UFC BJJ 13: Tackett, Fonacier win vacant titles; Rocha armbar over Antunes disputed

The two vacant belts at UFC BJJ 13 found owners quickly, but the most argued moment of the night came in a flyweight match. Jasmine Rocha was credited with an armbar on Karen Antunes after 38 seconds. Antunes said at once that her hand movement was a slap, not a tap. Referee Chris Brennan did not reverse the stoppage, and UFC's recap says the replay supported it. After the win, Rocha called for a strawweight division with herself as its first champion.

At the top of the card, William Tackett needed 86 seconds to take the middleweight title Ronaldo Junior left behind. Jay Rodriguez opened with a double-leg takedown, but Tackett got back to his feet, took the back and finished the rear-naked choke. Tackett had lost his first title try by unanimous decision, then rebuilt his case with two heel-hook finishes over Manuel Ribamar and Fedor Nikolov. Rodriguez had lost to him at both the 2023 and 2024 ADCC Trials, and before the fight said he had grown since then. Tackett's win also made him and his brother Andrew, the welterweight champion, the first brothers to hold UFC BJJ belts at the same time.

Jalen Fonacier took the bantamweight belt Mikey Musumeci gave up, and it took all three rounds. He kept hunting leg locks and took the back with a body triangle. Kleber Barboza, making his promotional debut after winning four matches at the UFC BJJ Opens, survived and countered, but all three judges sided with Fonacier. Barboza had beaten him twice in three earlier IBJJF meetings, a record that did not carry over. Fonacier is the promotion's first Filipino champion.

The broadcast also brought a rules change. Title bouts can no longer end in a draw; if the cards are even after three rounds, a three-minute overtime picks a winner. MMA Mania linked the change to the split draw between Mason Fowler and Nick Rodriguez at UFC BJJ 11. Rodriguez submitted Nata Tenca with a head-and-arm choke at 3:07 of round three and still wants the Fowler rematch, but none is booked.

Ffion Davies opened the main action with a head-and-arm choke on Jaine Fragoso at 2:07 of round one. She wants another shot at Cassia Moura, who beat her by split decision for the inaugural belt, but no rematch has been announced.

Watch next for who gets the first shots at the new champions, and for whether UFC BJJ names a winner of the new Submission of the Night bonus. Its announcement gave no payout or judging method.