Mikey Musumeci Vacates UFC BJJ Title to Chase an MMA Career

Mikey Musumeci is giving up his UFC BJJ bantamweight crown, and the reason has nothing to do with grappling. At 30, the former ONE Championship titleholder and four-time IBJJF black belt world champion says he wants to go all-in on an eventual move to mixed martial arts, and holding a belt he isn't actively defending no longer fits the plan.

His grappling résumé under the UFC banner was spotless: four title matches, four wins, every one of them by submission. That run included a September outing that saw him step outside the usual format to take a decision over UFC bantamweight Bryce Mitchell — a fighter who, for context, owns a 19-4 record with 10 of those wins coming via submission himself.

Why Walk Away Now

Musumeci framed the decision as a matter of focus. He said he's been obsessed with MMA training and wants to prioritize it, while stressing that he still rolls daily and can return to the belt picture anytime he chooses. It's less a retirement than a reallocation of energy.

Crucially, this isn't him disappearing from the mats. He plans to keep doing grappling super fights under the UFC BJJ umbrella — just a flashier, more spectator-friendly brand of jiu-jitsu aimed at pulling in viewers from outside the sport. At this stage of his career, he said, that matters more to him than sitting on a title and potentially freezing the division while he chases something new.

He also took time to thank his supporters, along with Claudia Gadelha and Hunter, for their kindness. Gadelha, an 18-5 UFC strawweight veteran with seven career submissions, has been part of his camp's orbit as he builds toward the transition.

The vacated bantamweight title won't sit empty for long. It'll be contested in the main event of UFC BJJ 13 on Oct. 29, when Jalen Fonacier faces Kleber Barboza. Whoever leaves with the belt inherits a weight class that Musumeci never actually lost — he simply stepped aside, with the door left open for a comeback whenever MMA stops being the priority.