UFC BJJ 12 Results: Moura vs Fornarino Full Recap

Two belts handed out, and the first double champion in the promotion’s history. A former UFC title challenger tapped in the first round. Finally, Renato Canuto crowned after years of near misses. UFC BJJ 12 delivered eight matches and six submissions on October 8 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Full results, fight-by-fight analysis and takeaways from the night.

Twenty years old, and already two belts. Cassia Moura, the reigning bantamweight champion, added the inaugural women’s flyweight title to her collection by edging Australia’s Adele Fornarino on a split decision. In the co-main event, Renato Canuto claimed the vacant lightweight title against Ethan Crelinsten after fifteen minutes of rare intensity. Lower on the card, the night was defined by the quick submission of Gilbert “Durinho” Burns. The former UFC welterweight title challenger tapped to a debutant named Gabriel Almeida. Eight matches, two titles, six submissions, five of them in the first round: here is everything you need to know about UFC BJJ 12.

In this article12

UFC BJJ 12 results at a glance
Who won the UFC BJJ 12 main event?
Renato Canuto finally a UFC BJJ champion
Gabriel Almeida submits Gilbert Burns in the first round
Thaynara Victoria catches Danielle Kelly in an armbar
Landon Elmore back on track at lightweight
Kade Anastasios, from the Opens to a heel hook on Ataide Rafael
Raphael Ferreira, 19, back to winning ways
John Chandler outworks Raphael Gomez to open the night
UFC BJJ 12 takeaways: leg locks ruled the night
After UFC BJJ 12: what comes next
FAQ: UFC BJJ 12 in brief

UFC BJJ 12 results at a glance

UFC BJJ 12 · Full results October 8, 2026 · Meta APEX, Las Vegas

Main event Women’s 125 lb title	Cassia Moura def. Adele Fornarino Split decision · Moura becomes double champion
Co-main event 155 lb title	Renato Canuto def. Ethan Crelinsten Unanimous decision · Canuto new champion
Middleweight	Gabriel Almeida def. Gilbert Burns Submission (heel hook) · round 1, 4:34
Women’s strawweight	Thaynara Victoria def. Danielle Kelly Submission (armbar) · round 1, 2:53
Lightweight	Landon Elmore def. Max Livingston Submission (straight ankle lock) · round 1, 3:42
Welterweight	Kade Anastasios def. Ataide Rafael Submission (heel hook) · round 1, 4:19
Featherweight	Raphael Ferreira def. Kyle O’Hare Submission (heel hook) · round 1, 3:14
Lightweight	John Chandler def. Raphael Gomez Unanimous decision

Awards of the night
Performances of the Night: Cassia Moura, Adele Fornarino and Renato Canuto · Submissions of the Night: Thaynara Victoria and Kade Anastasios

Sources: official UFC.com results and awards announced by UFC BJJ, October 9, 2026.

As with UFC BJJ 11, the event was reserved for UFC Fight Pass subscribers, where the full replay remains available. Another piece of news landed in its wake: Mikey Musumeci confirmed on Instagram that he is vacating his bantamweight belt to focus on MMA. More on that at the end of the article.

Cassia Moura with her two belts after beating Adele Fornarino at UFC BJJ 12 — Cassia Moura, 20, the first double champion in UFC BJJ history. Photo: UFC BJJ

Who won the UFC BJJ 12 main event?

Cassia Moura beat Adele Fornarino by split decision to claim the inaugural women’s flyweight title. Already the bantamweight champion, the 20-year-old Brazilian becomes the first double champion in the promotion’s history. The verdict was close, though. The Australian can feel hard done by, because she won the first round and finished the third on the attack. Both athletes were awarded Performance of the Night.

Fornarino close to a heel hook, Moura saved by the bell

Fornarino imposed her plan from the first seconds: straight to the mat, hunting a leg. Moura, cautious, initially refused to engage. As a result, she received a call for action and then a stalling warning from referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro. Once she finally went down, the Australian locked up a heel hook entry that had the Brazilian grimacing. Moura did not tap. The horn saved her from what looked like an imminent defeat.

