Cassia Moura is UFC BJJ’s first two-division champion. She got there by taking a split decision over Adele Fornarino for the flyweight title Thursday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, and a lot of people who watched Round 1 are still trying to figure out how. On the same card, retired UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns was submitted by a first-round heel hook from Gabriel Almeida.
The flyweight final was the match everyone wanted. MMA Mania described it as technical and fast-paced. Fornarino, an ADCC double gold medalist, spent the opening round hitting multiple deep heel hooks that visibly hurt Moura, who was grimacing and close to tapping before the bell saved her. Moura kept competing on a compromised leg, pushed the pace through two close rounds and threatened passes, while Fornarino found more leg entries in the third. Two judges went Moura’s way. MMA Mania argued that Round 1 should have been the easiest 10-8 on the card and had a better case for 10-7 than the 10-9 it apparently got, and noted this was Fornarino’s second close split decision loss in UFC BJJ. The outlet also took aim at the three-round, 15-minute title format, pointing to the controversial Nicky Rod vs. Mason Fowler draw at the previous event.
In the co-main, Renato Canuto dropped to lightweight and won the vacant belt in his second title shot, beating Simple Man Martial Arts standout Ethan Crelinsten by unanimous decision. Thaynara Victoria armbarred Danielle Kelly in Round 1, and Landon Elmore also won in the first round against Max Livingston.
View post on X
Burns runs into a leg lock
Burns (22-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC) retired after a TKO loss to Mike Malott in the UFC Fight Night 273 headliner in April, his fifth straight defeat. He rebounded by submitting Horlando Monteiro with a rear-naked choke at UFC BJJ 9 in June, then lost to Khamzat Chimaev by tech fall at RAF 13 in September. This was his return less than a month later.
Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting broke down the sequence: Burns shot early, slipped a guillotine and landed on top, but couldn’t build anything from there. Almeida, the 2020 IBJJF American National No-Gi champion, later came up on top, attacked the neck, then switched to the legs. Burns fought the position, but Almeida locked up the heel hook with just under 30 seconds left in Round 1, according to Bloody Elbow. Almeida and Kade Anastasios had both sat down for bowl interviews with UFC.com ahead of the card.
The 40-year-old Burns posted on X afterward: “Humbled on winning or defeat, shoutout to my opponent, be back better real soon.” A day before the event, he told MMA Junkie Radio he has zero interest in striking again, saying “No one’s going to punch this face ever again.” Grappling and wrestling are where he plans to stay.
My take: I’m usually the one yelling that 10-8s get handed out like candy, so understand how rare it is for me to say a judge was too stingy. Multiple deep heel hooks, real damage and a finish stopped only by the horn is the textbook 10-8. Moura did nothing wrong, and surviving on that leg was genuinely impressive. Fornarino still deserves a rematch, and it should be five rounds.
