UFC BJJ 1 full card lineup and preview
View a preview and full card lineup for UFC BJJ 1, which takes place on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Three UFC BJJ champions are set to be crowned this Wednesday at the inaugural UFC BJJ event. Previously referred to as the UFC Fight Pass Invitational, UFC BJJ 1 marks the UFC’s commitment to growing a legitimate league of professional grapplers complete with title belts across multiple weight classes.
The event comes on the heels of the first season of UFC BJJ: Road to the Title – a reality show in the mold of The Ultimate Fighter in which two teams of grapplers competed head-to-head. Finalists from the show will compete for the inaugural UFC BJJ lightweight and welterweight titles.
And in the card’s main event, the show’s coaches, Mikey Musumeci and Rerisson Gabriel, will lock horns with the inaugural UFC BJJ bantamweight title on the line.
Mikey Musumeci vs. Rerisson Gabriel
Recognized by many as the best American-born BJJ competitor in history, Musumeci brings a lengthy list of accomplishments and a nearly four year unbeaten streak into this contest. By comparison, Brazil’s Gabriel has been a black belt for just over one year, has never competed in no-gi as a black belt, and owns no major no-gi accomplishments as a colored belt.
Given that background, it’s no surprise that Musumeci is heavily favored.
Indeed, the New Jersey native is a five-time IBJJF world champion (four times in the gi, once in no-gi), and has looked largely unstoppable since switching his focus to no-gi in 2021. He enjoyed a dominant run in ONE Championship, defeating the likes of former foe Gabriel Sousa and no-gi world champion Osamah Almarwai before parting ways with the organization last year. Since then, he scored a clear-cut points win over Felipe Machado at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9.
Gabriel, meanwhile, is practically brand new to the no-gi scene. To date, his most notable accomplishment is a gold medal at the 2025 IBJJF Pans, defeating two-time ADCC world champion Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis in the final.
Stylistically, fans are likely to see Musumeci attacking early and often from his vaunted open guard. While he is a master technician from every position, Musumeci has proven to be at his most dangerous when he’s employing his trademark k-guard to create leg entanglements and offensive opportunities, whether that be leg locks, sweeps, or back-takes.
In the gi, Gabriel is an excellent guard passer with a knack for winning scrambles, but without any high-level experience in no-gi, it’s difficult to predict how he’ll approach this match.
Andrew Tackett vs. Andy Varela
Before that, Road to the Title welterweight finalists Andrew Tackett and Andy Varela will square off.
At just 22 years old, Tackett has firmly established himself as one of the planet’s top welterweight grapplers, and he came into the show as a heavy favorite. He lived up to the hype, quickly submitting Aaron Wilson in the first round before submitting standout wrestler Jason Nolf in the tournament semifinals.
In addition to his wins on the show, Tackett boasts impressive victories over Tommy Langaker, Nicky Ryan, and Eoghan O’Flanagan, among others.
For his part, Varela is an ADCC and CJI veteran and has been a mainstay of the elite no-gi scene for the past couple of years. He earned his spot in the welterweight final with submission victories over Nathan Haddad and Davis Asare.
Tackett and Varela have met once before in competition. In the semifinals of the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials, Tackett scored a critical takedown to secure a 2-0 points victory over Varela.
Both athletes tend to approach grappling in similar ways, although Tackett might be the more well-rounded competitor. Fans can expect to see both Varela and Tackett engage in hard wrestling exchanges, with each man constantly hunting the back. Once on the back, Tackett, in particular, is arguably the sport’s most dangerous finisher.
Danilo Moreira vs. Carlos Henrique
In the lightweight final, Danilo Moreira will take on his Brazilian compatriot Carlos Henrique in the pair’s third meeting at black belt.
An active and experienced black belt competitor since 2019, Moreira is still in search of a breakout performance that will cement him among the sport’s elite. He employed his relentless pacing and well-rounded attack to defeat Mauricio Rios and Kyvann Gonzalez on the show to earn himself a spot in the final.
Standing across from him will be IBJJF no-gi Pans champion Henrique. The 26-year-old submitted gi world champions Gianni Grippo and Isaac Doederlein to secure his spot in the lightweight final.
Moreira and Henrique first collided in the final of the 2023 IBJJF American Nationals, where Moreira scored a 2-0 victory. They would meet again in the quarterfinals of the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, and that time, Henrique evened the score with a 2-0 points win of his own.
Given their history and each athlete’s well-rounded, submission-hunting style, this match could play out in any number of ways, but fans can likely expect to see plenty of positional exchanges and submission attempts from both grapplers.
The rest of the card at UFC BJJ 1
Before the trio of title matches, veteran 10th Planet black belt Keith Krikorian will square off with no-gi American Nationals champion Joao Assonitis.
A three-time ADCC veteran and a Polaris and Grapplefest champion, Krikorian is one of the elite no-gi scene’s most active and experienced competitors. He came into the Road to the Title show as the lightweight division’s top seed, but suffered a first-round split decision loss to Doederlein. Krikorian’s ultra-aggressive, submission-hunting style will be put to the test against a dangerous leg locker and gifted athlete in Assonitis.
Also, fans won’t want to miss the flyweight clash between young phenom Cassia Moura and decorated black belt veteran turned professional MMA fighter Talita Alencar. The 19-year-old Moura has enjoyed a remarkable, meteoric rise through the sport after earning her black belt in record time, and has already claimed gold at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds and Brasileiros.
The 34-year-old Alencar, meanwhile, boasts a jam-packed trophy case that includes gold medals from practically every major tournament in both gi and no-gi. While she remains an undeniably elite grappler, she has spent the past few years focusing on her MMA career, and she owns a respectable 2-1 record in the UFC.
Check out the full lineup of matches below.
UFC BJJ 1 full card lineup
- Mikey Musumeci vs. Rerisson Gabriel (UFC BJJ bantamweight championship)
- Andrew Tackett vs. Andy Varela (UFC BJJ welterweight championship)
- Carlos Henrique vs. Danilo Moreira (UFC BJJ lightweight championship)
- Keith Krikorian vs. Joao Assonitis (lightweight)
- Cassia Moura vs. Talita Alencar (flyweight)
- Filipe Pimental vs. Pedro Machado (light heavyweight)
- Bella Mir vs. Carol Joia (featherweight)
- Keven Carrasco vs. Ty Costlow (lightweight)
How to watch: UFC BJJ 1 takes place on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, and will air live on the UFC YouTube channel beginning at 8:00 PM ET.
