Bryce Mitchell becomes first active UFC fighter to face a UFC BJJ champion at UFCBJJ 11

Bryce Mitchell will become the first active UFC fighter to compete against a UFC BJJ champion when he faces Mikey Musumeci in the headline bout of UFC BJJ 11 on September 24.

The featherweight matchup is a non-title contest, meaning Musumeci — who holds the UFC BJJ bantamweight title — will move up a division to meet Mitchell. In the co-main event, UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion Mason Fowler defends his crown against Nicky Rod.

Musumeci arrives unbeaten under the UFC BJJ banner, a record that follows an unblemished run in One Championship. A five-time IBJJF black belt world champion — four times in Gi and once in No-Gi — he claimed the UFC BJJ bantamweight title and has since defended it three times. His four UFC BJJ appearances since UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9 have produced three heel hooks and one foot lock.

Mitchell, known as “Thug Nasty”, has been active on the grappling circuit over the past nine months. He drew with fellow UFC fighter Jean Silva in March and defeated J.J. Bowers, but suffered a loss to Landon Elmore via heel hook. On the MMA side, he earned his most recent victory against Santiago Luna in June, finishing with an arm triangle choke — one of 10 submission wins across his 19 professional MMA victories.

The matchup pits Mitchell’s well-rounded submission game against one of the most decorated pure grapplers in the sport, with Musumeci’s leg-lock precision presenting a clear and familiar threat. The historic nature of the booking — an active UFC roster fighter crossing over to face a UFC BJJ titleholder — adds a layer of institutional significance beyond the contest itself.