UFC BJJ 7 Results: 3 Title Fights and 2 New Champions Crowned

UFC BJJ 7 delivered one of the most memorable nights in no-gi grappling history on April 2, 2026, inside the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Three title bouts headlined the card — and two of them ended with new champions. Andrew Tackett survived a stern test from veteran Vagner Rocha in the main event, while Lucas Valente pulled off a stunning submission reversal to dethrone Carlos Henrique at lightweight, and Rebeca Lima outworked Aurelie Le Vern to capture the women’s featherweight belt. Beyond the title fights, ADCC double champion Adele Fornarino and WNO openweight king Declan Moody stole the show with dominant first-round finishes. Here’s the complete UFC BJJ 7 results breakdown.

UFC BJJ 7 Full Results

• Welterweight Title: Andrew Tackett (c) def. Vagner Rocha via unanimous decision
• Lightweight Title: Lucas Valente def. Carlos Henrique (c) via submission (footlock), R3 3:07 — New Champion
• Women’s Featherweight Title: Rebeca Lima def. Aurelie Le Vern (c) via unanimous decision — New Champion
• Welterweight: Renato Canuto def. Yonathan Cardenas via unanimous decision
• Women’s Flyweight: Adele Fornarino def. Alex Enriquez via submission (knee bar), R1 2:02
• Heavyweight: Declan Moody def. Patrick Gaudio via submission (RNC), R1 3:38
• Featherweight: Raphael Ferreira def. Kanzo Biyong via submission (RNC), R1
• Women’s Featherweight: Rana Willink def. Carol Joia via submission (knee bar)

Main Event: Andrew Tackett Survives Vagner Rocha — Retains UFC BJJ Welterweight Title

If you thought Andrew Tackett was going to cruise through his third title defense, Vagner Rocha had other ideas. The 43-year-old veteran, a former UFC fighter and lifetime grappling warrior, gave the 22-year-old phenom the hardest match of his UFC BJJ career. This was genuinely a battle of generations — Rocha’s experience and danger on the mat versus Tackett’s explosive athleticism and submission depth.

Round 1 set the tone immediately. Tackett went for an ankle pick right out of the gate, but Rocha sprawled and clamped on, limiting his options. They traded guillotine attempts and leg locks — both men surviving, neither giving an inch. Tackett worked from top position and applied pressure, but Rocha refused to be dominated. When Tackett tried an ankle lock late in the round, Rocha wagged his finger and defended cleanly. That finger wag said everything about Rocha’s mentality.

Round 2 was even more electric. Tackett rolled into a heel hook, Rocha countered with his own ankle lock — a textbook leg lock exchange that had the crowd riveted. Rocha even found himself in Tackett’s guard in the final minute, his best offensive position of the fight, but couldn’t find a finish before the round ended.

In R3, Tackett shifted gears and went directly for the back, locking in a rear-naked choke attempt. Rocha defended brilliantly, then launched a desperate last-minute ankle lock in search of a dramatic upset. Tackett held on. The decision was unanimous — Tackett wins, but Rocha’s performance earned respect from everyone at the Meta APEX. Tackett is now 5-0 at UFC BJJ and still very much the face of the promotion.

Co-Main: Lucas Valente Shocks Carlos Henrique With R3 Footlock — New UFC BJJ Lightweight Champion

This was the upset of the night — and one of the most dramatic finishes in UFC BJJ history. Lucas Valente and Carlos Henrique (“CH7”) have history: Valente was already 3-0 against him heading into this fight. But Henrique was the reigning champion, and coming in, it felt like tonight might finally be his redemption arc.

For most of the fight, it looked that way. Henrique neutralized Valente’s entries, shut down his guard pulls in R2, and looked composed as the match entered the third round. With the clock winding down, Henrique seemed to be edging things — until he went for a flying armbar. Big gamble. Huge mistake.

Valente escaped the armbar, and in the blink of an eye, he switched from pure defense to offense and locked up a tight footlock. Henrique tapped at 3:07 of R3. The crowd erupted. Valente goes 4-0 in the series and captures the UFC BJJ lightweight title in stunning fashion — a finish that highlighted exactly why leg lock specialists need just one opening. For more on the leg lock techniques used throughout this event, check out our complete no-gi leg lock guide.

Women’s Featherweight Title: Rebeca Lima Dethrones Aurelie Le Vern

Brazil’s Rebeca Lima captured the UFC BJJ women’s featherweight title with a grinding, methodical performance against defending champion Aurelie Le Vern. This was a tactical chess match — Lima relying heavily on her guard play and leglock attempts, while Le Vern worked to impose from the top and counter with her own entries.

