Results
UFC BJJ
UFC BJJ 8: Musumeci vs Dantzler Results
Live Results, Match Recaps And Interviews With The Winners From UFC BJJ 8: Musumeci vs Dantzler At Meta APEX In Las Vegas, Nevada On May 21, 2026
Two UFC BJJ bantamweight champions successfully defended their titles inside Meta APEX at UFC BJJ 8.
The man dubbed the face of the sport, bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci, claimed a first-round submission finish of CFFC BJJ standout Kevin Dantzler in the main event, while in the co-main, women’s bantamweight champion Cassia Moura notched the first defense of her 135-pound title reign with a second-round submission of compatriot Sabrina Gondim.
Results, Recaps & Interviews:
Middleweight - Azamat Bakytov vs Thomas David scored a majority draw
In the opening match of the night, Kazakhstan’s Azamat Bakytov took on Australia’s Thomas David, but the action failed to catch fire as the pair grappled to a stalemate in their middleweight contest.
After the pair canceled each other out on their feet through the first two minutes, Bakytov finally got the first takedown of the match via a single-leg, and immediately found himself inside David’s guard. Bakytov eventually worked his legs free, but David did well to keep him at distance using his butterfly guard, and a lack of offensive progress from Bakytov eventually resulted in a stand-up.
The pair then returned to their wrestling as they tied up in the center of the cage, and although Bakytov was able to get a late takedown, there wasn’t enough time for him to do anything with it before time expired.
After a warning from referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro that he needed to see more action, the contest failed to pick up in the opening minute of Round 2, leading to the official penalizing both men with a point deduction. The action quickly went to the mat after the restart, with Bakytov on top, but David controlled him well off his back, and looked to threaten with a potential leg lock opening.
Bakytov’s lack of action on top led to the Kazakh receiving a second point deduction and, after the pair returned to the feet, David pulled guard in a bid to gain an advantageous position off his back. Bakytov settled into guard, and David attempted to switch to an ankle lock as he forced his man to go on the defensive just before the end of the round.
With legitimate submission attempts at a premium, the action went into the final round, and Bakytov charged in and secured a takedown on the slope of the bowl. But, despite getting his opponent to the mat, he was unable to make any headway and the action was reset in the center of the bowl once again. David then pulled guard and attempted a kneebar, but didn’t quite have the position to lock it in. The Aussie then attempted a flying guillotine in the closing moments, but the matchup went the distance, leaving the judges to decide the outcome.
And perhaps appropriately, after three rounds that offered little to separate the pair, the bout was scored a majority draw.
Welterweight - Liam Crelinsten defeats Max Livingston via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 2:44
Canada’s Liam Crelinsten showcased his speed and transitions as he claimed an impressive submission victory on his UFC BJJ debut.
Livingston aggressively came forward in search of a takedown, but Crelinsten had his man well scouted and made sure his head and hips were both out of danger as he looked instead to initiate a leg entanglement.
Crelinsten then initiated a scramble to end up on top, and showed some swift feet on the mat as he switched positions repeatedly to attempt entries from different angles in a bid to pass the American’s guard. But, despite making a succession of pass attempts, Livingston stayed alert and shut him down to avoid any serious submission trouble before the end of the round.
Liam Crelinsten Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Liam Crelinsten Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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After spending much of the opening round defending, he came out for Round 2 in much more aggressive fashion as he looked to impose his wrestling on Crelinsten. However, the Canadian was able to stifle that pressure and, following a scramble, had Livingston scrambling as he chased a series of submissions.
Livingston did well to defend a heel hook attempt, but Crelinsten kept the pressure on and, after more repeated entry attempts, eventually moved into position and took Livingston’s back.
Once there, Crelinsten secured a body triangle to control his man’s position, then locked up a rear-naked choke/face crank to force the tap at the 2:44 mark and secure an eye-catching submission victory.
Featherweight - Keith Krikorian defeats Landon Elmore via unanimous decision
Keith Krikorian returned to the UFC BJJ Bowl for the first time since UFC BJJ 1 and notched a hard-earned decision victory over 19-year-old Landon Elmore in their featherweight match.
After a brief pause for an accidental eye-poke on Elmore in the opening seconds, the action got underway , with Krikorian eventually securing a single-leg takedown mid-way through the round, but Elmore managed to burst his way back to his feet. That respite didn’t last long, however, as a blast-double from Krikorian sent the teenager back to the mat again.
Elmore looked to find a leg lock, forcing Krikorian to move out of danger before re-engaging from top position. Elmore then attempted another leg lock as Krikorian was forced to defend again before resuming top position once more.
After a brief pause for an accidental eye-poke on Elmore in the opening seconds, the action got underway , with Krikorian eventually securing a single-leg takedown mid-way through the round, but Elmore managed to burst his way back to his feet. That respite didn’t last long, however, as a blast-double from Krikorian sent the teenager back to the mat again.
Elmore looked to find a leg lock, forcing Krikorian to move out of danger before re-engaging from top position. Elmore then attempted another leg lock as Krikorian was forced to defend again before resuming top position once more.
Keith Krikorian Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Keith Krikorian Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Krikorian secured an early takedown at the start of Round 2, and worked hard to get past the tricky legs of Elmore, who was constantly hunting an entanglement to create an opening for a leg lock. Elmore surprised Krikorian with a triangle choke attempt, but Krikorian defended well.
Krikorian then exerted some concerted pressure to eventually move into north-south position, then side control, as he stayed on the offensive while keeping himself away from Elmore’s dangerous legs for the rest of the round.
The final round saw the action hit the mat almost immediately, with Elmore looking to work off his back, while Krikorian continued to apply pressure from the top. Krikorian switched back and forth between side control and north-south position as he pushed for an opening against a trapped opponent. That opening never materialized, however, and the match went the distance.
