Musumeci Outpoints Mitchell at UFC BJJ 11, Wants MMA Grapplers

Mikey Musumeci beat Bryce Mitchell by unanimous decision in the UFC BJJ 11 main event on Thursday night in Las Vegas, surviving a hard slam from the UFC bantamweight before pulling away on the scorecards.

The UFC BJJ champion could not finish Mitchell inside the three-round submission-only style bout, but he came close more than once. Musumeci pulled guard early and started hunting leg locks, drawing boos from the crowd since the two sides had agreed there would be no leg locks in the match. He backed off the hold, then later transitioned from a leg entry into a sweep, an anaconda choke and a guillotine attempt. Mitchell answered by lifting Musumeci and driving him hard to the mat, one of the more jarring moments of the night, and he defended well enough over the full three rounds to avoid being finished.

Musumeci Calls Out More MMA Grapplers

Musumeci made clear after the win that this style of matchup is exactly what he wants going forward. He is in the middle of transitioning into a full MMA career, and he said the grappling-only format against an actual MMA fighter suited him better than a traditional jiu-jitsu match. "I'm training MMA now so I like that. I want more MMA grappling opponents. I would prefer to do this style of grappling. It was way more fun for me," Musumeci said. That is a notable shift for a competitor built his reputation on pure BJJ superfights, and it signals UFC BJJ could keep pairing him against fighters with MMA backgrounds rather than dedicated grapplers as he continues that transition.

What Else Happened at UFC BJJ 11

The rest of the card produced a handful of finishes. Mason Stritzel submitted Sebastian Zazueta with an inside heel hook in the second round, Jay Rodriguez tapped Kevin Behring with an inverted brabo choke, also in round two, and Daniel Deeder finished Kolby Gonzalez with a kimura in the third round. Mason Fowler and Nick Rodriguez fought to a split draw, while Aurelie Le Vern, Pedro Machado and Jordan Holy all won by unanimous decision.

For bettors, the takeaway is less about a line on this specific card and more about where Musumeci goes next. If he keeps facing crossover opponents from the UFC roster instead of specialist grapplers, expect him to keep showing up as a heavy betting favorite in the submission markets given his skill gap on the mat, even against opponents who outweigh or overpower him positionally like Mitchell did. The bigger number to watch is how sportsbooks eventually price his first real MMA fight once that transition is official.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Mikey Musumeci vs Bryce Mitchell match?

Mikey Musumeci beat Bryce Mitchell by unanimous decision in the UFC BJJ 11 main event on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Did Mikey Musumeci finish Bryce Mitchell?

No, Musumeci was unable to submit Bryce Mitchell despite several close attempts, including an anaconda choke and a guillotine, and the fight went to a decision.

What did Mikey Musumeci say about future opponents after UFC BJJ 11?

Musumeci said he wants more MMA grappling opponents going forward, explaining that facing an MMA fighter in a grappling format was more fun for him than a traditional jiu-jitsu match.