Mo Jassim, the face of modern ADCC, has responded directly to *controversial* claims that a UFC executive’s inappropriate conduct toward his girlfriend led to the collapse of a major streaming deal between UFC Fight Pass and the ADCC World Championships.
In a blunt statement to BJJDoc.com, Jassim said:
“Bull***t. I still have a great relationship with the UFC, if this was true that wouldn’t be the case.”
The denial comes in response to Ant Evans, the UFC’s former head of media relations, who alleged on the MMA History Podcast that the ADCC-UFC deal unraveled after an “insulting” incident during a business meeting in Las Vegas. According to Evans, UFC executive Crowley Sullivan mistook Jassim’s girlfriend for a “pr*stitute” during the encounter—an event that, if true, would have been a catastrophic and personal affront.
Evans’ account painted Sullivan as unfit for the role he held, suggesting the executive didn’t understand basic industry terms like “OTT” or “churn” and was only appointed due to personal ties within WME, UFC’s parent company. Most serious was his claim that Sullivan didn’t recognize MMA legend Chael Sonnen in discussions about a potential grappling match with Anderson Silva.
“This is your combat sport streaming service. He knows nothing about streaming services. Nothing. But he also knows nothing about combat sports,” Evans said.
While Jassim categorically denies the allegations, certain timing raises questions. Sullivan’s tenure at UFC FP ended in May 2024, according to his LinkedIn, which aligns closely with when the ADCC-UFC deal quietly collapsed. Jassim has since allowed UFC FPI events to operate under modified ADCC rules—a collaboration that’s seen mixed results. Ultimately, UFC BJJ abandoned those rule sets in favor of a structure mimicking the Craig Jones Invitational.
Following the fallout, ADCC formally renewed its deal with FloGrappling, a move that surprised fans expecting a more mainstream home on UFC’s platform. Jassim avoided mention of the controversy in his statement through Flo, instead emphasizing production improvements and athlete exposure:
“The rise of grappling has been monumental, and our team is thrilled to work with FloSports to showcase some of the best grapplers in the world.”
But nowhere in Daniels’ remarks was there a denial or rebuttal of Evans’ version of events.
Jassim’s forceful pushback adds fuel to an already viral controversy—one that shines a harsh light on how corporate mismatches and internal dysfunction can derail potentially game-changing partnerships in the world of grappling. Whether or not the personal incident described by Evans happened exactly as told, the ADCC’s departure from UFC’s subscription service, Sullivan’s exit from the UFC and the shift in ADCC’s tone all raise the same question:
If everything was fine, why did everything fall apart?
