# Andrew Tackett

> Inaugural and defending UFC BJJ Welterweight Champion, ADCC Trials winner, and Fight Factory no-gi star known as Pirulito.

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- **Last updated:** 2026-07-19

## Identity

- **Name:** Andrew Tackett
- **Full name:** Andrew Henry Tackett
- **Nickname:** Pirulito
- **Belt:** black belt
- **Team:** Brazilian Fight Factory / Checkmat
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Born:** 2003-05-01
- **Birthplace:** Orange County, California, United States
- **Weight class:** Welterweight / 77 kg (ADCC; UFC BJJ welterweight)
- **Height:** 5'9" (175 cm)

## Biography

Andrew Henry Tackett, nicknamed Pirulito (Portuguese for "lollipop"), is an American submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Rodrigo "Brucutu" Cabral. Born on May 1, 2003, in Orange County, California, he moved to Austin, Texas as a toddler and began jiu-jitsu around 2009 with his father and older brother William at Team Rabadi. Seeking a more competition-driven room, the brothers later joined Brazilian Fight Factory, a Checkmat affiliate, where Cabral nicknamed the skinny kid with a prominent head "Pirulito" and shaped the aggressive scramble game that would define his career.

Tackett became a teenage no-gi standout before earning his black belt. He won the 2021 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship at purple belt (weight and absolute) and the 2022 No-Gi Worlds at brown belt, added ADCC Las Vegas Open double gold that same year, and finished third on FloGrappling's Who's Next with a colorful "Cowboy" persona. Cabral promoted him to black belt on December 17, 2022, at age 19. His black-belt breakthroughs included the 2023 Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship at welterweight and a string of WNO wins, among them a rear-naked-choke finish of Tommy Langaker and an inside-heel-hook win over Fabyury Khrysthyan.

In 2024 he won the ADCC West Coast Trials at 77 kg—alongside William, the first brothers to take Trials titles at the same event—then withdrew from ADCC Worlds to compete at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational. At CJI he defeated Nicky Ryan and Eoghan O'Flanagan before losing a split decision to Kade Ruotolo in the −80 kg semifinals. Signing into UFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he captured the inaugural welterweight title at UFC BJJ 1 (June 25, 2025) by rear-naked choke over Andy Varela, then defended against Renato Canuto (D'Arce), Elijah Dorsey (heel hook), and Vagner Rocha (unanimous decision at UFC BJJ 7 in April 2026). His style remains submission-first: wrestling entries, high-pace scrambles, back takes, and a heavy rear-naked-choke finish rate.

## Lineage

Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Leonardo Vieira > Rodrigo Cabral > Andrew Tackett

## Instructors

- Rodrigo Cabral

## Signature techniques / game

- Rear naked choke
- Back takes
- Scramble wrestling
- Inside heel hook
- D'Arce choke
- Triangle choke
- Armbar
- Guillotine

## Major achievements

- UFC BJJ Welterweight Champion — inaugural and defending (2025–; defenses vs. Renato Canuto, Elijah Dorsey, Vagner Rocha)
- 1st Place Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship — welterweight (2023)
- 1st Place ADCC West Coast Trials — 77 kg (2024); first brothers to win Trials side-by-side (with William Tackett)
- Craig Jones Invitational −80 kg semifinalist (2024); wins over Nicky Ryan and Eoghan O'Flanagan
- Who's Number One wins including Tommy Langaker (RNC, WNO 23) and Fabyury Khrysthyan (heel hook, WNO 27)
- UFC BJJ Road to the Title wins over Aaron Wilson and Jason Nolf (2025)
- First champion in UFC BJJ history to successfully defend a title (vs. Renato Canuto, UFC BJJ 2)

## Colored belt highlights

- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi — purple belt weight and absolute (2021)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi — brown belt middleweight (2022)
- 1st Place ADCC Las Vegas Open — 76 kg and absolute (2022)
- 1st Place Midwest Finishers — 185 lb (2022)
- FloGrappling Who's Next tournament — 3rd place (2022)
- Black belt under Rodrigo Cabral (December 17, 2022)

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tackett.andrew/

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes — Andrew Tackett](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/andrew-tackett)
- [Wikipedia — Andrew Tackett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Tackett)
- [FloGrappling — Andrew Tackett](https://www.flograppling.com/people/6749127-andrew-tackett)
- [FloGrappling — ADCC West Coast Trials 2024 finals recap](https://www.flograppling.com/articles/12396356-tackett-takeover-at-adcc-west-coast-trials-2024-finals-recap-results)
- [Fight Factory — Andrew Tackett](https://fightfactoryjiujitsu.com/andrew-tackett/)
- [Jits Magazine — Black belt promotion](https://jitsmagazine.com/19-year-old-prodigy-andrew-tackett-promoted-to-bjj-black-belt/)
- [UFC — UFC BJJ 2 results (Tackett vs. Canuto)](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bjj-2-tackett-vs-canuto-live-results-winner-interviews-las-vegas)
- [UFC — UFC BJJ 7 results (Tackett vs. Rocha)](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bjj-7-results-tackett-vs-rocha-winners-match-recaps-interviews)
- [Digitsu — Andrew Tackett](https://digitsu.com/people/andrew-tackett)

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