#67 - Kristiany Carvalho - Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, and Building a Complete MMA Game - The Grapplezilla Podcast

<p>Kristiany “The Karate Queen” Carvalho is proving that elite striking can thrive inside MMA—and she’s doing it without abandoning her style. </p><p><br></p><p>She breaks down how she blends karate, Muay Thai, wrestling defense, and growing jiu-jitsu confidence into a game built to frustrate opponents and win rounds.From Brazil to South Florida, Kristiany shares her evolution at Fight Sports Deerfield Beach with Coach Daniel Mendes and jiu-jitsu coach Jesus Cavalcanti. </p><p><br></p><p>She explains why she refused to flatten her stance into something generic, how she’s rebuilding her grappling without losing her speed, and what she learned from both a first-round rear-naked choke win and a controversial fight at the wrong weight.In this episode, you’ll hear:</p><p><br></p><p>- Why Kristiany believes changing her stance too much could erase the best part of her game</p><p><br></p><p>- How a striking exchange unexpectedly turned into a submission finish</p><p><br></p><p>- What training in Florida has changed about her wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and fight camps</p><p><br></p><p>- Why competing at the right weight class matters</p><p><br></p><p>-How music, confidence, and staying loose shape her fight-night mindset</p><p><br></p><p>We also discuss the pressure of fighting under the UFC Fight Pass spotlight in Houston, moving from scattered training camps in Brazil to a complete team in Florida, and learning to trust coaches with the game plan. </p><p><br></p><p>Kristiany talks about the fighters who inspire her—from Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko to Sean O’Malley—and how their styles influence the fighter she’s becoming.</p><p><br></p><p>For MMA fans, martial artists, and aspiring fighters, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at adapting a striking-first style while building a more complete game.Kristiany Carvalho, Brazilian MMA fighter known as “The Karate Queen,” in conversation with the Grapplezilla Podcast.</p><p><br></p><p>Here is Kristiany Carvalho’s social media account where you can find her online:</p><p><br></p><p>Instagram: @krisoficial_If you want to get some AWESOME Grapplezilla merch, check out our Grapplezilla Store in the link below:</p><p><br></p><p>https://grapplezilla-shop.fourthwall.com/</p><p><br></p><p>If you would like to support the Grapplezilla Podcast and buy me a coffee, I’ll leave a link below as any support is always appreciated:</p><p><br></p><p>https://buymeacoffee.com/grapplezilla </p><p><br></p><p>Also, if you