A double leg and a back take to level things

Knowing she had lost the first round, Moura came out of her corner and landed a big double-leg takedown. Fornarino hit the mat, then popped up with a huge smile. The champion looked for an opening, but the Australian kept scooting into a solid defensive posture to shut the door. Late in the round, Fornarino went hunting a leg again and once more forced Moura to defend. After Ribeiro paused the action for inactivity, the Brazilian took the back on the restart, just before the horn. That late rally likely tipped the round.

A thumb to the eye and a tense final round

The third round was stopped very early. The reason: a Moura thumb to Fornarino’s eye, which left the Australian in visible pain at the edge of the Bowl. A doctor’s check, a wet towel, then a restart. Moura tried to push from the top, but Fornarino, still active underneath, earned her a second stalling warning. The Australian chained an omoplata attempt and several leg entanglement entries while Moura struggled to apply pressure. In the closing seconds, Fornarino came close to a last-gasp leg lock at the horn. Both women thought they had done enough. The judges went with Moura, two to one.

Renato Canuto finally a UFC BJJ champion

The UFC BJJ 12 co-main event carried special meaning for Renato Canuto. A losing finalist in the Road to the Title tournament against Andrew Tackett, the Brazilian had been chasing this belt since the promotion launched. Against Canada’s Ethan Crelinsten, he finally captured the vacant lightweight title by unanimous decision after three rounds of relentless attack.

Renato Canuto with his arms raised after winning the lightweight title against Ethan Crelinsten — Renato Canuto, the new lightweight champion, after his win over Ethan Crelinsten. Photo: UFC BJJ

Foot sweep, anaconda and a Crelinsten who refused to tap

From the outset, Canuto drew gasps from the Meta APEX crowd with a superb foot sweep followed by a takedown. He immediately had to deal with Crelinsten’s leg attack, then absorb pressure. Indeed, the Canadian used technique and strength to sweep him and take his back. Canuto escaped superbly before locking up an anaconda choke. Crelinsten tried to escape, Canuto adjusted his grip and pushed hard for the finish. The Canadian refused to tap and eventually worked free. The round ended with Canuto inches from a footlock.

Back take, reverse D’Arce and dueling heel hooks

The second round was more balanced. Crelinsten pulled guard, Canuto attacked from the top, then the Canadian scrambled smartly back on top. Canuto worked free and reached side control, but his attempt to isolate an arm gave Crelinsten just enough room to escape. Late in the round, a leg attack from the Canadian was evaded, and Canuto reapplied pressure at the horn. Everything was still to play for.

The third round nearly ended outside the Bowl, with Crelinsten charging so hard that both men almost went over the top edge. Canuto regained control from the top, took the back, locked up a body triangle and hunted the rear-naked choke. With Crelinsten defending well, the Brazilian switched to a reverse D’Arce that once again forced the Canadian to dig himself out. The two still traded last-gasp heel hook attempts before the judges returned a unanimous decision. Canuto is champion.

Gabriel Almeida submits Gilbert Burns in the first round

The biggest name on the card was not a competition grappler but an MMA fighter. Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, is also a high-level jiu-jitsu black belt. He faced debutant Gabriel Almeida at middleweight. The newcomer scored a marquee win, by heel hook at 4:34 of the first round.

Gilbert Durinho Burns facing Gabriel Almeida in the Bowl — Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, submitted by heel hook on Gabriel Almeida’s first appearance in the Bowl. Photo: UFC BJJ

The opening was tight. Burns shot a takedown, Almeida attempted a guillotine on the way down without locking it, and Durinho landed on top. A dominant position, but no opening: Almeida kept his defense airtight. The two then largely canceled each other out until a late Almeida takedown attempt. Burns sprawled so hard he almost went off the top of the Bowl’s slope.

Almeida eventually got his man to the mat. With Burns on his back, the debutant first attacked the neck, then switched targets to lock up a figure-four on Durinho’s left leg. Leg controlled, heel hook tightened, tap. A result that reminds everyone that at this level, the Bowl’s rules, with no strikes and leg locks allowed, show no mercy to MMA specialists.

Thaynara Victoria catches Danielle Kelly in an armbar

At strawweight, Brazil’s Thaynara Victoria made a thunderous debut. She submitted Danielle Kelly, one of the most high-profile names in women’s grappling, with an armbar at 2:53 of the first round. Submission of the Night, as awarded by the promotion.

