UFC BJJ 11 Results: Mikey Musumeci Defeats Bryce Mitchell
The UFC BJJ 11 results are in, and Mikey Musumeci emerged victorious after a demanding three-round grappling battle against UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Musumeci defeated Mitchell by unanimous decision in the main event on Thursday, September 24. The result extended the UFC BJJ bantamweight champion’s unbeaten run inside the promotion, although he had to go the distance against an opponent who repeatedly survived dangerous submission attempts.
The matchup was one of the most unusual crossover contests on the UFC BJJ schedule. Musumeci entered as an established submission grappling champion, while Mitchell arrived with extensive UFC experience and a reputation for being one of the more accomplished grapplers on the MMA roster.
According to the official UFC results, Musumeci controlled significant portions of the contest and repeatedly created submission opportunities. Mitchell, however, showed strong defensive work and managed to survive the full 15 minutes.
Read the original MMA Fighting UFC BJJ 11 results report
UFC BJJ 11 Results: Musumeci Wins Main Event
The main event was contested at featherweight, meaning Musumeci’s UFC BJJ bantamweight championship was not at stake.
Musumeci came into the contest with four consecutive submission victories under the UFC BJJ banner. Mitchell, meanwhile, was making his UFC BJJ debut after establishing himself as a UFC fighter with a strong grappling background.
The stylistic contrast quickly became apparent.
Musumeci worked from a highly technical submission-oriented approach, constantly looking to create openings. Mitchell relied heavily on pressure, positioning and defensive awareness as he attempted to prevent the champion from finding a decisive finishing sequence.
The first round featured several important exchanges.
Musumeci used leg-based attacks to improve his position despite having agreed before the contest not to pursue leg-lock submissions as finishing techniques. One such sequence helped him create a better position, after which he threatened Mitchell with a D’Arce choke.
Mitchell was able to survive the choke attempt.
Musumeci then transitioned toward a guillotine, but again Mitchell defended effectively. The UFC featherweight continued to remain composed despite facing several submission threats.
The round ended with Musumeci using the unique slope of the UFC BJJ competition area to execute an arm-drag takedown just before the horn.
Mitchell Shows Strong Defense Against Musumeci
The second round continued to highlight the difference between Musumeci’s submission attacks and Mitchell’s defensive grappling.
Mitchell attempted to establish top pressure whenever possible. Musumeci continued to use his technical skills to create sweeps and positional advances.
Another leg-lock sequence helped Musumeci improve his position and launch another offensive attack. Mitchell nevertheless remained difficult to finish.
That defensive ability became increasingly important as the round progressed.
Musumeci attempted to isolate an arm and create opportunities for another submission, but Mitchell kept his position compact and prevented the champion from fully extending the attack.
The UFC’s official recap noted that Mitchell defended well throughout the round before eventually returning to Musumeci’s guard. Musumeci continued searching for a finish, but the round ended without a submission.
By the end of two rounds, the fight had developed into a technical battle between Musumeci’s submission expertise and Mitchell’s ability to survive dangerous positions.
Bryce Mitchell Lands Huge Slam in Final Round
The third round produced one of the night’s most dramatic moments.
Mitchell started aggressively and brought a physical element to the exchange. Musumeci responded with a flying triangle attempt, but Mitchell managed to counter by power-slamming him to the mat.
The sequence gave Mitchell one of his clearest moments of success during the contest.
Musumeci recovered and returned to his technical game. As the round progressed, he began working toward Mitchell’s back.
The position eventually allowed Musumeci to secure a body triangle and begin searching for a rear-naked choke.
Mitchell once again defended.
Musumeci then transitioned toward an armbar, but Mitchell kept his arm protected and refused to give his opponent the extension needed to finish the submission.
The final minutes remained competitive, with Mitchell continuing to fight for favorable positions while Musumeci maintained the initiative.
After 15 minutes, the judges awarded Musumeci a unanimous decision victory.
MMA Fighting’s post-event report also highlighted the significance of Mitchell surviving several dangerous submission attempts while Musumeci ultimately secured the decision rather than a finish.
Why UFC BJJ 11 Was an Important Crossover Match
The matchup between Musumeci and Mitchell was notable because it brought together two competitors with very different competitive backgrounds.
Musumeci is one of the most accomplished submission grapplers associated with UFC BJJ. Before joining the promotion, he built an extensive résumé in elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition and became a champion in ONE Championship.
He entered UFC BJJ 11 with a perfect promotional record and four straight submissions.
Mitchell arrived with a different résumé.
The Arkansas native established himself in the UFC through his all-around MMA game, with grappling being a major part of his skill set. Before UFC BJJ 11, Mitchell had also participated in submission grappling contests outside the Octagon.
MMA Fighting reported before the event that Mitchell became the first active UFC fighter to face a reigning UFC BJJ champion in a grappling match. The contest was held at featherweight, with Musumeci moving up from his championship division for the special matchup.
That made the event more than a conventional UFC BJJ title defense.
It was a test of how an elite submission specialist would perform against a larger UFC athlete whose experience includes both wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Mason Fowler and Nick Rodriguez Fight to a Draw
The UFC BJJ 11 results also included a dramatic co-main event involving the UFC BJJ light heavyweight championship.
Champion Mason Fowler faced Nick Rodriguez in a three-round title fight that ended in a split draw.
Because the contest was ruled a draw, Fowler retained the championship.
The fight featured several momentum shifts.
