Mikey Musumeci recently sat down for an interview about the inaugural year of UFC BJJ and what lies ahead.
When asked about how UFC BJJ performed in 2025, Musumeci expressed confidence in the promotion’s direction.
“I think it went incredible. You know, it definitely was a big obstacle, right? starting something new, right?”
The New Jersey native pointed to the finish rate as evidence of success.
“As you guys have seen, the percentage of finishes, every card has been extre mely high. So, I think that shows like we’re on the right track and everything’s been doing well. You know, like we’re reshaping jiu-jitsu right now. You know, like before it was okay to win matches by advantages and points. Now you’re just seeing way more finishes.”
Looking toward the future, Musumeci identified sustainability as the key focus.
“Now I think the big thing longterm is sustainability is us just consistently putting on these events and we build more and more of a fan base as we keep doing this.”
For 2026, UFC BJJ plans to expand significantly.
“I think 2026 they said they planned 8 to 10 events this year. So I think that’s incredible,”
Musumeci emphasized how the event frequency benefits athletes.
“A lot of them don’t have this many events. So, you could be guaranteed maybe three or four events in a year. That’s amazing, right? Then you don’t have to just scrounge around looking for money and tournaments. It’s just such a sustainable, chill platform that I’m just so grateful that UFC is giving us.”
Musumeci confirmed he signed a new deal with UFC after previously competing in Asia.
“I end up signing again with UFC, which I’m very happy about. I signed a new deal and I’m just back home.”
Regarding his upcoming match against the reigning IBJJF champion Shay, Musumeci welcomed the challenge.
“I’m just so happy that my opponent is like so amazing, you know? Like there’s been zero comments that I’m (grappling) someone easy this time because he’s not easy. He’s good, right?”
He expects a technical battle that showcases pure jiu-jitsu.
“Shay’s super technical. I’m a fan of him. I think he has amazing jitsu.”
“He’s going to be like nerding with me, so we could just get into cool exchanges together.”
