Mikey Musumeci Nearly Faced Gordon Ryan or Craig Jones as UFC BJJ Coach, Talks Dillon Danis Drama

Mikey Musumeci is playing a leading role in the UFC’s bold new venture into Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and behind the scenes, the storylines shaping this endeavor are just as compelling as the matches themselves. As UFC BJJ gears up for its inaugural event on June 25 in Las Vegas, Musumeci is set to headline against Rerisson Gabriel for the bantamweight title. But the coaching setup for the accompanying reality show, UFC BJJ: Road to the Title, almost looked very different.

The new YouTube series launched on Monday and features Musumeci and Gabriel as opposing coaches. However, according to Musumeci, two of the biggest names in the BJJ world—Gordon Ryan and Craig Jones—were initially considered to coach opposite him.

“I was supposed to do it with Gordon Ryan, but he had health problems, so he wasn’t able to do the show, then Craig Jones,” Musumeci revealed in a recent interview. “We were 80 percent finalized in doing it [with Craig] but the deal didn’t go through, and then Craig signed with Flo [Grappling] instead.”

Musumeci stressed the importance of storytelling and character building in the success of UFC BJJ, noting that reality TV could be the key to making jiu-jitsu more accessible and engaging for new fans.

“I think that that’s the biggest thing that we’re doing with this show: Storylines and character development. I think that if you just watch jiu-jitsu, you have no idea what jiu-jitsu is, it’s hard to understand. But if you’re actually involved in the characters and you feel connected to them… then you’ll actually want to understand what’s happening in the match.”

Beyond Gordon and Craig, another high-profile figure who could eventually become part of UFC BJJ is Dillon Danis—a polarizing name with a penchant for stirring headlines. According to Musumeci, Danis was upset with him due to a misunderstanding during a press conference, despite Musumeci insisting he wasn’t involved in the comments Danis took offense to.

“He was pissed at me though because we did a press conference and Claudia [Gadelha] was talking about him and then he misunderstood and thought I said something about him,” Musumeci said. “So he texted me. He’s like, ‘Where are you sitting,’ — we’re at UFC 316 — like he was going to confront me.”

Musumeci tried to clear the air with Danis multiple times.

“I’m like, ‘Bro, I didn’t talk about you. What are you talking about?’ I even wrote him again. I’m like, ‘What’s the issue? I didn’t say one word about you.’ … But, yeah, if he wanted to do a show with me, that would be really fun. I think we would have a good time.”

Whether that match-up ever happens remains to be seen, but for now, Musumeci is laser-focused on UFC BJJ 1 and building something meaningful for the future of jiu-jitsu.