These are the top five takeaways from UFC BJJ 2, which took place on July 31, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC BJJ 2 took place this past Thursday at the UFC APEX, and the athletes absolutely brought the heat. From the first bout of the night all the way through Andrew Tackett’s main event masterclass, submissions were flying, and statements were made.

Before we dive into what we learned from the event, check out the full results here.

#1 The Tackett brothers can be stars for UFC BJJ

UFC BJJ has bona fide stars in the making in UFC BJJ Welterweight Andrew Tackett and his brother, William Tackett. Both Tackett brothers are veterans of the scene. They have competed on all the big promotions, including ADCC, CJI, EBI, and now under the UFC banner. As showcased on Thursday night, they are both finishers. 

Andrew made a statement in the main event, submitting the always dangerous and exciting Renato Canuto with a first-round D’Arce choke. William avenged a previous loss to Kyle Chambers in a feature bout and has set himself up for a step up in competition in his next outing.

These brothers are all-action and submission hunters. Not only are they killers inside the bowl, but they are also super likable young men. The craziest stat about the Tackett brothers may be that neither has hit his 25th birthday yet. 

#2 Mason Fowler is primed for a step up in competition

In the evening’s co-main event, Mason Fowler dominated David Garmo to become the inaugural UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion. Fowler is a dynamic finisher who can attack from anywhere. The former UFC Fight Pass Invitational champion is a name that is already familiar to UFC fans. 

After his victory, he called for bouts against former foe Pedro Machado or fresh matchups with Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa or Devhonte Johnson. As mentioned before with the Tackett brothers, Fowler is easily marketable to the fans. Any of these matchups provide a significant step up in competition for the champion.

A couple of other names that could be interesting for Folwer could be former ADCC champion Giancarlo Bodoni, WNO light heavyweight champion Pedro Marinho, or the red-hot Roberto Jimenez.

#3 The Queen of the Apex

Another Apex date and another Apex finish for Raquel Canuto. This time, she submitted Mo Black with a highlight-reel knee bar in the first round. Between UFC Fight Pass Invitational and now UFC BJJ, Raquel Canuto has compiled a 5-1 record with 4 submission victories.

Assuming UFC BJJ will look to crown women’s champions, Canuto has to be on the short list of women in line for a title shot. The Las Vegas native is a fan favorite and had the Apex rocking on Thursday night.

#4 The judges got it right 

Two fights on the UFC BJJ card went to a judge’s decision, and in both cases, the right competitor won the bout. Kennedy Maciel defeated Ademir Barreto via unanimous decision, while Tammi Musumeci defeated Leilani Bernales via unanimous decision. 

The following are the official UFC BJJ judging criteria: Initiation of bout ending techniques, Initiation of Action, Duration of control. 

In both cases, the competitor that was actively advancing the action won the judge’s favor. The three-round, 10-point-must scoring system is relatively newer to BJJ, and it was good to see that on this night, the judges got it right. 

#5 UFC BJJ can attract top talent

Having the UFC name behind them must be attractive for any athlete. The debate then becomes about exclusive contracts, and we can save that for another time. But looking up and down at this card, one thing is certain: UFC BJJ is attracting top talents.

From the Tackett brothers to Mason Folwer and the Canuto power couple: Raquel and Renato. Let’s not forget UFC BJJ bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci.

All these top athletes have spoken very highly about the UFC promotion. The product has been great for the viewer, and they have already shown with the road to UFC BJJ and now two numbered events, they are putting a ton of effort into making this a successful venture. 

View a full replay of UFC BJJ 2 below.

UFC BJJ 2 replay: