Mason Fowler vs Nicholas Rodriguez

The light heavyweight title match between defending champion Mason Fowler and challenger Nicholas Rodriguez at UFC BJJ 11 ended in an unexpected split draw, with Fowler retaining his title by the slimmest of margins. The first round saw Fowler pull guard early, and after Rodriguez probed for an opening, Fowler exploded out from underneath and took Rodriguez's back. From that dominant position, Fowler composed himself before launching into a sequence of transitions that forced Rodriguez to defend as they rolled across the mat. Rodriguez managed to get his back to the mat and put Fowler into his guard, though the pace slowed through the final moments of the round.

The second round gave Rodriguez more offensive success. He punished a omoplata sweep attempt from Fowler by moving into half guard, and as the ten-second clapper sounded he attempted to lock up a choke. Fowler spread his arms wide, signaling to the judges that he was in no danger as time expired. In the third and potentially decisive round, Rodriguez wasted no time shooting in and pushing the pace. Fowler continued to work off his back, but Rodriguez passed into mount and then into side control before returning to mount with about a minute remaining, where he locked up a choke. Fowler survived the submission attempt, and his applause as he stood after the final horn suggested he believed the bout and the title were lost.

Both athletes appeared surprised when the result was announced as a split draw. The outcome meant Fowler retained his light heavyweight title despite the close, well-contested three rounds.