“I think one thing about jiu-jitsu that’s insane that nobody really thinks about is how violent it is. MMA fans love violence. And in jiu-jitsu, if you choke someone and they don’t tap, they die. If you go for a joint submission, their arm will literally fall off or leg. You know, it’s a very violent sport,” Musumeci stated.
The multiple-time BJJ world champion suggested that the UFC’s new rule set for jiu-jitsu competition would enhance these violent aspects, making the sport more accessible to casual viewers.
“I think that this rule set that Claudia and (Stephen) Tecci and UFC developed, I think that it really makes the violence come out of jiu-jitsu where more people other than jiu-jitsu nerds could enjoy it,”
In case you’re tempted to think Tecci is some BJJ mastermind – here’s a 2024 picture of him competing in a regional show as a Blue belt.
Gordon Ryan even left a comment on the picture:
Later post claims Tecci has been training for a lot longer.
This is a curious choice of words. Musumeci was courted to be on Craig Jones Invitational one and was on board after ONE FC gave their blessing however after negotiations with the opponent fell through he wasn’t featured at all – but he’s more than aware of the true lore.
Musumeci emphasized the importance of submissions over points in the UFC BJJ format, telling his athletes to prioritize finishes.
“I was just preaching to my athletes like on my team… if you’re fighting in the UFC, you have to finish fights. You have to go for submissions. You got to go for kill.”
This is hilarious coming from Musumeci who is unable to finish anyone remotely resembling a real contender. Most of Musumeci‘s impressive wins come from random Sambo guys ONE FC tried to promote as world champions in order to try and pull a fast one on the audience.
However it is relevant to the competitors – given that UFC wants to inherit the show/win payment structure which exists only in MMA and even there it often gets criticized.
Musumeci, who has previously been approached about transitioning to MMA, clarified that his current focus remains on elevating jiu-jitsu as a professional sport.
“Right now my focus is just us making this sport the biggest possible and creating this platform for other people,”
