Rodolfo Vieira is heading back to Rio de Janeiro for another showcase of his Jiu-Jitsu. “The Black Belt Hunter” is confirmed for the co-main event of ACBJJ 23, set for November 13, and the promotion has already announced his opponent. He takes on American Kelvin Gastelum in a No Gi bout, facing an athlete who, like him, is currently under contract with the UFC. Both compete at middleweight, but they have never met in the Octagon.
Rio holds good memories for Rodolfo. In November 2024, the five-time world champion thrilled the local crowd at a grappling event: in the main event of ADXC 7, he submitted American Derek Brunson, another name with UFC experience. Now the matchup with Gastelum will be contested at 90kg, according to the event’s official poster, in a superfight that pits two athletes used to the spotlight of the biggest MMA nights against each other.
RODOLFO VIEIRA ARRIVES ON THE HEELS OF A RECENT UFC WIN AND A REUNION WITH THE RIO CROWD
The return to Rio comes at a good time. In late September, Rodolfo got back in the win column at UFC Fight Night 289 in Las Vegas. On the prelims, he beat Poland’s Robert Bryczek by unanimous decision, with a clear edge on all three judges’ scorecards. It was the Brazilian’s seventh win in the world’s biggest MMA promotion, where he has competed since 2019, and the result put him back on track in the division after two straight losses.
On the mats, his résumé speaks for itself. Rodolfo is a five-time IBJJF black belt world champion and an ADCC champion, the most prestigious no-gi grappling competition. Relentless pressure and guard passing became his trademark and earned him the nickname that still follows him today. His call-up to ACBJJ 23 had been buzzing since late September, right after the win over Bryczek, and now it has a heavyweight-caliber opponent.
KELVIN GASTELUM, A FORMER UFC INTERIM MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CHALLENGER, ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE ON THE BRAZILIAN’S TURF
Across from him will be one of the best-known names in the UFC middleweight division over the past decade. Kelvin Gastelum rose to prominence by winning the reality show The Ultimate Fighter 17 in 2013 and went on to fight for the interim title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 236 in 2019. The five-round war ended with a unanimous decision win for the Nigerian-born New Zealander and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2025, in the Fight Wing.
Used to MMA striking and wrestling, Gastelum will face the Brazilian in a setting with no strikes, where every grip can end in a submission. In April of this year, at UFC 327, the American was submitted by Vicente Luque with an anaconda choke in the first round. The challenge in Rio is a big one: testing himself against one of the greatest ground specialists of his generation, in front of his home crowd.
ANDRÉ GALVÃO VS. ROUSIMAR ‘TOQUINHO’, WITH PUNCHES AND KICKS ALLOWED, CLOSES OUT THE ACBJJ 23 NIGHT
Rodolfo’s bout sets the stage for the biggest matchup of the night. In the main event, André Galvão, who just returned to competition at the IBJJF Pan No Gi, faces former UFC fighter Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ in ACBJJ’s ‘Battle’ format, a hybrid grappling contest with punches and kicks allowed, at 100kg. The bout brings together two ground specialists with very different styles and careers.
With two current UFC roster athletes in the co-main event and two legends in the headliner, ACBJJ 23 promises a big night for the Rio crowd on November 13. The promotion has not yet announced fight times, the broadcast or the rest of the card. For Rodolfo, the mission is clear: keep his momentum going and repeat, against another UFC opponent, the tap that drove Rio wild in 2024.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
