UFC Fight Pass Invitational 8 is scheduled for October 10th, 2024 and we’ve written up a full preview of every match booked for the event. There’s a ton of excellent matches taking place and it’s all leading up to a superb main event match between Michael Pixley and Nicky Rodriguez. Although most of the attention will be on this openweight battle, there’s plenty for fans of elite grappling to enjoy throughout the night. From a pair of matches between female BJJ competitors and several battles involving ADCC veterans, making for an action-packed night for the fans in attendance and everyone watching the live stream at home.
UFC Fight Pass Invitational 8 Full Preview
Nicky Rodriguez vs Michael Pixley – Openweight
The main event is going to be a great match and it should be full of standing exchanges as both Nicky Rodriguez and Michael Pixley transitioned to no gi grappling from wrestling. Pixley should have the advantage on the feet thanks to the much higher level of success he’s enjoyed in wrestling, but Rodriguez has been able to adapt his existing skills better. He’s become fantastic at wrestling up and bodylock passing, more recently adding the ability to hunt for the back and finish with the choke at an elite level. Rodriguez is the most likely to win given that he has a few paths to victory, whereas Pixley will have to play his ideal game successfully in order to win.
Renato Canuto vs PJ Barch – 170lbs
Renato Canuto is known as one of the most exciting grapplers in the game right now and his high-flying submission attacks can catch anyone off guard. PJ Barch on the other hand has a huge amount of discipline and an excellent understanding of the tactical element of grappling. Canuto won their first meeting by a single point back in 2018 but Barch has developed a lot since then and got revenge earlier this year with a submission win. Barch is very familiar with Canuto by now and he’ll no doubt have the right approach to him dialled in already, so he should be able to get the win here either by decision or submission.
Andy Varela vs Dante Leon – 170lbs
Andy Varela is another exciting competitor but for a completely different reason to Canuto, as he’s known for his aggressive grappling style. Varela is up against one of the best competitors in the world here though, as Dante Leon has stood on the podium at ADCC twice now. Varela has been known to frustrate his opponents in the past but Leon is a consummate professional who should be able to maintain focus no matter what. Varela is very difficult to submit so Leon might not be able to find the finish here, but he should be able to get the decision win regardless.
Isaque Bahiense vs Ronaldo Junior – 185lbs
Ronaldo Junior actually won the IBJJF No Gi World Championship 2023 in this weight class and he’s always going to be tough to bet against thanks to his style of grappling. Junior doesn’t have a particularly high finishing-rate but he excels under points-based rulesets thanks to his focus on positional dominance. Isaque Bahiense also wins the majority of his matches by points or decision, so it’s unlikely that either man gets the finish here. Junior has the slight edge here but this match is really too close to call with any confidence and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either man win.
Raquel Canuto vs Gabrielle McComb – 145lbs
Gabrielle McComb has won the IBJJF World Championship both in the gi and in no gi, proving herself as one of the top competitors in the world at this weight. Raquel Canuto was a solid MMA fighter at one point and has had a few wins on the UFC Fight Pass Invitational stage now, but she hasn’t beaten anyone at McComb’s level. Canuto will be a very game opponent and will undoubtedly make life hard for McComb, but the match will likely end with McComb as the one getting her hand raised.
Gabriel Sousa vs Josh Cisneros – 155lbs
Gabriel Sousa and Josh Cisneros are both among the very best lightweight no gi grapplers in the world and this match could easily serve as the main event on any other night. They’ve met on the mats before and although Sousa won, it went to the end of the time-limit and it wasn’t a dominant victory at all. Cisneros could very easily get revenge here and given that the stylistic matchup should make for plenty of entertainment. It’s going to be non-stop action and there should be some back-and-forth, with this being another one that’s too close to call confidently. Sousa will likely have the slight advantage thanks to his previous win over Cisneros but that’s not enough to guarantee victory here 3 years later.
Cassia Moura vs Cindy Ung – 135lbs
This is the second women’s BJJ match in this preview of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 8, but it’s the one that presents the most interesting questions. Cassia Moura is one of the top prospects in the sport right now and her rise to black belt has been nothing short of incredible, making the run from blue to black in less than a year. Moura is largely untested at the highest level though and she’ll be up against someone who has a ton of experience against the best in the world. Cindy Ung has beaten some elite grapplers over the last few years and she’s a great test for Moura, but Moura should still be considered the slight favorite here regardless.
Pedro Falcao vs Cristian Guzman – 155lbs
Cristian Guzman has had a few matches on the UFC Fight Pass Invitational mats now but he’s currently 1-2 for the promotion. Although he has more grappling experience than his opponent Pedro Falcao, Falcao is a veteran of twenty professional MMA fights. The UFC fighter has had a few submissions wins during his career too and he will be very tough to submit himself. Specialists do historically beat generalists when they compete under their own ruleset though, so the safe bet here would be for Guzman to get the win and move to 2-2.
Johan Oosthuysen vs Gabriel Almeida – 215lbs
Johan Oosthuysen is a South African BJJ black belt who’s had some great results on the AJP Tour circuit over the years. He’s up against a whole other level of opponent at this event though, and it will take something special to beat Gabriel Almeida. Not only is Almeida an ADCC Trials winner but he’s also stood on the podium of that tournament twice more just this year. Almeida firmly belongs at the top of the pecking order and went 1-1 at ADCC 2024, so he should be able to come away with the win here whether it’s by decision or submission.
The full UFC Fight Pass Invitational 8 event, including every match in this preview, is available to watch live on October 10th, 2024, on UFC Fight Pass.
