Andrew Tackett Seeks to Set Defense Record at UFC BJJ 10

A life-long dedication to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has led young phenom Andrew Tackett to become one of the most dominant athletes in UFC BJJ history. Gearing up for a fourth straight title defense of his welterweight strap, the 23-year old grappling star faces off with his most stalwart challenger yet. 

Andrew Tackett Faces Former Champ in UFC BJJ 10 Main Event

Earning the 170-lb championship at the inaugural UFC BJJ 1 event last year,Tackett positively blindsided the credentialed Andy Varela, choking out “Night Night” in the very first round. Keeping a very active schedule, he would defend his throne a total of three times over the next ten months, eventually tying Mikey Musumeci for the most winningest champion in the promotion’s brief history. This Thursday, Tackett now faces another formidable adversary in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Jonnatas Gracie.

With ten first place finishes at prestigious competitions such as the IBJJF and UAEJJF, Gracie has carved a name for himself in the realm of competitive grappling. Picking up a superb decision victory over Yan Lucas in his company debut at UFC BJJ 5, the Atos BJJ product is aiming to dethrone the streaking American and become the new top dog in the weight class.

Andrew Tackett: Discovering BJJ and Early Tournament History

While he is known today as one of the premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters on the planet, Tackett’s introduction and early fascination with the art was all too common, with him joining the Team Rabadi gym alongside his brothers and father after his family had moved to Texas. Training there for the next seven years, Tackett would later switch to Fight Factory.

Here, Tackett flourished under the guidance of famed practitioner Rodrigo "Brucutu" Cabral, who himself had garnered notoriety in the grappling community after winning several world championships. He would also go on to train other stellar names like future UFC fighter Kody Steele and Tiffany Buttler. It was also Cabral that gave Tackett his first nickname, “Pirulito,” which translates to lollypop in Portuguese due to how large his head was in proportion to his body, a nickname Tackett has gladly since moved on from.

Right from the get-go in his early tournament years, it was apparent that Tackett was going to be a dominant worldbeater, with him having garnered nearly 100 first place accolades at various NAGA, NEWBREED, and AFBJJ brackets. He also became a standout at several BFA (Battle For The Ages) competitions, which were invitational events that were composed of some of the best grapplers from a number of age divisions. These outings took Tackett all across the country in an effort to build his game and battle fierce opposition, which molded the Texan into a touted grappler who would only grow even more fearsome into adulthood.

Andrew Tackett: Tackling World Stage, Becoming UFC BJJ Champion

While the early 2020’s were marred with the outbreak and subsequent aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, they turned out to be golden years in the career of Tackett’s tournament legacy. Competing 10 times in 2020 alone, he swiftly began to surge in recognition and popularity in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. Over the next five years, he took home titles at the ADCC and IBJJF, while also defeating notable names in Damien Anderson, Kevin Crane, and Nicky Ryan. Though he did suffer some losses here-and-there, Tackett owed his setbacks as his main motivators to fix the holes in his skillset and enter his next event a better version of himself.

In 2024, Tackett would accept the most challenging bout of his competition life when he locked horns with former ONE FC welterweight grappling champion Kade Ruotolo at the Craig Jones Invitational 1. One half of the famous Ruotolo brothers, with his siblingTye being a fellow ONE FC belt-holder at middleweight, Kade had established a dynasty as the company’s 170-lb king, scoring three title defenses.

Fighting for a shot at a massive payday in what was an incredibly stacked two-day tournament, both men had beaten their previous two foes in the bracket. What followed was a close but highly-entertaining contest between two promising young up-and-comers, a contest that Tackett sadly lost via split decision

Although his loss to Ruotolo had been a tough pill to swallow, the opportunity for Tackett to shine on the big stage once more had reared its head almost a year later when the UFC announced the formation of their brand-new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-based organization UFC BJJ, with several other decorated athletes being signed to it such as Carlos Henrique, Rerisson Gabriel, andMikey Musumeci.

Needless to say, Tackett was over the moon with excitement with his signing to the promotion, as he was scheduled to vie for the UFC BJJ’s inaugural 170-lb championship. Standing across from him in the newly-minted Bowl was none other than Andy Varela, who had already bested a host of amazing grapplers in the past like Kyle Chambers and even future two-time UFC 185-lb king Sean Strickland.

In what went down as only the second first-round stoppage of the show, Tackett easily trounced Varela in their co-main event contest, tapping him out in just over three minutes with a statement-making rear-naked choke. The victory brought Tackett newfound levels of fame, becoming the first welterweight gold standard in UFC BJJ history.

In the wake of his triumphant debut, Tackett then guarded his belt on three consecutive occasions, taking out Renato Canuto, Elijah Dorsey, and most recently Vagner Rocha this last April at UFC BJJ 7. Gearing up to break his deadlock with Musumeci for the most title defenses by a champion in the history of the company this Thursday, Tackett takes aim at further glory as the preeminent grappler in his weight category.