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William Tackett

William Tackett is a Rodrigo Cabral black belt who won the 2022 ADCC West Coast Trials and later challenged for a UFC BJJ middleweight title.

Biography

William Tackett is a black belt under Rodrigo Cabral whose competitive career began taking shape against adult elite grapplers while he was still a teenager. Born in Orange County, California, in 2001, he moved with his family to Austin, Texas, at age four. He began jiu-jitsu at eight after his father joined a nearby Team Rabadi academy and enrolled William and his younger brother, Andrew Tackett. The brothers have followed distinct competitive careers. In 2017, Tackett joined Cabral's Brazilian Fight Factory as a blue belt. Cabral promoted him through purple and brown belt before awarding him his black belt on March 27, 2021. His ADCC Trials results trace that development: runner-up at the 2019 West Coast Trials and the 2021 East Coast Trials, then winner of the 2022 West Coast Trials. His gym history and current representation do not fit neatly into one label. FloGrappling lists him as representing Checkmat while also identifying him as Cabral's student at Brazilian Fight Factory. Tackett entered UFC BJJ competition in 2025. He made his UFC BJJ debut against Kyle Chambers at 185 pounds in July 2025, then challenged Ronaldo Junior for the inaugural UFC BJJ middleweight title that December. On August 20, 2026, he submitted Fedor Nikolov by second-round heel hook at UFC BJJ 10, which UFC reported as his second consecutive heel-hook finish. After the Nikolov match, Tackett said that moving to Las Vegas and using the UFC Performance Institute had helped his recovery from injury, and that he wanted another opportunity at the middleweight title. This recent chapter is documented here through UFC's own reports; it is not presented as a complete competitive record.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, 'William Tackett', athlete biography and record.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes reports that William Tackett was born in Orange County, California, on 14 May 2001 and moved with his family to Austin, Texas, at age four.

      Where in the source: Biography opening: birth and move.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes says Tackett began jiu-jitsu at age eight after his father joined a nearby Team Rabadi academy and enrolled William and his brother Andrew.

      Where in the source: Early biography: Team Rabadi start.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes reports that William joined Rodrigo Cabral's Brazilian Fight Factory in 2017 as a blue belt and earned purple, brown and then black belt under Cabral, with the black-belt promotion dated 27 March 2021.

      Where in the source: Development biography: Cabral belt progression.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes describes Tackett as competing successfully against adult elite grapplers while still a minor and later while holding colored-belt status.

      Where in the source: Profile opening: teenage professional emergence.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists Tackett as the 2022 ADCC West Coast Trials winner after he had placed second at the 2021 East Coast Trials and the 2019 West Coast Trials.

      Where in the source: Achievements list: ADCC Trials results.

      Accessed:

  • FloGrappling, 'William Tackett', athlete profile, retrieved 8 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • FloGrappling identifies William Tackett as a black belt, the older brother of Andrew Tackett, and a student of Rodrigo Cabral at Brazilian Fight Factory.

      Where in the source: Athlete header: family and coach.

      Accessed:

    • FloGrappling's current athlete profile says Tackett represents Checkmat while training under Cabral at Brazilian Fight Factory.

      Where in the source: Athlete summary: current representation.

      Accessed:

  • UFC, 'UFC BJJ 2: Tackett vs Canuto Fight Card', 26 July 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • UFC announced William Tackett's UFC BJJ debut against Kyle Chambers at 185 pounds in July 2025 and explicitly distinguished him as Andrew Tackett's brother.

      Where in the source: Fight-card introduction: William's debut.

      Accessed:

  • UFC, 'UFC BJJ 4: Tackett vs Dorsey Fight Card', 4 December 2025.(opens in a new tab)

    • UFC placed William Tackett in the December 2025 inaugural UFC BJJ middleweight title match against Ronaldo Junior.

      Where in the source: Co-main section: middleweight title match.

      Accessed:

  • Simon Head, UFC, 'UFC BJJ 10: Tackett vs Gracie Results', 21 August 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • UFC reported that Tackett submitted Fedor Nikolov by heel hook in the second round at UFC BJJ 10 on 20 August 2026, his second successive heel-hook finish in the promotion.

      Where in the source: Middleweight recap: Nikolov submission.

      Accessed:

    • After the UFC BJJ 10 win, Tackett said that moving to Las Vegas and using the UFC Performance Institute helped his injury recovery and that he wanted another middleweight title opportunity.

      Where in the source: Post-match recap: Las Vegas move.

      Accessed:

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