Las Vegas – UFC today announced the launch of UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, the world’s new premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu live event series. The inaugural event, UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU 1, will take place on Wednesday, June 25 as part of UFC International Fight Week and will be headlined by three title matches to crown the first bantamweight (135 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.) and welterweight (170 lbs.) champions. UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU 1 will be broadcast live exclusively on UFC Fight Pass®.
In addition, the launch will commence with an eight-episode series, UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: Road to the Title, which will air for free on UFC’s YouTube channel daily at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT beginning on Monday, June 16.
UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU: Road to the Title will feature two teams comprising of the top competitors in the world in the lightweight and welterweight divisions, who will be coached by multiple-time world champion Mikey Musumeci and rising star Rerisson Gabriel. The athletes will compete in a tournament style bracket to determine the two finalists in both weight classes, who will then meet at UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU 1 to crown the inaugural lightweight and welterweight champions.
The main event of UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU 1 will feature Mikey Musumeci and Rerisson Gabriel as they go head-to-head for the inaugural bantamweight championship.
Lightweight Cast, Welterweight Cast:
Keith Krikorian, Andrew Tackett
Gianni Grippo, Jason Nolf
Kyvann Gonzalez, Andy Varela
Carlos Henrique, Davis Asare
Danilo Moreira, Elijah Carlton
Mauricio Rios, Aaron Wilson
Isaac Doederlein, Austin Oranday
Josh Cisneros, Nathan Haddad
“I first got into MMA through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,” said UFC CEO & President Dana White. “It’s one of the true building blocks of martial arts and the athletes and the competition take it to another level. The reality show and live events are going to elevate this to a mainstream sport and I could not be more excited.”
“I am so excited for people to see what we are going to do with UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU,” said Senior Director of Jiu-Jitsu Strategy & Business Development Claudia Gadelha. “I believe that our ruleset, athletes and promotional power will make UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU the go-to event series for fans around the world.”
UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU will feature multiple divisions for both male and female competitors, with champions and rankings for each. All matches will consist of three five-minute rounds, which will be scored with the 10-point must scoring system and will take place in the new UFC BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU competition space, which is designed to emphasize constant action and non-stop movement, while also prioritizing athlete health and safety.
