On the debut episode of the Overdogs BJJ podcast, Mikey Musumeci made a surprising revelation. Speaking alongside co-host Hector Velasquez and guest William Tackett, the decorated grappler shared that he’s actively working toward an MMA debut before the end of the year.
The topic came up when Velasquez asked both Musumeci and Tackett whether they had ever considered transitioning to MMA. Tackett explained that his UFC BJJ contract had taken that option off the table for now.
Musumeci, however, had a very different perspective.
“I mean, CTE definitely sucks,” he said, acknowledging the risks. But the motivation, for him, runs deeper than that. “I’ve just been called a b*tt scooter and like a wimp so long that I just want to go out there and just scrap with someone,” he added.
Musumeci made it clear that this isn’t just talk, he’s already putting plans in motion. “I might later in the year,” he said. “I’ve been working on having an MMA matchup later in the year.” At the same time, he admitted there’s still plenty to learn. “I definitely have to keep learning more wrestling and I’m learning basics of boxing right now,” he said.
Despite the steep learning curve, Musumeci described the process as something he’s genuinely enjoying. “So I’m learning and it’s just fun for me,” he explained. Part of that appeal comes from stepping into the unknown. “That feeling of fear, like oh, I might get hit in the face. Like, will I die? No. You know what I mean?” he said.
Looking ahead, he remains cautiously optimistic. “So I’m excited to challenge myself one more time,” Musumeci said. “And will I end up doing it? We’ll see.” Still, his goal is clear: “Like, I definitely want to have an MMA matchup by the end of the year.”
Beyond his own potential debut, Musumeci zoomed out to discuss the appeal of crossover matchups between grappling and MMA. He pointed to his upcoming grappling bout against UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, which is being targeted for late August or early September, as a prime example.
“I do think that it’s interesting for the spectators,” he said, particularly when it comes to bridging MMA and jiu-jitsu audiences. From the outside, he understands how the matchup might look. “They look at the match and they’re like, ‘Oh, Arman’s so much bigger and stronger than me. He’s going to smash me,'” he said. “A lot of people actually think that he’ll beat me.”
Within the jiu-jitsu community, however, he expects a different reaction. “But the jiu-jitsu community itself would say otherwise,” Musumeci said.
He even drew a historical parallel to illustrate his point. “I think that that is just us showing, like, old school Royce Gracie times, right?” he said, referencing the early days of MMA. “How jiu-jitsu, it doesn’t matter the size…”
At the same time, Musumeci acknowledged the nuances. “But when there’s a technical level between two people and somebody’s stronger than you, the technique could still overcome that,” he said.
For him, these kinds of matchups serve a bigger purpose. “And I think we could bring a lot of eyes to our sport from this match,” Musumeci said. “That will get more people to train because we get the MMA people watching.”
He also believes the star power involved will help elevate interest. “So I love it. The viewership will be significantly higher because Arman is a star,” he said. “And I do like us having some of these cross matches.”
Finally, he pointed to a practical upside of competing under the UFC banner, noting that it opens doors that traditional jiu-jitsu circuits often don’t. “He’s great, and MMA jiu-jitsu is so different than regular sport jiu-jitsu,” Musumeci said. “That’s the big thing that we’re saying.”
