Soon after winning the tournament and being crowned the inaugural UFC BJJ welterweight champion, Andrew Tackett is already booked to return to competition.
The 22-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) champion will have a quick turnaround and have his first title defense on July 31, 2025. As revealed by the promotion, Tackett will headline UFC BJJ 2, where he is set to defend his belt against two-time IBJJF world champion Renato Canuto.
Tackett and Canuto faced off in the “bowl” soon after UFC BJJ 1, and it only took about a week before this match up was finalized and announced for UFC BJJ 2. No other bouts were revealed just yet, but there should be a pretty quick rollout of announcements with the event happening at the end of the July.
Canuto is 4-0 in UFC Fight Pass Invitational (UFC FPI) events before the UFC BJJ rebrand. The 29-year-old has wins over BJJ champions like Nicky Ryan, PJ Barch, and Dante Leon.
Tackett, an ADCC Trials Winner and CJI 1 star, lived up to his reputation among the most entertaining grapplers today during his UFC BJJ title run. He buzzed through the welterweight tournament, dominating the field with three quick submission victories over Andy Varela, Jason Nolf and Aaron Wilson.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Three more UFC BJJ cards set for 2025, Mikey Musumeci targets October return
There are three more upcoming UFC BJJ cards for 2025. Outside of the aforementioned UFC BJJ 2 on July 31, two more events will close out the year for the promotion.
UFC BJJ 3 is set for October 2, 2025, while UFC BJJ 4 will be on December 11, 2025.
While no bouts have been revealed for either event, UFC BJJ 1 headliner Mikey Musumeci is looking to defend his new bantamweight title in the October card. He also has a long time BJJ vet in mind as his next opponent.
“I want to compete in October. I want to have a match with Geo Martinez,” Musumeci said during UFC International Fight Week. We were supposed to have a match three times now. Unfortunate circumstances messed up those matches from happening so I really want to have that match with him.”
He was previously booked to face the 10th Planet Jiu-jitsu star at UFC FPI 11 last May, but Musumeci pulled out due to the UFC reality show.
Musumeci won the inaugrual UFC BJJ bantamweight title after submitting BJJ prospect Rerisson Gabriel.
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