The result made the Tacketts the first siblings to hold UFC BJJ titles simultaneously, with William now alongside his brother Andrew, the reigning welterweight champion. It also confirmed a clear pattern in the matchup: Tackett had already beaten Rodriguez twice, at the 2023 ADCC East Coast Trials and the 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials, and the third meeting was the most decisive of the three. For William, a former UFC BJJ middleweight title challenger, the belt completes a climb he has been on since the promotion’s early events.
The co-main event filled the other vacancy, and it carried a story of its own. The bantamweight title was available because Mikey Musumeci, the promotion’s biggest star, relinquished it in a move that appeared to signal the end of his serious grappling career. Stepping into the gap was his gym-mate Jalen Fonacier, a two-time IBJJF world champion from the Philippines, against Kleber Barbosa, the UFC BJJ Opens winner who had beaten Fonacier twice in three previous IBJJF meetings in the gi. Fonacier turned the rivalry around over three rounds, hunting submissions throughout, controlling Barbosa with a body triangle at one stage and surviving the Brazilian’s own leglock attacks. Barbosa showed real toughness, escaping a footlock torqued to an awkward angle in the second round and pushing forward in the third, but Fonacier took the unanimous decision and the belt.
The undercard delivered two notable finishes. Nick Rodriguez submitted Nata Tenca with an arm-triangle choke at 3:07 of the third round at light heavyweight, his first appearance since his controversial draw at UFC BJJ 11, after which the promotion reportedly changed its rules. Former ADCC champion Ffion Davies made quick work of Jaine Fragoso in a women’s bantamweight match, pulling guard, sweeping and finishing with an arm triangle at 2:07 of the first round. It was her second straight UFC BJJ win and strengthens her case for a rematch with Cassia Moura, who became the promotion’s first two-division champion earlier this month. ADCC champion Jasmine Rocha also won by submission on the card.
UFC BJJ 13 answered two big questions about the promotion’s future. With Musumeci stepping away, Fonacier gives the bantamweight division a champion with a direct link to its first star, and with William Tackett’s win, the promotion now has a family story at the top of two divisions. The next challenge is building contenders for both brothers, and seeing how long they can hold their shared place in the record book.
