UFC FPI 11: Ffion Davies edges Adele Fornarino in historic battle of top BJJ stars

UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 (UFC FPI 11) not only hosted UFC’s first ever female grappling main event, they also booked what was arguably the best possible match up in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) today.

Fellow ADCC champions Ffion Davies and Adele Fornarino came in as the consensus two top pound-for-pound stars. While they’ve both easily dispatched of their recent opposition, the UFC FPI 11 main event showed just how close the level is at the very top.

Ffion Davies beats Adele Fornarino in UFC’s historic BJJ match

While UFC FPI 11 hosted their first ever female headliner, it was a bit baffling why UFC decided not to make this a title bout, especially as we could’ve been treated to two more rounds of high level action. Make no mistake though, even without a UFC branded belt, Ffion Davies still holds that distinction as the best in the world.

That gap has closed incredibly though. Adele Fornarino has drastically improved since her 2022 submission loss to Davies, and this rematch ended up with a razor thin split decision.

Despite her hard fought victory, Davies showed some frustration as she wasn’t pleased with her performance.

“That’s not how I want to win,” Davies said about winning such a close decision. “I got to be honest, I think it was very tight, but I would love a rematch. It just doesn’t feel right to me. I’ll be honest, I just don’t want to have a win like that.”

Davies implemented her trademark knee cut game and stayed on top for the vast majority of the contest, but also showed frustration dealing with Fornarino’s knee shield and false reap attempts. Fornarino had the sole clean submission attempt of the match with a foot lock early, but her iconic armlock game was nullified, and most of the match was spent defending Davies’ relentless top game.

It was a technical, high level, and closely fought match, which genuinely could’ve gone either way. It also showed in the score cards, with one judge giving all three rounds to Fornarino, and the two judges giving two rounds each to Davies that lander her the victory.

Two judges seemingly favored her top game and pass attempts, and despite already being up 2-0 in this rivalry, Davies called for a rematch as she wanted a more dominant win.

Fornarino, on the other hand, asked to face other BJJ champs from heavier divisions like Helena Crevar and Elisabeth Clay. She also made a surprise call out against a UFC legend.

“I did see that Ronda Rousey is back on the mats doing a bit of Judo,” Fornarino said. “I think that could be a pretty fun match as well.”

Highlights: William Tackett, Mason Fowler, Alex Enriquez get big submission wins at UFC FPI 11

In the co-main event Ana Viera showcased exactly why she’s one of the most decorated champions in BJJ. The reigning ADCC gold medalist and six-time IBJJF world champ had several deep submission attempts and eventually won a decision, handing hometown favorite Raquel Canuto’s first ever loss at the UFC FPI stage.

Three other BJJ stars also stole the spotlight and shined at UFC FPI 11 after landing slick submissions on the card.

The biggest winner is William Tackett, who only needed 38 seconds to live up to his reputation as one of the most entertaining athletes in jiu-jitsu. Tackett turned a single leg takedown attempt to an immediate back take, where he quickly choked out second generation BJJ star Achilles Rocha.

Mason Fowler also showed his trademark flexibility and guard game, moving like a much smaller man on his UFC FPI 11 match. He landed a rarely seen omoplata and choke combination, adding another gorgeous finish to his highlight reel.

Earlier on the card, ADCC trials winner Alex Enriquez defeated a very game Shye Lilly, who came in on extremely short notice. The Filipino-American grappler finished with a beautiful armbar after a lengthy submission chain. Watch the clip below:

Check here for full results and more highlights from UFC FPI 11.

UFC FPI implements new CJI-style rules to appeal to MMA fans

This UFC FPI card is also the first event where the promotion went used similar CJI-style rules — three five-minute rounds and a 10-point must system — to make the product easily understandable to MMA fans.

There was also a slight difference compared to MMA and boxing, where athletes are only allowed to drink water provided by the sanctioning body.

While it’s a very small sample size, five of the eight bouts went to a submission, and grapplers looked more willing to push the pace with shorter rounds and two recovery periods in between.

Slower paced matches—like the main event—were also forced to reset after round breaks. On paper at least, they had more time to implement adjustments and alter the course of the match.

Either way, it looks to have helped or at least not negatively affect the entertainment value. I just wish they also used a pit to avoid all those awkward and goofy looking resets, but CJI and Karate Combat hold the patent for that.

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