Krikorian’s pressure throughout the match proved crucial as all three judges scored him the winner as he went 2-0 inside the Bowl, and set up what he hopes will be a big year for him in UFC BJJ.
Welterweight - Jett Thompson defeats Derek Rayfield via submission (Aoki lock) Round 3, 0:43
After his original opponent Andy Varela was forced off the card, Jett Thompson found himself facing a last-minute replacement in Varela’s 10th Planet Las Vegas teammate Derek Rayfield, and the pair battled all the way to the final round before Thompson secured the submission victory.
The opening round was tightly contested, with few openings for either man, but all that changed at the start of Round 2, when Rayfield attempted a flying triangle, then looked to lock up a kneebar. Thompson managed to escape and end up on top, but Rayfield continued to be the aggressor off his back, as he attempted a “Dead Orchard” variation of a triangle choke, but couldn’t fully lock it up.
Jett Thompson Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Jett Thompson Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Thompson then took his turn to be the aggressor, and beautifully passed Rayfield’s guard to land in mount before pushing hard to create the opening for an arm-triangle choke. But Rayfield did enough to hold him in mount and not let him get to the side and apply potentially match-winning pressure.
However, that pressure resumed at the start of the final round, as Thompson went to the mat and immediately went in search of a leg entanglement. He got the bite he needed on a leg lock and, despite Rayfield’s attempts to roll out of danger, Thompson kept the pressure on as he tightened up an Aoki lock to force the tap 43 seconds into the round.
Lightweight - Ethan Crelinsten defeats Danilo Moreira via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 2:11
Ethan Crelinsten backed up his pre-match prediction as he submitted former lightweight title challenger Danilo Moreira inside a round on his UFC BJJ debut.
Crelinsten went on the attack from the very start as he put Brazil’s Moreira on the back foot from the first exchange. That pressure didn’t relent as he kept pushing for an opening, then eventually transitioned to Moreira’s back, tightened up a body triangle, then finished the job with a rear-naked choke.
Ethan Crelinsten Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Ethan Crelinsten Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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It took just two minutes, 11 seconds for Crelinsten to make a big impression, and he added to his performance with a strong post-match interview as he put the rest of the lightweight division on notice.
After a performance like that, it might not be long before he’s fighting for the 155-pound title.
Middleweight - William Tackett defeats Manuel Ribamar via submission (heel hook) Round 1, 4:48
Former middleweight title challenger William Tackett returned to the Bowl with a first-round finish as he submitted Brazil’s Manuel Ribamar with a heel hook in the closing seconds of the round.
Ribamar immediately went on the attack with a front headlock attempt, but that was quickly shrugged off by Tackett, who took Ribamar to the mat and set to work from top position as he looked for an opening.
William Tackett Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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William Tackett Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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From that moment on, Tackett was on the attack. He kept the pressure on throughout the round, and while Ribamar appeared to have stemmed the tide heading into the closing seconds, Tackett had one more card to play as he locked up a heel hook to force the tap with just 12 seconds remaining in the round.
After his victory, Tackett said he’s ready to make an instant turnaround to compete again at UFC BJJ 9 on June 4. All he needs is an opponent.
Women’s Bantamweight Title Match - Cassia Moura defeats Sabrina Gondim via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 1:43
In the co-main event, UFC BJJ women’s bantamweight champion Cassia Moura successfully defended her title in emphatic fashion with a second-round submission of compatriot Sabrina Gondim.
Gondim turned Moura’s early aggression against her as she threw the champion to the canvas, drawing gasps from the Meta APEX crowd. Gondim then moved into top position, but wasn’t able to take advantage of the position and the action returned to the feet.
With the matchup back out in the open, Moura returned to her trademark aggression as she stalked Gondim around the Bowl, took her down to the mat via a foot sweep, then instantly took her back.
Cassia Moura Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Cassia Moura Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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The opportunity for a submission was there, but despite a concerted effort by Moura, Gondim hung tough and managed to survive the round as she returned to her corner with a grazed nose – a clear sign of the champion’s crushing pressure.
Moura continued that aggressive approach at the start of Round 2 and got her reward as she took Gondim to the mat, took her back, and locked up a tight rear-naked choke to force the tap at the 1:43 mark to secure a crowd-pleasing victory.
After her win, Moura revealed her next career goal as she said that she hopes to compete in her natural weight class of flyweight and eventually capture the 125-pound crown to become a two-division UFC BJJ champion.
Bantamweight Title Match - Mikey Musumeci defeats Kevin Dantzler via submission (heel hook) Round 1, 2:15
In the main event, reigning UFC BJJ bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci showed his class once again as he overcame a fever, then submitted Kevin Dantzler inside the opening round to retain his bantamweight title in style.
Musumeci went on the attack from the start as he looked to register a quickfire first-round finish, but Dantzler showed some gritty defense as he managed to survive three successive heel hook attempts from “Darth Rigatoni."
Mikey Musumeci Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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Mikey Musumeci Bowl Interview | UFC BJJ 8
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After gaining a little separation, it looked like Dantzler had weathered the early storm, but it was only a temporary reprieve, as Musumeci immediately went for another leg entanglement, that eventually secured the victory.
Musumeci grabbed a leg and appeared to have a kneebar all locked up. Once again, Danzler tried to tough it out while looking for an escape, but Musumeci adjusted and turned the hold into a heel hook to force the tap at the 2:15 mark.
After his victory, Musumeci revealed he was suffering from the effects of a staph infection, and had slept for 20 hours after contracting a fever ahead of fight night. But, despite being far from 100 percent, he showed up, wearing long pants to cover the infection, and got the job done to register the third straight defense of his 135-pound crown.
