1. Home
2. › UFC News
3. › Watch Mikey Musumeci Get Power Slammed by Bryce Mitchell – Then Wins

Mikey Musumeci beat Bryce Mitchell by unanimous decision in the UFC BJJ 11 main event, surviving a late slam and controlling enough of the 15-minute grappling match to take the judges’ call. The Las Vegas event also ended with Mason Fowler retaining his light heavyweight title after a split draw with Nick Rodriguez.

Mikey Musumeci beats Bryce Mitchell at UFC BJJ 11

Mikey Musumeci added a unanimous-decision win over UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell at UFC BJJ 11 on Thursday night at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, but the match was closer and stranger than many expected. The reigning UFC BJJ bantamweight champion faced Mitchell in a featherweight showcase that paired an elite submission specialist with an active MMA fighter making his UFC BJJ debut.

Musumeci spent much of the 15-minute contest hunting attacks from guard and working through scrambles, while Mitchell relied on pressure, positioning and a willingness to make every exchange uncomfortable. There was a pre-match agreement to avoid leg-lock submissions, a key part of Musumeci’s game. That led to an awkward early moment when Musumeci briefly attacked Mitchell’s leg, drawing boos before he released the hold. He later used leg entanglements to sweep and improve his position, rather than finish, which remained a point of tension during the match.

Musumeci came closest to a submission in the opening round, when he threatened Mitchell with a D’Arce choke and moved into a guillotine attempt. Mitchell escaped both. In the final round, Musumeci found Mitchell’s back, locked a body triangle and switched between a rear-naked-choke look and an armbar, but Mitchell stayed compact and avoided the finish.

Mitchell created his biggest moment when he slammed Musumeci during the third round. Referee Vitor Ribeiro issued a warning after the sequence. Mitchell kept coming forward late, but Musumeci’s submission threats, back control and attacking work carried him to the decision.

Musumeci wants more MMA opponents

The crossover format appeared to appeal to Musumeci, who is training for an eventual move into mixed martial arts at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. “It was fun,” Musumeci said after the win.

“I’m training MMA now, so I like that. I want more MMA grappling opponents. I would prefer to do this style of grappling.” That is the clearest takeaway from a match built around contrasting styles. Mitchell did not beat Musumeci at his own sport, but he dealt with high-level submissions, forced physical exchanges and made the champion work through all three rounds. Musumeci, meanwhile, showed he can operate in a rougher setting without needing a clean submission to control a match.

Full UFC BJJ 11 results

The co-main event produced the card’s biggest debate. UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion Mason Fowler and Nick Rodriguez fought to a split draw after three rounds, leaving Fowler with the belt. Fowler took Rodriguez’s back in the first round and created several active exchanges.

Rodriguez responded in the second, then had his best round in the third by passing into mount and side control while threatening a choke. The official verdict was still a split draw, which meant the champion retained. The outcome surprised observers because Rodriguez closed strongly and appeared to have momentum in the final five minutes. There was no title change, however, and Fowler remains the UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion.

• Mikey Musumeci def. Bryce Mitchell via unanimous decision
• Mason Fowler vs. Nick Rodriguez ruled a split draw; Fowler retained the UFC BJJ light heavyweight title
• Aurelie Le Vern def. Rana Willink via unanimous decision
• Jay Rodriguez def. Kevin Beuhring via inverted D’Arce choke, Round 2
• Pedro Machado def. Lucas Norat via unanimous decision
• Jordan Holy def. Ryan Elgarico via unanimous decision
• Mason Stritzel def. Seve Zazueta via heel hook, Round 2
• Daniel Deeder def. Kolby Gonzalez via Kimura, Round 3

Jay Rodriguez delivered the most precise finish on the main card, submitting Kevin Beuhring with an inverted D’Arce choke in the second round after predicting that exact technique before the match. He then called for a shot at UFC BJJ middleweight champion Ronaldo Junior.

Two athletes from the UFC BJJ Open series also made strong first impressions. Eighteen-year-old Mason Stritzel submitted Seve Zazueta with a second-round heel hook, while Daniel Deeder stopped Kolby Gonzalez with a third-round Kimura.