UFC Takes Grappling to New Heights with BJJ Promotion Launch!

UFC Takes Grappling to New Heights with BJJ Promotion Launch!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has officially announced the launch of its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) promotion, marking a significant expansion into the grappling arts with the inaugural event set for June 25. This event, dubbed UFC BJJ 1, will take place during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week and precedes the highly anticipated UFC 317 pay-per-view event featuring a title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

UFC BJJ 1 will aim to crown champions across three weight classes: bantamweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Notably, renowned BJJ competitor Mikey Musumeci will challenge rising star Rerisson Gabriel for the bantamweight title. The full roster of participants will be revealed in the lead-up to the event.

Additionally, the promotion will kick off a new reality show titled UFC BJJ: Road to the Title, which bears resemblance to the well-known format of The Ultimate Fighter. Musumeci and Gabriel will act as coaches for this eight-episode series, which will begin airing daily on the UFC’s YouTube channel starting June 12 at Noon ET.

UFC CEO Dana White expressed his enthusiasm for this new venture, stating, “I first got into MMA through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s one of the true building blocks of martial arts, and the athletes and the competition take it to another level. The reality show and live events are going to elevate this to a mainstream sport and I could not be more excited.”

This initiative not only highlights the growing popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but also emphasizes the UFC’s commitment to expanding its footprint in various martial arts, promoting skillful grapplers, and providing them with a platform to showcase their talents in front of a wider audience. The integration of traditional martial arts with mainstream sports could inspire a new generation of athletes and fans, further enriching the martial arts community as a whole.

The full list of athletes competing includes a talented lineup in both the welterweight and lightweight divisions, promising an exciting future for UFC BJJ.

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