Cassia Moura Wins Flyweight Title and Becomes UFC BJJ’s First Double Champion
Cassia Moura defeated Adele Fornarino by split decision to win the inaugural women’s flyweight title at UFC BJJ 12. The match went three rounds on Thursday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, and the 20-year-old left with a second belt.
The announcement made the history official. Moura was already the UFC BJJ women’s bantamweight champion. The flyweight final was the match that made her the first athlete in the promotion to hold two titles at once.
No submissions ended it. The judges split, and the hand still went to the Brazilian. Fornarino, the Australian who won double gold at the 2024 ADCC World Championships, had come through the same grand prix without needing a decision.
Moura’s path to the second belt started at bantamweight. She beat Ffion Davies by split decision at UFC BJJ 6 on March 12 to win the inaugural 135-pound title, then submitted Sabrina Gondim with a second-round rear-naked choke in her first defense at UFC BJJ 8.
She dropped to flyweight for the grand prix and armbarred Bre Stikk in the first round of the semifinal at UFC BJJ 10.
Fornarino’s UFC BJJ record had been two first-round finishes. She kneebared Alexandria Enriquez at UFC BJJ 7 and ankle-locked Carol Brunacio in the other semifinal at UFC BJJ 10. Thursday was the first time the bracket asked her to survive the scorecards.
Moura trains under Bruno Bastos at Bastos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and comes out of Realengo in Rio de Janeiro. She turned 20 in December. The flyweight limit is 125 pounds. The bantamweight belt she already owned sits at 135.
The co-main event produced the night’s other champion. Renato Canuto beat Ethan Crelinsten by unanimous decision for the vacant lightweight title.
Gabriel Almeida heel-hooked Gilbert Burns in the first round. Thaynara Victoria armbarred Danielle Kelly. Landon Elmore ankle-locked Max Livingston.
The main event was the one that changed the promotion’s title list. Moura did not need a tap to do it. A split decision in a grand-prix final was enough to put two belts on the same athlete.
No first defense was named after the hand was raised. Moura leaves Las Vegas as UFC BJJ women’s flyweight champion and still the bantamweight champion. Fornarino is the finalist who took her to the judges. The double-champ line now belongs to Moura.
