve. She believes female competitors are becoming more exciting to watch as they focus on dynamic, submission-oriented matches rather than purely defensive strategies.
Ivette’s perspective comes from someone deeply invested in the sport’s growth. Her willingness to speak openly about these limitations reflects a broader conversation happening within the jiu-jitsu community about equality, opportunity and the future of women’s competition. While acknowledging that progress has been made, she makes clear that significant work remains to ensure female athletes receive the recognition, opportunities and compensation they deserve.
Recently a petition to increase ADCC divisions for women was made. Most female competitors were supportive of the cause while some think there’s still ways to go before the divisions can grow to match the men’s.
