Dillon Danis has voiced his displeasure over recent comments made by Mikey Musumeci during a UFC BJJ press conference, escalating tensions within the grappling community as the promotion continues its controversial push into the jiu-jitsu space.
The controversy began when Claudia Gadelha, now serving as the senior director of jiu-jitsu strategy and business development for the UFC, was asked if Danis could potentially join the UFC BJJ roster during a recent media availability.
“I think Mikey just kind of answered that question when he said that we are not playing with circus here,” Gadelha stated bluntly, referencing Musumeci’s earlier remark that “It’s a circus right now in jiu-jitsu. We’re creating an actual professional platform for people.”
The comments appear to be part of the UFC’s broader narrative as they launch their new grappling initiative, positioning themselves as the premier destination for elite competitors while distancing from what they characterize as the more entertainment-focused aspects of modern jiu-jitsu competition.
When approached about these comments, Danis didn’t hold back in his response to Jaiden Cable.
“I messaged him asking where he’s sitting because I’m gonna go check his [behavior],” Danis said. “He wants to see a circus, tell him to come see me.”
The tension seems particularly charged as Danis revealed a personal connection to Musumeci that makes the public dismissal sting even more.
“We used to train together and we’re cool,” he explained, expressing surprise at what he perceived as a betrayal from a former training partner.
Danis, who established himself as a recognized star on the BJJ circuit before his high-profile association with Conor McGregor and subsequent entry into MMA circles, took particular issue with what he sees as disrespect from someone he considers beneath his current status in combat sports.
“He’s not even on the level that I’m at now. He sold his soul to the devil,” Danis continued, using loaded language that speaks to broader concerns within the grappling community about the UFC’s approach to the sport. “He wants to go talk [negatively] about me? He knows where I came from. He knows how good I am.”
When pressed about whether he would consider a competitive match against Musumeci, Danis emphatically stated he would be open to facing him “any day of the week.”
The exchange comes amid significant upheaval in the professional grappling landscape. The UFC’s entry into jiu-jitsu has been marked by controversy, particularly regarding the promotion’s treatment of influential figures like Craig Jones, whose contributions to the sport’s recent growth have allegedly been systematically minimized.
Industry insiders report that Jones has been removed from UFC Embedded episodes, while his innovations in grappling promotion and presentation have been publicly credited to UFC personnel. Musumeci himself has reportedly attributed developments that many in the community associate with Jones‘ work to UFC FP Invitational’s Claudia Gadelha and Stephen Tecci.
This revisionist approach has raised eyebrows throughout the grappling world, particularly given Gadelha‘s years-long struggle to generate significant traction for UFC’s grappling content, and Tecci‘s relatively limited grappling credentials as a blue belt, despite his broader combat sports background.
The timing of the UFC’s new direction is particularly noteworthy, as the promotion has recently introduced their own version of Craig Jones Invitational’s popular “Pit” format, after years of experimenting with various ADCC-style rules and formats that received lukewarm responses from audiences. The contrast is stark when considering that Invitational matches have often performed so poorly that view counts are frequently hidden on the UFC FP YouTube channel.
Adding fuel to the controversy are reports about the UFC’s approach to signing grapplers. Sources within the industry suggest that the promotion is enforcing exclusive contracts that prevent athletes from competing elsewhere, while offering compensation packages that are allegedly not particularly lucrative.
The UFC’s primary selling point to potential signees appears to be the exposure that comes with their platform, though this proposition has been met with skepticism given that even UFC’s women’s MMA content struggles with viewership, and grappling content has historically performed even worse among traditional UFC audiences.
The situation highlights the growing tension between grappling promotions and the UFC’s corporate approach to stealing the sport, with athletes like Danis and promoters like Jones representing different philosophies about how jiu-jitsu should be presented and monetized.
