Mikey Musumeci is growing increasingly frustrated that his decision to sign an exclusive contract with the UFC isn’t being embraced as the groundbreaking move for Brazilian jiu-jitsu he believes it to be. In a recent appearance on the Mighty Cast he was calling for professionalism, sustainability—and mandatory testing. But critics say his arguments are riddled with contradictions and self-serving logic.
“I get so much hate for saying that,”
Musumeci said when discussing his support for exclusive contracts and testing.
“Like what is the logic of that? Like if I’m UFC, for example, and I’m putting millions of dollars into this project, and I probably will lose a few million, they have the money to lose, but they have to start off losing money to gain.”
Musumeci’s central thesis is clear: exclusive contracts provide the financial stability to fund legitimate, tested grappling events, unlike the chaotic, enhanced-supplement-plagued independent circuit.
“How are you gonna—if one organization is not doing testing and the only one is, now you could just go to another organization, do all this s**roid stuff, and then say ‘oh, he’s exclusive, he won’t compete with me,'”
he said.
“But the truth is you can’t come to my organization because you can’t pass a test.”
This argument, however, has been met with skepticism. Critics point out that Musumeci himself competed for various promotions, including ONE Championship, before signing with the UFC—organizations that also enforce exclusive contracts but haven’t solved the sport’s deeper issues. His selective memory when it comes to the benefits of competition between promotions is, at best, convenient.
Musumeci insists the current landscape is broken, describing the history of grappling events as one failed venture after another.
“Has six events a year. So, okay, maybe if you’re on enhancements, you could compete more ‘cuz your body recovers. I’m not trying to compete more than six times a year. My body cannot handle—like, what we’re talking about—the ulcers. My body’s f**ked up.”
He draws a parallel with the rise of MMA, arguing that the UFC’s marketing machine is what allowed MMA to thrive—and grappling needs a similar anchor.
“So, they hate what? You’re a big part of that also, by the way. But I mean, like, it’s a marketing machine, and you want the best marketing machine to get behind a sport to grow it, right?”
But his logic doesn’t always track. In the same breath that he praises Craig Jones’s CJI for its format and innovations like the pit and 10-point must system, he downplays non-exclusive models as unsustainable. He even takes a swipe at promotions with no following, saying:
“Why would you spend millions of dollars to build somebody’s brand that’s just going to go compete in a random organization that has no followers and they get you for free?”
This inconsistent framing has led many to view Musumeci’s argument as a form of impressive mental gymnastics. His assertion that exclusive contracts somehow equal anti-enhancement integrity—while dismissing athlete freedom and competition—is seen by some as a way to monopolize legitimacy rather than grow the sport collectively.
Musumeci appears genuinely bothered that his move isn’t seen as visionary.
“I really feel like… look, when people look at my career in the future, they’ll look at me and be like, ‘Wow, he really was on the right track for grappling to make it the biggest it could be.'”
He also expressed dismay at being called a “sellout,” arguing that he’s trying to build a “stable platform” for athletes.
“Everyone at the end of the day is just independent trying to make the most money for themselves. And that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Still, his critics aren’t convinced. Many argue that testing can exist without exclusivity, and that locking athletes into one promotion limits their income and opportunities. More damningly, his implication that opposing exclusive contracts equals supporting enhancements reeks of a false dichotomy.
Musumeci ended on a conciliatory note.
“I hope both of them help grow our sport. And that’s what the truth is. You know, I have no stance against enemies, none of this. And if you guys please just support both sides if you want. You know, I just want us to have a future for jiu-jitsu.”
Whether Musumeci is remembered as the man who saved professional grappling or simply a sell out remains to be seen. What’s clear for now is that his controversial UFC exclusivity deal has made him one of the most polarizing figures in jiu-jitsu today.