Fowler initially pulled guard and quickly found his way to Rodriguez’s back. Rodriguez eventually escaped and forced the action into a more defensive battle.
The second round saw Rodriguez produce more offensive success. He worked from top position and threatened with submission attempts while Fowler continued to defend from underneath.
The third round was particularly important.
Rodriguez pushed the pace and eventually advanced through mount and side control. He also attempted a choke late in the round, but Fowler managed to survive until the final horn.
The result surprised both competitors, according to the UFC’s official account, but the judges ultimately recorded the contest as a split draw. Fowler therefore remained the UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion.
Aurelie Le Vern Returns With Decision Victory
Former UFC BJJ women’s featherweight champion Aurelie Le Vern also returned to action at UFC BJJ 11.
Le Vern defeated Rana Willink by unanimous decision after three rounds.
She spent much of the contest looking for submission opportunities and repeatedly worked toward dominant positions.
Willink showed strong defense, particularly when Le Vern isolated her arm and attempted to create finishing opportunities.
Le Vern adjusted her approach as the match progressed. Rather than constantly forcing submissions, she became more methodical and focused on positional control.
In the third round, Le Vern secured a strong position after a takedown and continued attacking from the top and back positions.
Despite her inability to finish the fight, the sustained offensive pressure was enough to earn her the unanimous decision.
Jay Rodriguez Scores a Submission
Jay Rodriguez also delivered one of the night’s finishes.
Rodriguez defeated Kevin Beuhring by inverted D’Arce choke at 2:54 of the second round.
The result added another submission to a UFC BJJ 11 card that featured a mixture of decisions and finishes.
The event also included a unanimous decision victory for Pedro Machado over Lucas Norat.
Machado repeatedly attacked throughout the contest, coming close with an armbar, rear-naked choke and other submission attempts. Norat’s defense allowed him to survive, but Machado’s continued offensive work earned him the judges’ decision.
Jordan Holy Earns Decision Win
Jordan Holy defeated Ryan Elgarico by unanimous decision in another competitive featherweight matchup.
Elgarico started quickly and created several offensive opportunities during the opening round. Holy responded by increasing his submission attacks in the second round.
His work became particularly dangerous when he began targeting the legs.
Holy continued to control the pace in the third round and eventually worked toward the back while searching for a rear-naked choke. He also came close to an armbar before the final horn.
The strong finish helped Holy secure the unanimous decision.
UFC BJJ Debuts Produce More Finishes
The preliminary portion of the card also delivered submission victories.
Mason Stritzel defeated Seve Zazueta by inside heel hook in the second round. Daniel Deeder then defeated Kolby Gonzalez by Kimura in the third round.
Both athletes had been connected with the newer UFC BJJ Open pathway, making their performances particularly notable as they stepped onto the main UFC BJJ stage.
The UFC has increasingly used the BJJ Open concept to identify grapplers who could compete under its submission-grappling rules. UFC BJJ 11 provided another example of those athletes moving into a larger promotional spotlight.
Complete UFC BJJ 11 Results
Here is the complete main-card result list from the event:
- Mikey Musumeci def. Bryce Mitchell — unanimous decision
- Mason Fowler vs. Nick Rodriguez — split draw
- Aurelie Le Vern def. Rana Willink — unanimous decision
- Jay Rodriguez def. Kevin Beuhring — inverted D’Arce choke, Round 2
- Pedro Machado def. Lucas Norat — unanimous decision
- Jordan Holy def. Ryan Elgarico — unanimous decision
- Mason Stritzel def. Seve Zazueta — inside heel hook, Round 2
- Daniel Deeder def. Kolby Gonzalez — Kimura, Round 3
What Comes Next for Mikey Musumeci?
Musumeci’s victory gives him another win inside UFC BJJ, but the nature of the matchup makes his next move particularly interesting.
He entered UFC BJJ 11 as a bantamweight champion and competed at featherweight against a much larger opponent. He also spent significant portions of the match attempting to finish Mitchell without relying entirely on the leg-lock game that has been central to his submission success.
The result demonstrated that Musumeci could maintain control and create submission threats even when his preferred finishing routes were limited.
For Mitchell, the loss does not change the fact that he survived three rounds against one of the most accomplished submission grapplers in the UFC BJJ system.
The crossover contest also demonstrated why UFC BJJ continues to create interesting matchups between specialists from different combat-sports backgrounds.
The official UFC account described the event as a night of elite submission grappling at Meta APEX, with Musumeci’s victory and Fowler’s draw providing the two biggest storylines.
Final Takeaway From UFC BJJ 11
The UFC BJJ 11 results delivered a main event that lived up to its unusual billing.
Mikey Musumeci defeated Bryce Mitchell by unanimous decision after 15 minutes of technical grappling, surviving a powerful slam while repeatedly threatening submissions. Mitchell’s defense prevented the champion from securing the finish, but Musumeci’s positional control and continued offensive pressure carried him to the judges’ decision.
The co-main event provided another twist when Mason Fowler retained his light heavyweight championship after fighting Nick Rodriguez to a split draw.
Elsewhere, Aurelie Le Vern, Jay Rodriguez, Pedro Machado and Jordan Holy all recorded victories, while Mason Stritzel and Daniel Deeder added submission finishes to their UFC BJJ debuts.
For fans following the growing UFC submission-grappling series, UFC BJJ 11 offered a mixture of elite technical exchanges, crossover competition and unexpected results.
Most importantly, Musumeci left Las Vegas with another victory and an increasingly distinctive place at the center of UFC BJJ.
