UFC BJJ coach Mikey Musumeci recently addressed fan questions about the promotion’s upcoming grappling venture in an Instagram Q&A session, making several notable claims about the direction of UFC’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program.
When asked about PED testing protocols for UFC BJJ, Musumeci revealed that “starting 2026 all title matches will be dr*g tested.” He expressed enthusiasm about the change, stating he can “be strong again” with a series of laughing emojis, suggesting the current lack of testing may be impacting competitive fairness in the grappling community.
Musumeci attempted to downplay ongoing tensions with Craig Jones regarding alleged patent infringement and rule copying. When questioned about Jones‘ claims that UFC copied his invitational format, Musumeci stated that he and Jones “are friends and on good terms” and were “originally going to be the opposing coaches on this show, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
However, this response appears to sidestep the core issue. Jones has publicly alleged that UFC’s grappling format copies both the arena design he patented and the ruleset from his successful invitational series. The dispute centers on whether UFC properly credited or compensated Jones for innovations he seems to have developed.
Musumeci characterized the situation as simply about “different directions for grappling,” claiming both he and Jones just want to “help the sport grow as much as we can from both sides.”
The UFC grappling program appears ambitious in scope. Musumeci stated he believes there will be “6 events a year” and expressed confidence that “UFC-BJJ promotion can become as prestigious as ADCC or IBJJF.” He compared the venture to ADCC and IBJJF tournaments, suggesting UFC aims to create “a non tournament platform where there is actually professional super fight matches with championship belts and unified rules.”
When asked about similarities to The Ultimate Fighter reality show format, Musumeci confirmed the structure, explaining that “it’s the best athletes in the world in it, so in the finale the winners become the first UFC BJJ champions at their respective weight classes.” He noted that three title belts will be awarded initially at 135lb, 155lb, and 170lb divisions, with plans to expand to more weight classes in the future.
One of the more puzzling aspects of Musumeci‘s responses involved his praise for fellow coach Rerisson Gabriel. When asked about high-level wrestlers Nolf and Helen competing, Musumeci expressed “so much respect” for both athletes but noted the difficulty wrestlers would face transitioning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
However, his justification for Gabriel‘s coaching role appears questionable. Musumeci cited Gabriel‘s win over Diogo Reis as evidence of his coaching credentials, but this overlooks several key factors: Gabriel is a relatively new black belt, and his notable victory over Reis occurred in gi competition, which differs significantly from the no-gi format UFC BJJ will exclusively feature.
The coaching selection raises questions about whether UFC prioritized marketing narratives over technical expertise in assembling their instruction team.
Despite the controversy surrounding its origins, UFC’s entry into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu represents a significant development for the grappling community. The promise of testing, professional-level pay structures, and unified rules could address longstanding issues in competitive grappling.
However, the ongoing dispute with Craig Jones over intellectual property and format innovations may continue to overshadow UFC’s grappling ambitions. How the promotion addresses these concerns—and whether it properly credits innovations developed by independent promoters—will likely influence its long-term credibility within the BJJ community.
Question:
“do you feel the ufc is in the wrong for supposedly taking craig’s idea?”
Mikey Musumeci‘s Response:
“Craig had an incredible idea combing Acb’s format from 2017-2018 time with karate combats pit into one. It was the correct transition for professional Jiu Jitsu, and with everything when someone does something right you don’t try to do something different you take the best of what someone else did and make it better right? Adcc Ibjjf Craig Acb karate combat one championship fight to win all have different rules and formats and I feel ufc Bjj took the best of all of these things and made it into one. Including making their own version of the pit which is super super cool because you can do Jiu Jitsu on the sides of it now and you slide down as you go up it making the action not stop!! Again Craig definitely deserves credit for his contribution to this format and setup we have in ufc Bjj which is why I wanted so bad for us to be the first coaches together but again it didn’t happen and that’s ok! You will see with the show how incredible the rule set and format is in making Jiu Jitsu exciting!!”
The success of UFC BJJ may ultimately depend on whether the promotion can move beyond the current controversies to deliver on its promises of elevated competition standards and athlete compensation.
