UFC BJJ 10 Delivers New Champions, Submissions and Another Big Night at Meta APEX

Andrew Tackett continues his reign, Brianna Ste-Marie takes the featherweight crown, and UFC BJJ’s growing roster delivers another submission-heavy night in Las Vegas.

UFC BJJ returned to Meta APEX in Las Vegas Thursday night with UFC BJJ 10, bringing a loaded card into the Bowl and, once again, giving us plenty to talk about.

Three championship matches were originally scheduled for the card, along with the opening round of the women’s flyweight Grand Prix and a collection of intriguing matchups throughout the lineup.  

By the time the night was over, we had a new champion, a successful title defense, some pretty slick submissions and another reminder that UFC BJJ continues to develop its own identity within professional grappling.

Andrew Tackett Keeps Rolling

Andrew Tackett entered the night already firmly established as one of the faces of UFC BJJ. Jonnatas Gracie wasn’t there to make his fourth title defense easy.

But Tackett once again found a way.

The reigning welterweight champion submitted Gracie by choke to successfully defend his championship for the fourth time and remain unbeaten inside UFC BJJ.  

At this point, Tackett isn’t simply collecting wins. He’s building the résumé of the promotion’s first truly dominant champion.

Brianna Ste-Marie Takes the Belt From Rebeca Lima

One of the biggest moments of the night came in the women’s featherweight championship match.

Rebeca Lima entered UFC BJJ 10 as champion after taking the belt from Aurélie Le Vern at UFC BJJ 7 in April. Waiting for her Thursday night was Canadian standout Brianna Ste-Marie, making her UFC BJJ debut.  

She submitted Lima with an arm-triangle choke to become the new UFC BJJ women’s featherweight champion.  

William Tackett Gets It Done Against Fedor Nikolov

William Tackett continued his own UFC BJJ run against Fedor Nikolov in an intriguing middleweight matchup.

Tackett came into UFC BJJ 10 following his heel-hook victory over Manuel Ribamar at UFC BJJ 8, while Nikolov presented another opportunity for Tackett to keep moving himself toward the top of the middleweight picture.  

And Tackett got his hand raised again.

What stood out in the photographs from the match is just how much of the contest played out in the leg-entanglement battle. Nikolov wasn’t simply surviving either. There were moments where both athletes were navigating some legitimately dangerous positions.

Tackett eventually emerged with the victory, continuing to build momentum in the UFC BJJ middleweight division.  

Vagner Rocha Finds the Finish Against Andy Varela

If you were wondering whether Vagner Rocha still had some tricks left in the bag, we got our answer.

Rocha returned against Andy Varela after giving Andrew Tackett one of the champion’s toughest UFC BJJ matches back at UFC BJJ 7.  

This time, Rocha didn’t need the judges.

He submitted Varela with an unusual choke, another example of the veteran’s ability to turn ugly, grinding positions into legitimate finishing opportunities. Early reports from the event describe Rocha himself proposing a new name for the technique.  

The Women’s Flyweight Grand Prix Takes Shape

UFC BJJ 10 also started the process of crowning the promotion’s inaugural women’s flyweight champion.

Bantamweight champion Cassia Moura entered the tournament with an opportunity to eventually become a two-division UFC BJJ champion, while Adele Fornarino entered the opposite side of the bracket.  

Both advanced with submission victories, setting up Cassia Moura vs. Adele Fornarino for the inaugural UFC BJJ flyweight championship.  

That’s a very interesting final.

UFC BJJ Keeps Finding Its Personality

Ten events in, UFC BJJ is starting to feel less like an experiment and more like its own thing.

There are established champions. There are recognizable personalities. Rivalries and divisional stories are beginning to carry from one event to another. More importantly, athletes are starting to accumulate UFC BJJ-specific résumés rather than simply arriving with accomplishments earned elsewhere.

Andrew Tackett is perhaps the clearest example. Four title defenses gives the promotion an established champion against whom future competitors can measure themselves.  

Brianna Ste-Marie arriving and immediately taking Rebeca Lima’s championship adds another major name to the women’s roster.

William Tackett continues moving through the middleweight division.

Vagner Rocha continues being Vagner Rocha.

And the upcoming Moura vs. Fornarino flyweight championship gives UFC BJJ another storyline that carries directly into a future event.

That’s exactly what a young promotion needs.