Musumeci Survives Slam To Beat Mitchell At UFC BJJ

Mikey Musumeci survived a massive slam from Bryce Mitchell to take a unanimous decision in the UFC BJJ 11 main event Thursday night in Las Vegas. The crossover match saw the UFC BJJ bantamweight champion dominate three rounds against the UFC featherweight, who spent most of the contest in survival mode.

Musumeci pulled guard early and immediately threatened with leg locks despite a pre-fight agreement to avoid them, drawing boos from the crowd before releasing the hold, according to MMA Fighting. He then swept Mitchell and locked in deep submission attempts including an anaconda choke and power guillotine in the opening frame. Mitchell defended effectively enough to hear the bell.

Mitchell Warns With Brutal Slam In Third Round

The second round saw Mitchell gain top position while Musumeci hunted for an omoplata from his back. In the third, Mitchell ground his forehead into his opponent's face and executed a slam that earned him a warning from referee Vitor Ribeiro. "I couldn't implement the aggressive strategy that I wanted to," Mitchell said afterward, per MMA Mania. "He used leglocks for sweeps, and could've really hurt one of my legs if he wanted to."

Musumeci responded with a slick arm drag to take the back and threatened with an armbar late, but the larger Mitchell held on through the final bell. The judges did not reveal scorecards, though MMA Mania noted the rounds could have been scored 10-8 given Mitchell's lack of offense.

After the win, Musumeci told reporters he enjoyed the grittier style. "It was fun," he said. "I'm training MMA now so I like that. I want more MMA grappling opponents." The UFC BJJ champion trains full-time at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas but has not announced a date for his first professional mixed martial arts bout.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Mikey Musumeci slammed hard at UFC BJJ but ultimately wins decision over Bryce Mitchell in main event
• MMA Mania — Bryce Mitchell survives Mikey Musumeci in crossover freakshow at UFC BJJ 11 | Video