UFC BJJ 13: Jalen Fonacier and Kleber Barboza fight for the bantamweight title; see the announced matches
The October 29 event in Las Vegas has six matches announced so far, including Nicky Rod vs. Nata Tenca and Ffion Davies vs. Jaine Fragoso
UFC BJJ used the night of UFC BJJ 12, this Thursday, October 8, to announce six matches for its next event. UFC BJJ 13 is set for October 29 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, and it has a title match: American Jalen Fonacier faces Brazil’s Kleber Barboza for the bantamweight belt.
Barboza celebrated the chance on social media. “For everyone who believes in me. Let’s go together!” the Dream Art athlete wrote, in Portuguese. He is one of four Brazilians in the announced matches, along with Nata Tenca, Jaine Fragoso and Joao Nicolite.
The belt that belonged to Mikey Musumeci
The announcement lists Fonacier vs. Barboza as a bantamweight championship match. Mikey Musumeci won that title at the first UFC BJJ event. After UFC BJJ 11, in September, Musumeci told reporters he planned to talk to the UFC about vacating it. “I don’t really have any more desire,” he said at the time.
On the announcement post, Musumeci himself left a comment and tagged Fonacier: “And the new @thefuture809.”
Fonacier is 21 years old and a two-time IBJJF black belt world champion at roosterweight, in 2025 and 2026. He is unbeaten in UFC BJJ, with four wins in four matches.
Nata Tenca faces Nicky Rod
At light heavyweight, Nata Tenca has one of the biggest matches of the card against Nick “Nicky Rod” Rodriguez. The Atos athlete from Brazil won the world championship in 2026 and got his black belt on the same day from his coaches, Andre and Angelica Galvao. As a black belt, he then won the IBJJF No-Gi Pan.
Rodriguez is coming off a title match. At UFC BJJ 11, in September, he and champion Mason Fowler went to a split draw, and Fowler kept the light heavyweight belt.
Jaine Fragoso vs. Ffion Davies
At women’s bantamweight, Brazil’s Jaine Fragoso faces Ffion Davies, the ADCC champion from Wales. Davies fought for the first title in the division in March, at UFC BJJ 6, and lost to Cassia Moura by split decision. This Thursday, Moura also won the flyweight title.
Nicolite returns, and another Crelinsten is on the card
Joao Nicolite returns at middleweight against Mexico’s Martin Gonzalez. “Back to the bowl and ready for the show,” the Brazilian wrote in a comment on the announcement, in Portuguese.
At welterweight, Liam Crelinsten faces Seilkhan Bolatbek, from Kazakhstan. Liam is the brother of Ethan Crelinsten, who lost the lightweight title match to Renato Canuto at UFC BJJ 12. At lightweight, Tristan Sainz meets David Weintraub.
Matches announced for UFC BJJ 13
- Bantamweight title: Jalen Fonacier vs. Kleber Barboza
- Light heavyweight: Nick Rodriguez vs. Nata Tenca
- Women’s bantamweight: Ffion Davies vs. Jaine Fragoso
- Welterweight: Liam Crelinsten vs. Seilkhan Bolatbek
- Middleweight: Martin Gonzalez vs. Joao Nicolite
- Lightweight: Tristan Sainz vs. David Weintraub
UFC BJJ 13 streams on UFC Fight Pass on Thursday, October 29, and tickets are already on sale. The results of this Thursday’s event are in the UFC BJJ 12 play-by-play.
