UFC BJJ 13: Jasmine Rocha Turns Heads With Lightning-Fast Armbar
Jasmine Rocha leverages her ADCC momentum to find her first victory in UFC BJJ over Karen Antunes.
Jasmine Rocha entered the Bowl on Thursday, determined to turn around her previous split-decision loss. The ADCC gold medalist, however, went above and beyond that, securing the victory in vogue.
Jasmine Rocha Picks Up a Quick Submission Win
Jasmine Rocha went toe-to-toe against Karen Antunes on Thursday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas for the UFC BJJ 13 undercard. Stacked with gripping, intense grappling, the 24-year-old added her own highlight reel to the mix.
As the starting bell sounded, the American made quick work of her guard, moving to Antunes' back. As the opponent tried scrambling out of the position, Rocha swiftly shifted to an armbar, prompting Antunes to make a hand movement that looked like a tap.
Referee Chris Brennan halted the action in just 38 seconds. However, announcing the winner wasn't exactly straightforward, with the Brazilian protesting against the stoppage. She claimed that the motion was instead a "slap." Still, the officials stuck with their call, resulting in a rapid flyweight bout.
While the exchange definitely made the situation awkward, Rocha later exclaimed in a post-fight interview with Rambo Jitsu that at times it's easy to miss a tap that comes instinctively.
"Sometimes you just tap, and you just don't even realize it," the 24-year-old defended Antunes.
Now, having secured her first win in the organization, Jasmine Rocha is hungry for more.
Jasmine Rocha Continues Her Redemption Arc
Jasmine Rocha is swinging on massive momentum after a disappointing start to her year. Going the distance against Ana Rodrigues in three razor-close rounds at UFC BJJ 6, Rocha came just short of the win. While two scorecards went to Rodrigues, Rocha found only one judge favoring her.
After that close call, the 24-year-old went on a smoking ADCC run, blazing through opponents to meet her UFC BJJ rival in the final match. A tedious 20-minute tactical battle led to overtime, where Rocha quickly exploited Rodrigues' defense to secure back control and subsequently submit via rear-naked choke.
Having settled the score now, both inside and outside the promotion, Jasmine Rocha is looking to spearhead the strawweight division as its inaugural champion. In her Bowl interview, the flyweight ace knew exactly what she wanted next.
"The 115 division has no title. That's going to be my title. The reason there is no title is because there's no life in that division. I'm going to bring some life to that division. Give me my shot. 115 me vs. Thaynara (Vitoria) would be it. Let's send it," Rocha exclaimed in an enthusiastic callout.
Thaynara Vitoria made a fashionable UFC debut in the last numbered jiu-jitsu card, locking up a deep armbar in the first round. With both ladies bringing lethal submission threats to the table, the matchup has the potential to become one of the most interesting showdowns this year.
