Cassia Moura ahead of UFC BJJ 12: “I want to impose my game from the first second”
Speaking to VF Comunica, the bantamweight champion says she is ready for three rounds against Adele Fornarino in Thursday’s flyweight final in Las Vegas, and that the goal is to leave with both belts
Cassia Moura steps on the mat at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas this Thursday, October 8, with a clear goal. The UFC BJJ bantamweight champion, a 20-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, faces Australia’s Adele Fornarino in the main event of UFC BJJ 12, with the first women’s flyweight title on the line. In an interview with VF Comunica, she said what fans can expect from the match.
“You can expect a high-level match, a lot of intensity and two athletes going for the win the whole time. I will go in ready for three rounds if needed, but I want to impose my game from the first second, look for the submission and leave with both belts. That is the goal,” she said.
Two finishers in the final
The plan fits how she has been winning. Moura took her first three UFC BJJ matches by decision and has finished her opponents since then. In May, she defended the bantamweight title with a rear-naked choke on Sabrina Gondim. In August, in the semifinals of the flyweight Grand Prix, she submitted Bre Stikk with an armbar in the first round. She is 5-0 in the promotion.
Her opponent also tends to end things early. Adele Fornarino has had two UFC BJJ matches and won both in the first round, with a kneebar on Alex Enriquez and a straight ankle lock on Carol Brunacio, the second one in the other Grand Prix semifinal. Before joining the promotion, the Australian won two gold medals at the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
“I let people decide”
Speaking to VF Comunica, Moura also talked about where she stands in the sport today. Besides the UFC BJJ belt, she won the IBJJF European Championship this year and has two No-Gi world titles as a black belt.
“I believe I am already seen as one of the best. Of course, getting this win gives me even more credit, but when it comes to being called one of the best grapplers in the world, I let people decide. My job is to go in, compete at the highest level and prove on the mat that I belong there. It is going to be a very important moment in my career,” she said.
What is at stake
A win makes Moura the first athlete to hold two UFC BJJ belts at the same time. She received her black belt from Bruno Bastos in May 2024, at 18, and has lived and trained in Midland, Texas, since 2023.
UFC BJJ 12 streams on UFC Fight Pass starting at 8 p.m. ET. The card also has the lightweight title match between Renato Canuto and Ethan Crelinsten and Durinho against Gabriel Almeida. See the full card.
Will Cassia Moura get the submission against Adele Fornarino? Leave your pick in the comments.
