Mikey Musumeci has issued a direct challenge to Dillon Danis, calling for a grappling match between the two submission specialists in a video posted to social media.
“Hey Dillon , how about we have a grappling match?” Musumeci said in the callout. “You talk all this s**t in all my posts, let’s just grapple each other. Maybe you’re physically bigger than me, but my balls are bigger than yours. Let me know if you’re down.”
The challenge comes as Mikey Musumeci continues his competitive run under the UFC BJJ banner while simultaneously preparing for a transition into mixed martial arts. Perhaps the most interesting bit about this development is that UFC BJJ president Claudia Gadelha was flabbergasted when asked about Musumeci’s imminent MMA debut at the recent press conference.
UFC BJJ President Claudia Gadelha offered cautious support for Mikey Musumeci‘s MMA ambitions.
“That’s the first time I’m hearing that from Mikey. I think MMA is a different monster. He needs to go spend more time training and stand up and wrestling, but he is a phenomenal athlete. I definitely think he can do it.”
At UFC BJJ’s fifth event, the 27-year-old successfully defended his title against Shay Montague and announced plans to debut in MMA within the coming months.
“We’ll see you might see me in UFC MMA in the near future as well,” Musumeci said at the post-event press conference. “So immediately after this, I get back to training, working more for MMA. But yeah, we’ll see. In the next few months, like we’ll announce soon.”
Dillon Danis, who has been vocal on Mikey Musumeci‘s social media posts, responded to the callout with characteristic mockery. The former Bellator competitor, who recently captured the inaugural Misfits MMA light heavyweight championship in August, shared Musumeci’s video with commentary that dismissed the challenge.
“Messed up you doing the guy who just dropped off my uber eats like that,” Danis wrote, adding, “This gotta be the cutest call out i ever seen.”
The callout arrives amid ongoing scrutiny of Mikey Musumeci‘s opponent selection. His matchmaking has drawn criticism from some corners of the grappling community, with detractors suggesting his UFC BJJ run has featured carefully managed competition rather than the sport’s most accomplished competitors.
The situation with Shay Montague raised eyebrows when the challenger revealed how the opportunity materialized.
In an interview with UFC.com, Shay Montague explained that UFC BJJ President Claudia Gadelha and Mikey Musumeci followed him on Instagram within minutes of each other.
“I remember I sent into the boys’ group chat. I was like, ‘These two just followed me. I think they’re gonna ask me to face Mikey,’” Montague recalled.
Mikey Musumeci has consistently pushed back against accusations of avoiding top competition, maintaining that he is focused on staying active and helping expand the sport’s reach.Yet questions persist about whether his path reflects a hunger for the toughest available challenges or a more calculated approach to risk management.
“Obviously I’m not the stereotypical jujitsu person or a MMA. Imagine me doing MMA, how crazy that would be. Like people would be like, there’s no way that person could actually do MMA and compete, right? But I love proving people wrong.”
Mikey Musumeci plans to compete at 125 lbs (56.7 kg) in MMA, a weight class he has not competed in since winning the IBJJF World Championship in 2021.
“I think I could go really far. In MMA, I would probably do 125lbs. So I’ll be very strong in that division,” he said, noting that making the weight should be manageable with six to eight weeks of preparation.
Meanwhile, Dillon Danis has his own competitive plans. Craig Jones recently announced that he will face Dillon Danis in the main event of Craig Jones Invitational 3, though a specific date and location have not been disclosed. The matchup marks another high profile appearance for Danis, who has spent recent years moving between grappling, MMA and crossover events.
