Jiu Jitsu Herald

Mason Fowler will have his toughest test yet vs Devhonte Johnson, but I think he will be able to defend his belt. Mason is well rounded with good wrestling, leg locks, and top game and has incredible dedication to the sport. I listened to Mason on the Mark Bell Power Project Podcast a couple of years ago and he goes into detail about how much he’s sacrificed and how seriously he trains. A good listen if you have a couple hours to spare. Mason and Devhonte have faced off once before in the ADCC East Coast Trials in 2021 where Mason won by referee’s decision. Whoever wins this match is going to be looking over their shoulder if Nicky Rod manages to win his match earlier on the card.

Gilbert Burns was a legendary Jiu Jitsu athlete before moving to MMA and having a very successful run in the UFC but ultimately falling short of an MMA belt. His last couple fights showed he was washed as an MMA fighter and he wisely retired. Is he washed as a BJJ athlete as well? Horlando Monteiro is coming off a double gold performance at IBJJF Masters Europe and will give Burns a challenging first match back on the BJJ mats.

Nicky-Rod, the Million Dollar Grappler, looked heavy, slow, and unimpressive in his last UFC BJJ match which ended with a draw. There was speculation he hurt his knee in the first round but I didn’t hear confirmation of that. He’s also a new dad combined with all that extra cash in his bank account, can make training hard a little more difficult. Lets see if he can return to form in this match vs Joao Nicolite. Joao has been tearing up the IBJJF circuit and is a hungry 23 year old. Even though Nicolite has been impressive, I expect to see Nicky-Rod return to form and set up a title shot vs the winner of the main event.

Ffion just lost a split decision in a title match vs Cassia Moura. Ffion seemed to win the ground exchanges but she didn’t have an answer for Moura’s powerful arm drag. She’ll look to get right with another tough match vs Amanda Bruse. Amanda just won the Main Character Jiu Jitsu Bantamweight belt 3 weeks ago, so the pressure of a high profile match won’t be too much for her. But Ffion is a big step up in competition, can Amanda continue her rise?

Bella Mir has a scary dad, former UFC Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir, but by the time she’s done, she might outshine him. She was a 4-time NIAA wrestling champ in high school, the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Champion in 2026, and is undefeated at MMA at 4-0. She is 2-0 on UFC BJJ already and won gold at IBJJF Worlds in 2025. Nichelle Johnson might be in trouble. She recently won silver at ADCC Phoenix but I think Bella Mir is going to be too much for her, and just about everyone else to handle.

Speaking of grapplers with famous dads, Achilles Rocha is another exciting light heavyweight contender. Achilles won the -99 division at ADCC Trials and is going to the ADCC worlds. Growing up with Vagner Rocha as your father and training with him would probably make everything else seem easy. Felipe Pimentel is going to try to make things difficult but I’d bet on Achilles to win and add his name to the top of the crowded light heavyweight division.

Rafa Ferreira last appeared on UFC BJJ 7 and made quick work of his opponent, finishing with a rear naked choke about two minutes into the first round. He was very energetic and loose during that match and looked very comfortable and dangerous. John Chandler is an amateur MMA fighter and BJJ brown belt who is making his UFC BJJ debut. We will see how he holds up against the frenetic pace of Rafa.

Victor Delibero is another of Vagner Rocha’s students. He competed on UFC FPI 10 vs Carlos Henrique and lost by armbar. Mourece Ramirez seems to be more of a Gi competitor. Let’s see how his game holds up in the no-gi arena.

Amanda Mazza’s husband, Max Livingston competed on UFC BJJ 8. Let’s hope she can do better than Max who lost to a fired up Liam Crelinsten. Amanda is part of a great group of female grapplers in the Philadelphia area who have all had a ton of local success. Amanda and Cindy Ung are two of the top locals who are starting to get more national events. Amanda also lost via armbar on her previous UFC FPI appearance. Ana Lima just won gold at 2026 IBJJF Pans in the gi. There is even a submission that is sometimes credited to her, the Anaplata. This will be a tough match for Amanda Mazza as Ana Lima won No-Gi Worlds as a brown belt before getting here black belt and Amanda is still a brown belt.

Disclaimer: All rankings come from Flograppling.com or IBJJF. Grapplers’ records have been taken from multiple sources, including Flograppling.com and BJJHeroes.com, and are definitely incomplete and are merely meant to help provide context, not be a definitive record. I do not have any inside information or affiliation with any other website, promotion, or organization. I am merely a BJJ fan and practitioner hoping to share information and provide entertainment. Thanks for your support!