At the UFC BJJ post-event press conference, Claudia Gadelha fielded multiple questions about a potential grappling match between champion Mikey Musumeci and UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.
When asked how close the promotion was to making the match happen, Gadelha confirmed direct contact had already taken place.
“I talked to Arman last week. He wants to do it. He said yes to the match, but he has some agreements with that. You’ll see. He has to talk to Hunter and see when his next match in the UFC, and then we might see that happening maybe in August, later in the year.”
A follow-up question raised the weight discrepancy between the two athletes, noting Musumeci competes at 135 lbs (61.2 kg) while Tsarukyan competes at 155 lbs (70.3 kg) in the UFC. Gadelha confirmed the match would not take place at either man’s natural division.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a catchweight because Arman can’t go down to 135. So probably around 170 lbs (77.1 kg). You guys know in jiu-jitsu smaller people can go against bigger people. And this is one of the absolute matches that we see in jiu-jitsu tournaments.”
“Mikey has competed against way bigger opponents. And this is just one more for him. He’s still a threat for Arman because Mikey is so skilled in everything he does, because of his amazing leg lock game, and that’s something that Arman don’t train all of the time because he’s focused in MMA. But I think it’s going to be a great match. I think it’s going to be very exciting for everybody.”
Asked whether both Tsarukyan and Andrew Tackett had expressed interest in facing Musumeci and how the promotion planned to prioritize, Gadelha was straightforward about the direction.
“Well, I think we’ve moved forward with Mikey and Arman now. We had conversations with both of them. They could agree, and we’re moving on with that one now. And let’s see what happens after that.”
One reporter raised concerns about leg lock exchanges in the match, noting that Tsarukyan competes in MMA where a serious injury could affect his UFC career. Gadelha addressed it directly.
“This is not what UFC BJJ is about. We want one rule set, just like MMA has the MMA unified rules. We don’t want to change anything for specific matches. And at the end of the day, Arman trains with people that throw leg locks. He’ll know what’s happening. And Mikey, you know, we have conversations about that too, like don’t go too hard and try to break someone’s leg. So I think this is something we can manage without changing what we do.”
When asked separately about a future contest between Musumeci and Tackett, Gadelha said that she would like to see it happen.
“I would like to see that.”
The matchmaking itself in UFC BJJ has also done little to help build momentum. The concerns become even clearer when you look at the numbers from recent events.
According to sources, UFC BJJ 7 peaked at just under 25,000 concurrent live viewers on YouTube. Those numbers suggest that the current slate of matchups simply is not resonating with fans and viewers.
