Mikey Musumeci did not take long to fire back at Bryce Mitchell, and he came with jokes, a challenge, and a flat-earth jab for good measure.
After Mitchell said he would not watch Musumeci’s style because it was “gay” but claimed he could beat the decorated grappler in a match under grappling rules, Musumeci answered on Instagram by saying he “100% accept[s]” the matchup. He also leaned straight into Mitchell’s rant, saying two things would be off the table if they ever meet: leg locks and guard pulling.
Mikey Musumeci responds to Bryce Mitchell, accepts grappling match challenge
“Bryce Mitchell, so I 100% accept a grappling match with you,” Musumeci wrote. “But 2 things are going to happen. There will be zero leg locks in this match because you said it’s gay, the 2nd thing I’m not going to do is pull guard or butt scooting since you said that was gay also. So I’m not going to pull guard, and I’m not going to do leg locks. I really dont know what’s going to happen. I think it’s a great match, and I think you’re an amazing opponent for me. Just like you said, the Earth is flat. I really think you’re the only person who could beat me. Lets do it.”
This response accepts the match in public, mocks the exact parts of Mitchell’s complaint, and flips Mitchell’s own words back at him. Musumeci even kept one of Mitchell’s main claims alive by saying he believes Mitchell could be the one man to beat him, though the tone makes it clear he was mixing respect with sarcasm.
It is a smart answer because it meets Mitchell’s energy without sounding angry. Musumeci turns the “gay” line, the leg-lock claim, the butt-scooting complaint, and the flat-earth history into one post, while still keeping the focus on a real grappling match. That gives the story a second life, because now this is no longer just Mitchell ranting on a podcast. Now there is a public acceptance from one of the most decorated names in submission grappling.
Musumeci is not some random callout for Mitchell either. He is one of the most accomplished grapplers of his era, a five-time IBJJF world champion who later became ONE Championship’s and the UFC’s first submission grappling world titleholder, which is why Mitchell’s claim got attention in the first place.
If this ever becomes real, the details would be the whole story. Mitchell had said he could beat Musumeci with heel hooks and “anything,” but Musumeci’s response jokes that leg locks would be removed entirely. He also says he would not pull guard or butt scoot, which goes right at Mitchell’s criticism that Musumeci “sits on his ass” and does not wrestle. In other words, Musumeci is teasing a version of the match built around Mitchell’s complaints.
Whether this turns into an actual match is another question, but Musumeci got what he wanted here: the last word. Mitchell threw out the challenge, and Musumeci answered it in a way that made the whole thing bigger.
