TLDR
- Bia Mesquita criticized referee decisions after Moicano was stood up from back control and plans tactical adjustments
- The undefeated fighter recovered from being hurt and thrown to submit Melissa Mullins via armbar in June
- Mesquita holds an 8-0 record with all three UFC fights ending in submission victories
- She faces Macy Chiasson at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden with a five-inch height disadvantage
- Mesquita aims to finish 2026 in the top 10 rankings and pursue a title shot in 2027
Sources: middleeasy.com | ufc.com | docsports.com
Brazilian fighter Bia Mesquita says she may adjust her ground tactics after watching referee decisions in recent UFC fights. The 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion criticized a referee’s understanding of grappling after Renato Moicano was stood up from back control during his fight against Tom Nolan.
Mesquita told Japanese MMA outlet Manabu Takashima on November 11 that she would now attempt a finish for one or two minutes before considering moving to mount or half guard. She still views back control as dominant but wants to avoid similar situations.
The 35-year-old fighter holds an 8-0 professional record with six submissions, one knockout, and one decision. All three of her UFC appearances have ended in submission victories.
"We are in different times of our careers."
Bia Mesquita (@biamesquitajj) enters her third fight of 2026 against veteran Macy Chiasson looking to continue her climb up the bantamweight division #Polymarket #UFC334
Fight by Fight Preview ➡️ https://t.co/h8otrUCHJA pic.twitter.com/DlzeejbKCg
— UFC News (@UFCNews) November 10, 2026
Learning From Mistakes in Last Fight
Mesquita’s most recent fight against Melissa Mullins in June highlighted her ability to recover under pressure. She got hit hard while striking about 90 seconds into the fight and rushed into a clinch to recover.
Mullins threw Mesquita with an uchi mata technique, putting the Brazilian on her back at 1:40 of the opening round. Once on the ground, Mesquita controlled Mullins in guard, isolated her right arm, and finished with an armbar at 3:16 of round one.
“I think that fight was very important in my career,” Mesquita said in a November 10 UFC interview. “First, it’s my mistake getting too excited with the striking.”
She admitted to making several errors during the sequence but valued the lesson in maintaining composure. “I felt like the mistakes went over and over, and then, when I was down, I finally could compose myself and then do my thing correctly,” she explained.
Mesquita’s previous UFC wins came against Montse Rendon at 2:07 of round one on March 14, 2026, and Irina Alekseeva at 2:14 of round two on October 11, 2025. She turned professional in June 2024 and debuted in the UFC just 16 months later.
Physical Challenge at Madison Square Garden
Mesquita faces Macy Chiasson on Saturday, November 14, at UFC 334 in New York. The fight presents a different physical challenge than her previous matchups.
Chiasson stands 5’11” with a 72-inch reach compared to Mesquita’s 5’6″ height and 67.5-inch reach. That gives Chiasson a five-inch height advantage and four-and-a-half inch reach advantage.
The American fighter holds an 11-6 record and is 35 years old, the same age as Mesquita. In her last fight, Chiasson lost to Ailin Perez via unanimous decision in round three.
Mesquita welcomes the Madison Square Garden assignment after researching the venue’s boxing history. “It’s such a big dream coming true,” she said, describing the crowd and scale of a major show as appealing.
She stated her career plan is to finish 2026 inside the top 10 rankings, then move toward the top five and a title opportunity in 2027. Mesquita trains at American Top Team with five other bantamweights and says a title opportunity would justify fighting a teammate, a change from her previous position on teammate matches in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The bantamweight contest is scheduled for the early prelims with an advertised start time of 5 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Opening odds list Chiasson at +222 and Mesquita at -270.