Lima was sharp off her back throughout all three rounds, constantly threatening with ankle locks and leglock setups that kept Le Vern honest. In R3, both women exchanged kneebars in a frantic late scramble, but neither could finish. The judges scored it unanimously for Lima, who captures the women’s 145-pound belt.

The win carries extra significance: Lima follows her teammate Cassia Moura, who won the bantamweight title at UFC BJJ 6 last month. Two Brazilian women from the same camp holding UFC BJJ gold is a remarkable story for the sport.

Adele Fornarino Dominates in Leg Lock Shootout — Knee Bar Finish

ADCC double champion Adele Fornarino made the UFC BJJ Bowl look like her personal training mat. Against Alex Enriquez in the women’s flyweight division, Fornarino immediately went to work, trading ankle locks with her opponent before switching to a tight kneebar for the tap at just 2:02 of R1.

This was a statement performance. The last time we saw Fornarino inside the Meta APEX, she dropped a razor-thin decision to Ffion Davies. Tonight, there was nothing close about it — she looked like the most complete leg locker on the card. The ashi garami system she used to set up that kneebar is one of the most effective entry points in modern no-gi BJJ; you can learn those entries in our ashi garami guide.

Declan Moody Makes a Statement in UFC BJJ Debut

WNO openweight champion Declan Moody was supposed to face Nicholas Meregali in what would have been the most anticipated heavyweight match in UFC BJJ history. Meregali pulled out late in fight week, and Patrick Gaudio stepped in as a replacement. Moody adapted without missing a beat.

The Australian took Gaudio’s back early, worked through his defense methodically, and finished with a rear-naked choke at 3:38 of R1. Efficient, dominant, and clinical. Moody arrives in UFC BJJ with the same pressure he showed at WNO 30 — and the heavyweight division just got a lot more interesting.

Rest of Card: Canuto, Ferreira, and Willink Pick Up Wins

Renato Canuto had to work harder than expected against Chile’s Yonathan Cardenas, but ground out a unanimous decision with strong positional control and back takes in R3. Canuto remains one of the most consistent performers on the UFC BJJ roster.

Raphael Ferreira continued his finishing streak with a first-round RNC over Kanzo Biyong in the featherweight division. And Rana Willink picked up a kneebar submission over Carol Joia in the women’s featherweight undercard, showing clean leg lock mechanics throughout.

UFC BJJ 7 Takeaways: What We Learned

Tackett is elite, but not untouchable. Rocha exposed some edges in his game — the back position Rocha almost achieved in R2, the leg lock scrambles that went both ways. Tackett’s next challenger will have film to study.

Valente vs. Henrique is a series for the ages. Four fights, four Valente wins — but Henrique always makes him earn it. The rematch clause must be invoked.

Leg locks dominated. Five of eight bouts ended via leg lock or rear-naked choke. The no-gi submission game is what UFC BJJ is built on, and tonight’s card was a masterclass in pressure and position leading to limb attacks.

Moody vs. Meregali still needs to happen. When that fight gets booked, it’ll be the biggest heavyweight match in UFC BJJ history. Tonight was an appetizer.

Brazilian women are running the divisions. Lima and Moura holding two women’s belts simultaneously is not a coincidence — it’s a depth of talent pipeline that Western grapplers need to take seriously.

Sources

1. UFC Official Results: UFC BJJ 7 Tackett vs Rocha
2. MMA Mania: Andrew Tackett decisions Vagner Rocha, two champs lose their belts
3. Yahoo Sports: UFC BJJ 7 Live Results and Highlights

What UFC BJJ 7 Means for No-Gi in 2026

Beyond the title changes, UFC BJJ 7 mattered because it showed how polished the current no-gi scene has become. The pacing was sharper, the positional awareness was tighter, and the athletes looked comfortable fighting through scrambles instead of stalling out when the first attack failed. That is a good sign for fans who want more than isolated highlight clips. It suggests the format is maturing into a more watchable product, one where championship matches can build tension without losing technical depth.

The event also reinforced how important composure is at the highest level. Several momentum swings came from competitors staying patient during bad positions, refusing to burn energy, and waiting for clean openings instead of forcing low-percentage escapes. For newer grapplers watching at home, that is one of the biggest takeaways from this card. Good no-gi athletes do not just explode. They sequence their decisions under pressure.