Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout Bia Mesquita recently faced Montserrat Rendon on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 114 inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Mesquita, who entered the bout undefeated, improved her professional record to 7-0 with a first-round RNC. She ended up securing the finish at 2:07 of the opening round.
Rendon (7-2) came into the matchup with some momentum of her own. The Mexican star had gone 2-1 inside the UFC, most recently earning a split-decision victory over Alice Pereira last September.
Another win would have positioned her for bigger opportunities in the division. She came out aggressively from the opening bell, pressing forward and throwing with intent in the early exchanges.
However, Mesquita quickly turned the tide.
A well-timed counter punch dropped Rendon early in the round, and the Brazilian immediately followed her to the canvas.
From there, Mesquita showcased the elite grappling that made her one of the most accomplished competitors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Applying suffocating top pressure, she unleashed a steady ground attack while preventing Rendon from finding any breathing room.
Even when Rendon attempted to scramble back to her feet, Mesquita stayed attached, dragging the combat back to the mat and continuing to advance position. Eventually, she moved into full mount, tightening the pressure and forcing Rendon into increasingly desperate defensive reactions.
That desperation created the opening Mesquita needed.
During one of the scrambles, Rendon briefly exposed her back, and Mesquita capitalized immediately. She slipped in the hooks, secured the rear-naked choke, and locked it in tight, prompting the referee to step in moments later as Rendon had no path to escape.
The victory marked Mesquita’s second consecutive submission inside the Octagon, following her debut win over Irina Alekseeva. For an athlete with her grappling skills, the result felt almost inevitable once the bout hit the mat.
Now sitting at 7-0, Mesquita is steadily establishing herself as a serious presence in the women’s bantamweight division.
