Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Mikey Musumeci and MMA veteran Jake Shields sat down in a recent podcast to address the controversy that drove a wedge between them. The jiu-jitsu community has dubbed it “Moneyberg Gate.”
The drama centered on billionaire Derek Moneyberg‘s rapid promotion to black belt.
Shields opened the conversation with a direct apology. “I apologize. I should not have ever released any private text. That was a Judas of me,” he told Musumeci, acknowledging his role in escalating the situation.
The leak had turned private discussions into public fodder, creating tension between two athletes who genuinely respected each other. “It sucks to be in drama with someone you like,” Shields admitted, setting a conciliatory tone.
Musumeci, who bears the title of five-time world champion across both gi and no-gi disciplines, was quick to accept the olive branch. “It’s friendly fire. We’re both on the same side,” he responded.
The root of “Moneyberg Gate” lay in Moneyberg’s black belt promotion, which Shields defended vigorously. “I’m the one that gave him the black belt. I feel like all the attacks should come on me, not Moneyberg,” Shields explained.
He argued that Moneyberg’s investment in top-tier coaching, spending millions on instruction from elite practitioners, accelerated his development in ways typical students couldn’t replicate.
Musumeci offered perspective from the traditional gi community, which felt particularly offended by the promotion. “When we think Brazilian jiu-jitsu, I instantly think of people wearing gis and things and sport jiu-jitsu,” he said.
“I think that the label of BJJ from that community because the majority of people train gi, right? So I think that’s what like infuriated everyone.” The controversy, he suggested, stemmed partly from conflicting definitions of what constitutes legitimate black belt skill.
Both agreed that Moneyberg possessed genuine technical knowledge and physical skill, particularly in self-defense applications. Shields noted that Moneyberg trained specifically for self-defense rather than sport competition, making comparisons to competitive black belts somewhat unfair. “The truth of the matter is he has a lot of technical knowledge and he has physical skill,” Shields maintained.
Musumeci acknowledged getting caught in crossfire he never wanted. “I was like doubling down on defending him in the beginning,” he explained, describing how he initially believed Moneyberg deserved his rank based on his dedication and skill.
However, as social media attacks intensified and the drama escalated, Musumeci found himself overwhelmed. “I was just like, ‘Okay, this is drama. This is like a lot of stuff I’m uncomfortable with.’ And then I was just like, ‘Okay, f**k this. I’m just cutting my losses. I’m out.'”
In a previouslyappearance on the Simple Man Podcast, Musumeci had admitted that he and Moneyberg had trained together only three times. Even thoughMusumeci had previously defended Moneyberg’s black belt promotion, he seemed to walk back on his statements.
When asked about the legitimacy of the black belt, Musumeci was direct: “I would never give someone a black belt in that amount of time. He doesn’t compete or train.”
“You got put in uncomfortable situation,” Shields acknowledged in his recent podcast, understanding that not everyone enjoys the confrontational “trenches” of public feuds.
By conversation’s end, both men had buried the hatchet, agreeing to move forward as friends.