Danielle Kelly facing Thaynara Victoria in their strawweight match — Thaynara Victoria finishes Danielle Kelly by armbar: Submission of the Night. Photo: UFC BJJ

Victoria started on the offensive: an immediate drop to the mat and a straight ankle lock attempt, which Kelly defended smartly before working free. Another drop, and this time both women grabbed a leg in a leg lock duel with no way out. They recognized the stalemate, released their grips and reset on the feet.

Victoria pulled guard again. As Kelly looked to work her way to a dominant position on top, the Brazilian isolated an arm, threw up her legs and locked in the armbar. Tap. Having entered the Bowl with a leg lock specialist’s reputation, Victoria proved she can finish with the upper body too.

Landon Elmore back on track at lightweight

After back-to-back decision losses at featherweight, Landon “The Big Slime” Elmore moved up a division. The choice paid off: a straight ankle lock win over Max Livingston at 3:42 of the first round.

Landon Elmore facing Max Livingston at lightweight — Landon Elmore, on his first outing at 155 pounds. Photo: UFC BJJ

After some hand-fighting, Elmore landed a big takedown on the slope of the Bowl, which Livingston escaped to return to the center. Livingston then tried to take Elmore down. However, The Big Slime locked up a body triangle from the bottom and swept superbly, then celebrated with a cheeky double-bicep flex. Still the aggressor, he snatched a leg and forced a quick tap with a slickly executed straight ankle lock. A second win in the Bowl, and a new weight class that suits him.

Kade Anastasios, from the Opens to a heel hook on Ataide Rafael

After Stritzel and Deeder at UFC BJJ 11, it was Kade Anastasios’s turn to convert a run through the UFC BJJ Open into a win on the big stage. The welterweight submitted Ataide Rafael with a heel hook at 4:19 of the first round. His opponent is nonetheless a fourth-degree black belt and Bryce Mitchell’s training partner in Arkansas. The night’s second Submission of the Night award.

Kade Anastasios facing Ataide Rafael at UFC BJJ 12 — Kade Anastasios, discovered through the UFC BJJ Open, finishes Ataide Rafael by heel hook. Photo: UFC BJJ

Anastasios pushed the pace from the start, but Rafael proved hard to open up. At the midway point, the American attempted a kneebar that the Brazilian neutralized by keeping his knee clear. Anastasios kept attacking off his back, forcing Rafael to think only about defense. Then, never letting go of the right heel, he controlled the leg and shuffled into position for a heel hook. Rafael cried out in pain and frustration before tapping.

Raphael Ferreira, 19, back to winning ways

Featherweight phenom Raphael Ferreira claimed his second win in the Bowl by submitting Kyle O’Hare with a heel hook at 3:14 of the first round. A match that started hot, with referee Ribeiro having to warn both men for being a little too aggressive with their hands in the opening exchanges.

Kyle O'Hare facing Raphael Ferreira at featherweight — Raphael Ferreira, 19, submits Kyle O’Hare with a first-round heel hook. Photo: UFC BJJ

On the mat, Ferreira took top position while O’Hare tried to wrap him up in his guard. The two briefly returned to their feet, but Ferreira kept his body lock, even as O’Hare tried to escape up the sloped wall of the Bowl. O’Hare eventually broke free and attacked from the top. Ferreira, active from the bottom, isolated a foot and locked up the heel hook. O’Hare knew the game was up and tapped immediately.

John Chandler outworks Raphael Gomez to open the night

The first match of UFC BJJ 12 saw John “White Chocolate” Chandler claim his second win in the Bowl. Unanimous decision over Raphael Gomez at lightweight. The only non-title match of the night to reach the judges.

John Chandler facing Raphael Gomez in the opening match — John “White Chocolate” Chandler, now 2-0 under the UFC BJJ banner. Photo: UFC BJJ

The first round featured an extended period of hand-fighting before Gomez pulled guard. Chandler got straight back up, then shot a single leg. Gomez countered with a guillotine that looked at least partly secured, but he chose to release it and reset. Later, Gomez nearly caught his opponent with a heel hook, Chandler rolling out of danger just before the horn.

