Bryce Mitchell is not backing off the Mikey Musumeci talk. After Musumeci publicly accepted the grappling challenge and joked about taking leg locks and guard pulling off the table, Mitchell came back with a calmer message on Instagram and made one thing clear: he says this match is happening.
Bryce Mitchell Changes Tune on Mikey Musumeci: “We Will Be Having a Match”
Mitchell struck a much different tone this time around. Instead of leaning into the rant that got people talking, he framed the challenge as respect for Musumeci rather than a shot at him. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for all BJJ competitors, especially one of the greatest to ever exist, Mikey Musumeci,” Mitchell wrote. “We will be having a match. The reason I challenged him is I’m tired of seeing him beat everyone so easily. Now that is not an insult, it’s a compliment to his skill. I don’t particularly like his style; his style doesn’t matter; he can still beat people… I’m coming to win. I’m not intimidated by the resume.”
That is a noticeable pivot from the first round of comments. Mitchell had already made it clear he does not enjoy Musumeci’s brand of grappling, but this follow-up softens the edge and puts the focus back on competition. He is now selling the idea that this was never about denying Musumeci’s greatness. It was about testing himself against a man he sees as one of the best alive. Originally, Mitchell said:
“He’s the best at what he does. That’s great. He will not wrestle. He sits on his ass. I will not watch that, EVER, and I mean EVER. I don’t watch gay stuff. I don’t entertain it. I’m not going to watch him lay on his back and have another man crawl in there and roll around like pigs in the mud. With that being said, I respect Musumeci, and I would do a grappling match against him. I think I’m the only guy who would actually beat Musumeci at those rules. I’ll beat him with heel hooks and anything. I want to prove my grappling can beat that style.”
Musumeci accepted the challenge in public, joked that there would be no leg locks and no guard pulling, and slipped in a flat-earth jab at Mitchell on the way. Mitchell has now answered with a more measured post, but he did not retreat from the matchup itself. If anything, he doubled down and tried to recast the challenge as respect mixed with ambition. He said:
“Bryce Mitchell, so I 100% accept a grappling match with you. 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.”
Musumeci’s credentials are about as serious as it gets in modern grappling. He is a five-time IBJJF world champion, became ONE Championship’s first submission grappling world titleholder, and later carried that momentum into the UFC’s grappling scene, where he picked up wins and added another title run to his resume, which is a big reason his name carries so much weight outside the usual jiu-jitsu crowd.
It also helps that Mitchell is no stranger to confidence on the mat. In MMA, he has built a reputation as a dangerous grappler with a long submission history, while Musumeci is one of the most decorated pure grapplers in the sport. That is why this repor thas legs.
Now it is on them to turn the posts into something real. Mitchell has made it clear he wants the match, Musumeci has already said yes, and that is usually the point where the talking needs to give way to a date.
