On June 4, 2026 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, eight of nine jiu-jitsu matches ended with someone tapping. Mason Fowler kept his title, Gilbert Burns made a statement in 88 seconds, and Nick Rodriguez called his shot. Here is the full breakdown plus what it means if you have ever thought about stepping on the mat.
Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-06-18
Results from UFC BJJ 9, held June 4, 2026 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Sources: Yahoo Sports, JitsMagazine.
If you tuned into UFC BJJ 9 expecting a grind, you did not get one. The card opened with four consecutive first-round submissions before anyone had time to order a second drink. Mason Fowler dispatched Devhonte Johnson with a rear naked choke to defend the light heavyweight title. Gilbert Burns followed with an 88-second rear naked choke over Horlando Monteiro. Nick Rodriguez tapped Joao Nicolite by rear naked choke moments later, then grabbed the microphone and called for a title fight. Fowler said yes, on the spot.
The prelims matched the pace. Ffion Davies survived a flying triangle attempt from Amanda Bruse and immediately turned it into an armbar finish. Achilles Rocha caught Filipe Pimentel in a heel hook at the two-minute mark of the opening round. John Chandler finished Raphael Ferreira with a triangle choke in round three, with literally two seconds left on the clock. Ana Lima and Bella Mir each closed out their bouts with armbars. The lone decision, Mourece Ramirez over Victor Delibero, stood out precisely because it was the only time the tap did not come.
Chandler's triangle with two seconds left in round three is the kind of finish that gets replayed in highlight packages for years. Grappling at that level, when both competitors are gassed and the clock is working against you, a submission requires the attacker to set the geometry perfectly while the defender is desperate to stall. The fact that it landed at all is remarkable. The fact that it landed with the buzzer basically sounding makes it a memorable moment in the series so far.
Burns is worth noting separately. He was a top contender in the UFC welterweight division for years, built his reputation on elite BJJ in a mixed martial arts context, and walked into a pure no-gi grappling event against a specialist. He finished in 88 seconds. That crossover ability says something about how universal the fundamentals of jiu-jitsu are: the same grips, the same positional awareness, the same finishing mechanics that work in a cage transfer directly to the mat, and the best practitioners in the world know it.
The UFC BJJ series launched in June 2025 alongside a reality show called Road to the Title, modeled on The Ultimate Fighter, which introduced mainstream MMA fans to the brackets and personalities before the first event aired. Nine events later, the format has found its footing. The Bowl, a pit-style mat with curved graduated walls that keep competitors from stepping out of bounds, gives the action a distinct visual signature. The free YouTube stream lowers the barrier to entry to zero: no cable subscription, no pay-per-view, just a tap.
Six weight classes now have championship belts. Mikey Musumeci holds the bantamweight title. Andrew Tackett is the welterweight champion. Carlos Henrique owns lightweight. Ronaldo Junior holds middleweight. Aurelie Le Vern is the women's featherweight champion. Mason Fowler is at the top of the light heavyweight division, and with Rodriguez now publicly angling for a shot, that picture is about to get more interesting.
Watching elite grapplers finish in the first round tends to produce a specific reaction: half the room thinks those people are aliens, and the other half thinks it looks like something they could actually learn. The second group is correct. The positions you saw repeatedly at UFC BJJ 9, back control leading to a rear naked choke, the armbar from guard, the heel hook from a leg entanglement, are the same positions a good instructor breaks down for brand-new students in week one. The technique scales. The danger does not exist at the beginner level because a good gym controls intensity carefully.
No-gi jiu-jitsu, the format on display at UFC BJJ events, is exactly what 10th Planet was built around. The system is taught at more than 100 affiliated academies, and there is almost certainly one within driving distance of you. You do not need to be in shape, flexible, or experienced before your first class. Most people who train will tell you they wish they had started sooner. Use our gym directory to find a location and book a free trial class while the motivation from last night's card is still running.
Every tap on this card had its own story. Here they are ordered by the moment they created, from memorable to unforgettable.
BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.
UFC BJJ is a separate submission-grappling league run by the UFC, not mixed martial arts. There are no strikes. Competitors wear shorts and rashguards, not gloves or headgear, and the goal is to submit the opponent or outscore them on positional control. It uses a pit-style arena called the Bowl and streams free on the UFC BJJ YouTube channel.
Yes, especially in a quality gym. Beginner classes focus on positional drilling and controlled sparring with partners who understand that their job is to teach, not to prove anything. Tapping out when caught in a submission is the culture of the sport, and it is practiced from day one. Most injuries in BJJ happen when training intensity exceeds skill level, which a good coach prevents by structuring beginner rounds carefully.
A rear naked choke is applied from behind the opponent: one arm wraps under the chin and across the throat while the other arm secures the position. Blood flow to the brain is cut off briefly, causing unconsciousness if held, which is why a tap ends the match immediately. It is legal and extremely common in both gi and no-gi BJJ competition, and it was the most frequent finish at UFC BJJ 9.
Use the BJJ Gyms directory to search by city. Filter for no-gi classes if that is your focus. Most academies offer a free trial class so you can feel the environment before committing. If the no-gi style at UFC BJJ events is what drew you in, look specifically for gyms that offer dedicated no-gi programs or follow the 10th Planet system, which is structured entirely around no-gi grappling.