In the second round, Chandler refused the bait of the pulled guard and briefly settled in side control, then worked from north-south. Gomez tried to pull guard again, missed the mark and ended up on his back trying to lure Chandler in. The Team Kimura product did not take the bait, and the round expired with no further offense.

The third round was the liveliest. Chandler wrestled Gomez to the mat, then survived a leg attack. Next, he evaded a flying guard pull off the slope of the Bowl, and Gomez crashed to the floor. Chandler reacted fast, took mount and attempted an arm-triangle until the buzzer, without getting the tap. His constant pressure convinced the judges.

UFC BJJ 12 takeaways: leg locks ruled the night

Twelve events in, and one statistic says it all: four of the night’s six submissions were leg attacks, three heel hooks and a straight ankle lock, all in the first round. Burns, Rafael, Livingston and O’Hare all fell to a leg. Even the main event revolved around Fornarino’s entries on Moura’s legs. For anyone arriving from MMA or gi jiu-jitsu, the message is clear: in the Bowl, leg lock defense is not optional.

Second lesson: the UFC BJJ Open keeps delivering. After Stritzel and Deeder two weeks ago, Kade Anastasios adds a third recruit submission in two events. The pipeline works, and the Indianapolis (October 24 and 25) and Denver (November 21 and 22) Opens should supply the next wave.

Third lesson, more nuanced: both title fights went to the judges. Moreover, the main event was close enough for a split decision, with two stalling warnings against the champion. Under the UFC BJJ ruleset, submission attempts rank above control. That is precisely Fornarino’s argument, having attacked for three rounds. To understand how the judges could still side with Moura, our article on point scoring in BJJ compares the UFC BJJ and IBJJF logic.

Musumeci vacates his belt

He had announced it at the press conference after UFC BJJ 11, and now it is official. Mikey Musumeci confirmed on Instagram that he is vacating his bantamweight belt to focus on MMA. His first fight is hoped for before the end of the year, at flyweight. The 135-pound division, dominated by Darth Rigatoni since the promotion’s inception, is therefore wide open. Who UFC BJJ puts in the Bowl for the belt, and when, remains to be seen.

After UFC BJJ 12: what comes next

Two numbered events remain on the 2026 calendar: UFC BJJ 13 on October 29 and UFC BJJ 14 on December 3. Both take place at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The cards have yet to be announced. In between, the Indianapolis and Denver UFC BJJ Opens will serve as springboards for the next recruits. Until then, test your knowledge of the series with our BJJ quizzes, and look up every technical term in this article in our BJJ glossary.

FAQ: UFC BJJ 12 in brief

Who won UFC BJJ 12?

Cassia Moura won the UFC BJJ 12 main event by split decision over Adele Fornarino to claim the inaugural women’s flyweight title. Already the bantamweight champion, she becomes the first double champion in UFC BJJ history. In the co-main event, Renato Canuto beat Ethan Crelinsten by unanimous decision for the vacant lightweight title. The event took place on October 8, 2026 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

How did Gilbert Burns lose at UFC BJJ 12?

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, was submitted by Gabriel Almeida with a heel hook at 4:34 of the first round of their middleweight match. Almeida, making his Bowl debut, locked up a figure-four on Burns’s left leg before finishing.

Who received the awards of the night?

The promotion handed out three Performance of the Night awards, to Cassia Moura, Adele Fornarino and Renato Canuto, and two Submission of the Night awards, to Thaynara Victoria for her armbar on Danielle Kelly and to Kade Anastasios for his heel hook on Ataide Rafael.

Is Mikey Musumeci still bantamweight champion?

No. Mikey Musumeci announced on Instagram, in the wake of UFC BJJ 12, that he is vacating his UFC BJJ bantamweight belt to focus on MMA. The 135-pound title is therefore vacant, and the promotion has not yet announced a match to fill it.

Where can I watch the replay, and what is the next event?

UFC BJJ 12 was reserved for UFC Fight Pass subscribers, where the full replay remains available. The next events are UFC BJJ 13 on October 29, 2026 and UFC BJJ 14 on December 3, 2026, both at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.