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One Of The Best Matches That Could Be Made Headlines The Action At UFC FIGHT PASS Invitational 11 On May 29
When Ffion Davies and Adele Fornarino compete at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 on May 29, it not only will be the first headlined by female athletes, but also a marquee matchup in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Davies and Fornarino have endless accolades to their names from European to world championships and have met just once before in 2022, when Davies submitted Fornarino. Since that match, Fornarino captured a pair of ADCC World Championship titles, as well as silver at the World No-Gi Championship in 2023. At the same tournament, Davies earned gold in two divisions.
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Before they hit the mat, let’s take a deeper dive into the matchup:
Ffion Davies
Since earning her black belt in 2018, Wales’ Davies ascended to the top of the sport and is widely considered the top female grappler in the world. Her first major championship came shortly after securing her black belt, as she secured gold at the World No-Gi Championship, becoming the first black belt from the United Kingdom to win gold in that competition.
Davies reached a new level in 2022, when she won the IBJFF World Jiu Jitsu Championship, the first Welsh and British to do so. Later that year, she earned the same accolade at the 2022 ADCC World Championship, a run which included a submission win over Fornarino. In 2023, she won the lightweight and absolute titles at the IBJFF No-Gi World Championship, the first European to win the absolute division, as well as two first-place finishes at the same tournament.
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Davies faced a couple of UFC fighters in 2024. First came a match against strawweight Luana Pinheiro in January, and Davies submitted Pinheiro in the first round. Later that year, she faced Mackenzie Dern, who owns the most submission wins in the UFC strawweight division (5) and ranks 3rd all-time in the women’s divisions. Davies scored the submission win when she caught Dern in an armbar.
Adele Fornarino
Fornarino broke onto the scene in a major way in 2022. That year, as a brown belt, she won the 2022 World IBJFF No-Gi featherweight championship. Later that year, she would face Davies for the first time, falling via rear naked choke at the 2022 ADCC World Championship.
Since earning her black belt in 2022, Fornarino has quickly ascended the ranks, securing golds at the European and Pan-American No-Gi Championships in 2023. Her most notable accomplishment came in 2024, when she placed first in both her weight class and the absolute division, making her the first Australian to win the event in either division.
Everything You Need To Know About FPI 11
Meeting in the Middle
A rematch three years in the making, Davies and Fornarino were originally slated to compete in March at FPI 10 before an injury to Davies postponed the match.
First-ever women’s headliners at FPI! 🙌
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) May 28, 2025
Ffion Davies and Adele Fornarino are on weight for #FPI11!
[ LIVE on UFC Fight Pass | TOMORROW MAY 29 ] pic.twitter.com/KgxJQwzun0
Two months later, they finally get to lock horns in the marquee spot in the UFC APEX. It comes at the perfect time as Fornarino is arguably in the form of her life so far and appears more than ready to challenge Davies’ claim as the top female grappler in the world. Davies, on the other hand, is eager to make her debut on the FPI stage and expand her profile even further.
The UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 takes place on May 29 from Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be broadcast on UFC FIGHT PASS.