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Jessa Khan
Jessamine Jada Khan (born 8 October 2001),[1] often shortened as Jessa Khan (Khmer: ខាន់ ចេសា, romanized: Khăn Chésa [kʰan ceːsaː]), is an American-born Cambodian jiu-jitsu athlete.[2] She is the 2023 IBJJF World Champion. CareerKhan represented Cambodia at the 2018 Asian Games and claimed a gold medal in the women's 49kg ne-waza event.[3][4] This was also the first gold medal to be received by Cambodia which happened to be unexpected in the sport of ju-jitsu during the 2018 Asian Games.[5] Khan is a second Gold Medal Cambodia's Asian Games history after Taekwondo Gold 2014.[6] She is a daughter of a Mexican American mother with Cambodian American father.[7][8] She began jiu-jitsu training at age 12.[9] On October 6, 2020, Khan was awarded her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by her coaches, the Mendes brothers, just two days before her nineteenth birthday.[10] Personal lifeKhan was born in Texas and resides in Southern California.[11] Black belt careerOn February 26, 2021, Khan made her debut appearance on Who's Number One, defeating Danielle Kelly by unanimous decision.[12] She competed at Evolve Ur Game on April 3, 2021 in a superfight against Mayssa Bastos, losing on points.[13] She returned to Who's Number One on May 28, 2021, defeating Patricia Fontes with an armbar.[14] This performance earned Khan the invitation to compete for the inaugural WNO women's strawweight title at the WNO Championships.[15] Khan submitted Jessica Crane with a heelhook in the opening round, but was submitted by Grace Gundrum in the semifinal with a twister and was submitted by Amanda 'Tubby' Alequin in the consolation match with a toehold.[16] In May, 2022 Khan became one of the first grapplers to sign a contract with ONE Championship.[17] The promotion booked a rematch with Alequin for her debut at ONE 159 on July 22, 2022,[18] but the match fell through when Alequin withdrew due to an undisclosed medical issue. Khan competed in the 2023 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship, winning a bronze medal in the women's roosterweight division.[19] At the IBJJF Santa Cruz International Open on April 22nd, 2023, Khan won gold in the light-featherweight division.[20] Khan returned to the Southeast Asian Games in 2023 to represent Cambodia once again, winning silver in the gi ne-waza event and gold in the no gi ne-waza event.[21] She donated her winnings from the event to the Cambodian Red Cross.[22] Khan competed in the IBJJF World Championship 2023 on June 3 and 4, 2023 and won a gold medal in the light-featherweight division.[23] Khan was booked to compete against Danielle Kelly in a rematch for the inaugural ONE Championship Atomweight submission grappling title at ONE Fight Night 14 on September 29, 2023.[24] Khan lost the match by decision.[25] Khan then competed at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship 2023, where she won a silver medal in the light-featherweight division.[26] References
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