Mason Stritzel vs Seve Zazueta

Less than two months before UFC BJJ 11, Mason Stritzel attended a UFC BJJ Open test event in Chicago, where his performances impressed UFC BJJ leadership enough to earn him a spot on the card. The 18-year-old recent high school graduate made the most of the opportunity, submitting Seve Zazueta with a heel hook in the second round of their bantamweight matchup.

In the first round, Stritzel went on the attack early, grabbing Zazueta's leg to try to create an opening, but Zazueta worked free. Zazueta then kept Stritzel stacked for much of the round and applied pressure, though Stritzel did not appear unsettled by it. To start the second round, Stritzel went to his back immediately to initiate a leg entanglement, but Zazueta evaded it and settled into Stritzel's guard.

From there, Zazueta, a Red Hawk Academy product, had to navigate a triangle choke attempt and continually shifted his position and points of attack to work around Stritzel's guard. Stritzel kept threatening from his back, including with a triangle armbar, while Zazueta struggled to mount offense of his own. Stritzel eventually worked into position to lock up the heel hook, and Zazueta tapped immediately to give Stritzel the victory in his debut.