UFC BJJ ends draws in title matches with overtime
The promotion announced during the UFC BJJ 13 broadcast that title matches tied after three rounds will go to a three-minute overtime
UFC BJJ title matches can no longer end in a draw. The change was announced during the UFC BJJ 13 broadcast on Thursday night in Las Vegas, according to MMA Mania: if the scorecards are even after three rounds, the athletes go to a three-minute overtime to decide the winner.
The rule announced applies to title matches. The promotion did not say whether the same format will be used for the rest of the card.
The draw behind the change
The change comes just over a month after Mason Fowler and Nick Rodriguez fought to a split draw for the light heavyweight title at UFC BJJ 11 on September 24. Fowler kept the belt even though Nicky Rod came on strong in the second half of the match.
On the same night the rule was announced, Nicky Rod returned to the Bowl and submitted Brazil’s Natã Tenca with an arm triangle in the third round. That makes two wins and two draws for him in UFC BJJ in 2026, and he left the Bowl calling for a rematch with Fowler for the title. If that match happens, one of them will leave with the win.
How UFC BJJ scoring works
Every UFC BJJ match is three five-minute rounds, title matches included. If nobody gets the tap, judges score each round on the 10-point system, looking first at submission attempts, then at aggression, and finally at control time.
The format was already under debate. In October, Cássia Moura’s split decision win over Adele Fornarino raised the question of whether three rounds are enough to decide a title. UFC BJJ president Claudia Gadelha has also made clear what kind of match the promotion does not want to see, and referee Vitor Shaolin told VF Comunica why even world champions struggle in the format.
The new champion wants more risk too
At the same event, William Tackett, who choked out Jay Rodriguez in 86 seconds to win the middleweight title, called on his fellow athletes to take more chances. “I’m seeing all these matches in this Bowl – you guys are not taking the chances that the UFC is giving you. Take the chance, get the sub, or die trying. We want exciting matches, guys. We’ve got to push this sport,” he said.
Does overtime fix the draw problem, or should UFC BJJ go further and make title matches five rounds? Tell us in the comments.
Read also
- UFC BJJ 13: Fonacier beats Kleber Barboza for the title
- Are three rounds enough to decide a title? Cássia Moura’s win reopens the debate
- Who is Nicky Rod, the wrestler who became a grappling star
