Dana White and his team made a big move last month to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu more popular by formally launching UFC BJJ 1, the first-ever grappling showcase for the company. The event happened at the same time as UFC’s annual International Fight Week. It wasn’t simply a side event; it became a historic occasion for the sport, getting 2.5 million views across platforms and showing that the UFC is serious about making BJJ more popular around the world.
Alongside this historic debut came the announcement of UFC BJJ: Road to the Title, a new reality series modeled after TUF, designed to spotlight rising, grappling talent and build stars within the sport. But it was UFC BJJ 1 that truly stole the spotlight. Staged at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the event featured a headline showdown between Mikey Musumeci and Rerisson Gabriel. Musumeci emerged victorious, submitting Gabriel to become the UFC’s inaugural bantamweight BJJ champion.
Demetrious Johnson backs Dana White’s bold move to spotlight BJJ
With this event, the Dana White & UFC expanded its footprint in the grappling space. While UFC Fight Pass Invitational, a darker, niche series comparable to Craig Jones Invitational, already introduced fans to elite-level submission action, this new venture aims much higher. Designed to rival long-standing institutions like IBJJF and ADCC, the UFC’s BJJ expansion presents a more open-tournament model and a broader platform backed by one of the biggest names in combat sports.
This evolution marks a turning point for aspiring grapplers, offering them unprecedented visibility and a direct pathway to mainstream audiences — a shift even long-time UFC critics like Demetrious Johnson have applauded. Speaking with Mikey Musumeci on YouTube, ‘DJ’ acknowledged the importance of this move,
“Exactly. But to get back on track with the UFC getting into BJJ—it gives the opportunity, on that platform… I was watching on YouTube, and it’s given the opportunity to show the everyday person who watches it, like… It’s crazy. So you get 2.5 million people exposed to it.”
The Flyweight GOAT went on to talk about how Dana White and the UFC’s huge platform have changed how casual fans interact with BJJ, not just through competition but also through the stories and behind-the-scenes access that make the sport come to life.
“That’s one thing I love about them getting behind it—because the platform is just massive. It’s insane. It’s absolutely massive. And you have the everyday casual who isn’t introduced to BJJ…”
UFC CEO DANA WHITE with post event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on the 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0002
The Dana White and UFC have already announced new seasons, and there are three more UFC BJJ events planned for the rest of 2025. The next UFC event will be on July 31, then there will be another one around October 2, and the last one of the season will be on December 11.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Mikey Musumeci will defend his bantamweight title on any of these upcoming events, with the promotion yet to make an official statement.
Mikey Musumeci reveals White’s blueprint to elevate BJJ
After parting ways with ONE Championship last year, Mikey Musumeci found a new home in the UFC and embraced a bigger mission: to help reshape Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into a cleaner, more transparent sport. Joining forces with Dana White — a staunch advocate of strict anti-doping policies — Musumeci committed to building a PED-free grappling scene.
For a long time, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has had a bad reputation because it doesn’t test for drugs and many of the best promotions don’t have many rules. Gordon Ryan and Craig Jones, two well-known sportsmen, have both said that steroid use is common in the sport. Musumeci, on the other hand, has always been against PEDs and other prohibited substances, unlike many of his contemporaries.
Now, with the UFC’s entry into the grappling space through UFC BJJ, Musumeci is helping lead the charge toward higher standards and fair competition. While speaking with Demetrious Johnson, he explained how his vision aligned with the Dana White & UFC’s direction,
“I met with Hunter (Campbell), Claudia (Gadelha), (Stephen) Tecci, the guys from the UFC, the people… and we made a plan like how can we grow this sport the most. So I got behind this plan for them that they were gonna have divisions, we’re gonna have this Ultimate Fighter, we’re gonna do drug testing… Everything I wanted for this sport to grow!”
The UFC has officially joined the world of BJJ, with huge goals, big personalities, and a clear idea of where the sport is going in the future. What do you think of Dana White’s new business in BJJ? Can UFC BJJ become as popular and influential as MMA did with Dana White and his team?
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