A specific competition area was created for the program. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.
The UFC begins a new venture in combat sports this Monday (16). Starting at 13 pm, on the official Ultimate channel on YouTube, the pilot of the reality show 'UFC BJJ: Road To The Title' begins. In a format similar to The Ultimate Fighter, 16 fighters divided into two teams will compete directly for spots in the finals, which will take place on the 25th of this month and will crown winners in the lightweight (up to 70 kg) and welterweight (up to 77,1 kg) categories.
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In addition to the two winners of the program, the UFC BJJ final will feature as its main fight the duel between Brazilian Rerrison Gabriel and American Mikey Musumeci, coaches of the program. The two will face each other in a duel valid for the inaugural Ultimate belt in the bantamweight division (up to 61 kg).
Mark your calendars‼️
New episodes drop DAILY starting June 16th!
[ #UFCBJJ: Road to the Title || LIVE and FREE on YouTube || June 16th ] pic.twitter.com/lXqWwoOto6
— UFC BJJ (@ufcbjj) June 13, 2025
At just 22 years old and a year as a black belt, Gabriel won the biggest title of his career in March of this year, when he won the Jiu-Jitsu Pan. Despite his young age, the Rio native said he had no difficulty adapting to the experience as a coach.
“It was an incredible experience. I was very happy when I was invited and it was something very new for me. I confess that it was actually easy, the cast explained everything very well and in practice I did what I already do every day in Brazil: teach. So it ended up being easy and there are a lot of cool things to come”, he said.
Rerisson Gabriel (center) on the podium after winning the Pan American Games. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.
In addition to his experience as a coach and his experience in the structure of the largest MMA event in the world, Rerisson also recognized the opportunities that will now exist for professional fighters in the gentle art with the inclusion of grapple definitively in the organization.
“I look at the past generations and see that until recently, athletes would only fight for the medal. Nowadays, the UFC is offering several possibilities. It is possible to pursue a career in jiu-jitsu. This is very good for the next generations of athletes and I believe that in the future many new sponsorship proposals will arise after UFC BJJ”, said the Brazilian. It is worth mentioning that the event also marks the beginning of International Struggle Week, whose peak will be the UFC 317, on Saturday (28).
Rerisson will have a great opponent for the UFC belt
Mikey Musumeci vs Geo Martinez pic.twitter.com/x8c4uAAZae
— Lock-In Jiu-Jitsu (@lockinjiujitsu) June 10, 2025
To become the first Ultimate BJJ champion, the Brazilian will have a difficult challenge ahead. At 28 years old, Mikey Musumeci is a phenomenon in the sport, with four world titles in the kimono, in addition to another achievement in the no-gi. Even though he was aware of the magnitude of the adversity, the Brazilian was confident of victory.
“The expectation is always to win and put on a show. Next week will be the last week of camp, the strategy is set. I've been training jiu-jitsu for a long time, I'm experienced. Mikey is a guy who needs no introduction. I think it will be a good fight for the audience. I'm very strong for the category and very intelligent too. I'm fast and can transition positions very quickly and that helps me a lot”, he concluded.
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