UFC FPI 11 Results, Play by Play and Highlights

John Davis

 

UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 was headlined by a women’s main event between Ffion Davies and Adele Fornarino. FPI 11 presented a unique shift in production considering they’ve now fully transitioned to using Craig Jones’ ruleset and leaving their own iterations in the dust.

One notable departure from the CJI ruleset was the blind scoring.

Main Event: Ffion Davies vs Adele Fornarino

Result: Ffion Davies defeats Adele Fornarino via Split Decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Welsh CJI special event winner Ffion Davies edged out ADCC champion Australia’s Adele Fornarino in a razor-thin split decision. The bout marked the first time women headlined aFPI event, and both athletes delivered a technical masterclass.

From the opening moments, both competitors pulled guard, setting the tone for a tactical battle that would span three grueling rounds. Davies, looking to prove her 2022 submission victory over Fornarino was no fluke, immediately began working her renowned passing game. However, Fornarino came prepared with exceptional defensive work, utilizing her knee shield to neutralize Davies’ signature attacks.

The first round saw little separation between these elite grapplers, with neither able to establish dominant positions. Davies attempted her trademark knee-cut pass while Fornarino worked diligently from her guard, demonstrating the technical improvements she’d made since their first encounter.

Round two belonged to Fornarino, who seized the initiative with a dangerous straight footlock attempt that had commentators believing they heard something pop. Davies showed tremendous resilience, escaping the submission and resuming her passing attempts, but Fornarino’s confidence was clearly building.

Throughout the round, Fornarino repeatedly threatened from a false reap position and worked toward a Choi bar, demonstrating the offensive improvements that had narrowed the gap between herself and the pound-for-pound best female grappler in the world. Her guard retention proved exceptional, preventing Davies from establishing the dominant positions that led to her victory in their first meeting.

The third round saw Davies increase her intensity, attempting stack passes and double-under techniques in desperate pursuit of a breakthrough. However, Fornarino’s technical guard work continued to frustrate the Welsh champion, and as time expired, the Australian celebrated, believing she had done enough to secure victory and avenge her previous loss.

The judges’ split decision in favor of Davies surprised everyone in attendance, including Davies herself. “That’s not how I want to win,” an emotional Davies admitted post-fight. “I got to be honest, I think it was very tight, but I would love a rematch. It doesn’t feel right to me.”

Fornarino, while respectful in defeat, expressed her disagreement: “I disagree with the score. I think the audience disagrees with the score. You know, I was the only person throwing up submissions.” However, she quickly pivoted to acknowledge the historical significance of their bout: “This is a very momentous occasion and very historical occasion, and we should be celebrating it.”

Co-Main Event: Ana Carolina Vieira vs Raquel Canuto

Result: Ana Carolina Vieira defeats Raquel Canuto via Unanimous Decision

Ana Carolina Vieira  secured an unanimous decision victory over hometown favorite Raquel Canuto in a highly tactical women’s featherweight clash that showcased elite-level grappling throughout.

The match began with intense hand fighting as both competitors sought to establish dominance. Vieira quickly demonstrated her grappling prowess by securing a body lock and taking Canuto to the mat, maintaining control throughout much of the opening round despite Canuto’s best efforts to create scrambles.

Round two featured the match’s most dramatic moment when Canuto came out aggressively, attempting a single-leg takedown that was met with a tight guillotine attempt from Vieira. The submission appeared dangerous, prompting commentator Brandon “BMAC” McCatherine to exclaim, “She’s surviving. Wow,” as Canuto showed incredible resilience, blocking Vieira’s hips and eventually escaping the deep submission attempt.

The guillotine attempt proved to be one of the match’s most decisive moments, as Vieira continued to threaten with submission attempts throughout the contest. While Canuto entered with a perfect 4-0 record in FPI competition and had moments of success with her wrestling, she struggled to maintain top position against the technically precise Vieira.

In the final round, knowing she needed a finish, Canuto’s corner instructed her to “make some head” and “get the submission.” Though she managed to gain top position briefly after a scramble, Vieira’s guard proved difficult to pass, and her constant submission threats kept Canuto on the defensive.

“It feels awesome,” an exhausted Vieira said post-fight. “I knew it wouldn’t be an easy match. Throughout the process, I felt very confident that I’ll be able to win. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the submission. She really tried, but credits to Raquel, she defended pretty well.”

William Tackett’s Statement Performance

Result: William Tackett defeats Achilles Rocha via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Round 1

In perhaps the most impressive performance of the night, William Tackett made an emphatic FPI debut by submitting the undefeated Achilles Rocha with a lightning-fast rear-naked choke in the opening minutes of their middleweight clash.

The 24-year-old Austin native answered Rocha’s aggressive collar ties by snatching a single leg, dumping the 18-year-old to the mat, and immediately jumping onto his back. Despite Rocha’s scrambling attempts, Tackett secured a body triangle and brilliantly hooked the back of his opponent’s leg, creating the momentary distraction needed to expose Rocha’s neck and lock in the fight-ending choke.

“I wanted to take the first round kind of slow, just kind of see how it went,” Tackett explained post-fight, “but he went really heavy at the collar ties right out the gate, so I kind of want to answer back.” When asked about his future plans, Tackett made his intentions clear: “Right now I just want to make my way to the title. I want to beat the best guys in the division along the way.”

Mason Fowler’s Creative Mastery

Result: Mason Fowler defeats Christiano Troisi via Submission (Omoplata/Rear-Naked Choke), Round 1

After a year-long layoff due to a back injury, Mason Fowler returned in spectacular fashion with one of the most creative submissions in FPI history. The Caio Terra Academy representative showcased his dangerous rubber guard game, transitioning seamlessly to the “chill dog” position before executing a hybrid submission that combined an omoplata shoulder lock with a rear-naked choke over the face.

“This submission, I think, is called an Imanari,” Fowler explained. “It’s where you have an Omaplata, then you finish kind of with like a choke over the face. So that’s one of my favorite submissions.” The victory prompted Fowler to make a bold declaration: “I feel good at 205. I think I’m the best 205er in the world.”

Mackenzie Dern pulled off this Imanari choke from Omoplata years ago in one of her LFA MMA matches.

Alex Enriquez’s Submission Chain

Result: Alex Enriquez defeats Shye Lilly via Submission (Armbar)

Alex Enriquez delivered a technical masterclass in her women’s flyweight bout against short-notice opponent Shye Lilly. The Atos athlete established early control with superior wrestling fundamentals and spent the entire match threatening submissions.

After surviving multiple submission attempts including a guillotine and D’Arce choke in the first round, Lilly’s resilience was finally overcome in the second when Enriquez executed a beautiful transition from a row drag to an armbar attempt, eventually securing the fight-ending submission through relentless pressure and technical superiority.

Kevin Carrasco’s Rare Finish

Result: Kevin Carrasco defeats Sebastian Oyervidez via Submission (Teepee Choke)

Kevin Carrasco secured one of the night’s most unique finishes with a rarely seen teepee choke in the first round. After initially working for a triangle, Carrasco made a brilliant tactical shift to the old-school submission, catching the undefeated MMA fighter Oyervidez by surprise and forcing the tap in just over a minute.

João Assonitis’ Technical Precision

Result: João Assonitis defeats Daniel Maira via Submission (Heel Hook)

The night’s leg lock battle saw João Assonitis emerge victorious with a perfectly executed inside heel hook in the second round. After a tactical first round filled with leg entanglements, Assonitis countered Maira’s toehold attempt with lightning speed, transitioning to what commentators called “the bazooka of leg locks” for the decisive finish.

Final Results Summary

Main Card:

John Davis