Claudia Gadelha recently shared insights into the UFC BJJ growth strategy and future plans.
“I think we managed to bring in the best in the sport when we started,”
Gadelha told UFC employee Paula Sack.
” I think the more time passes, the more the best will remain here.”
UFC BJJ has committed to elite-level competition, featuring multiple title disputes and world champions.
“That’s what UFC BJJ deserves, given the level of this event and our goal of making UFC BJJ the best event in the world,”
she added.
The organization has received strong backing from TKO, the UFC’s parent company.
“The leadership team, Dana, Lawrence, and the entire TKO team are receiving a lot of praise for what’s been happening with UFC Jiu-Jitsu,”
Gadelha noted.
“This is a sport that’s here to stay.”
Looking ahead, UFC BJJ plans to host ten events in 2026, including another season of its reality show competition.
“Yes, the idea now is to make one reality show per year,”
Gadelha confirmed.
“The categories that we need to develop will be the categories that we will use within the reality TV show.”
The reality format is intended to strategically focus on weight divisions that need more depth, helping grow talent and audience engagement.
“The biggest challenge is organizing what’s kind of everywhere,”
Gadelha explained.
“We don’t want to change the jiu-jitsu, we want to keep the tradition of the jiu-jitsu, but we want it to be a fun sport to watch. In many cases, it’s very difficult to watch jiu-jitsu because it’s very slow, very methodical. Our goal is to make it exciting and engaging for spectators.”
UFC’s first BJJ reality series received some criticism for obfuscating the timer and basically cutting video out of many matches. UFC BJJ series started with an hour long premier by the end the show was about 26 minutes long.
Global expansion is also a priority, with Brazil as the top target.
“We really like the idea of starting (Global expansion) in Brazil. Jiu-Jitsu is a sport that began to spread in Brazil, so it makes perfect sense for us to go there,”
Gadelha said. Conversations are underway with Brazil, Abu Dhabi, and other countries, aiming to bring the first global edition to Brazil in 2026 or 2027.
