After parting ways with ONE Championship in late 2024, former flyweight submission champion Mikey Musumeci made headlines by signing with the Dana White & Co. in November. The move marked a historic moment for the sport, as ‘Darth Rigatoni’ became the first athlete to sign an exclusive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu contract with the UFC. Now that the groundwork is in place, Musumeci is set to take on dual roles—both competing and coaching promotion’s newly launched UFC BJJ league.

He’ll also feature on the reality series ‘UFC BJJ: Road to the Title,’ where he’ll lead a team alongside fellow coach Rerisson Gabriel. The UFC will debut the league during International Fight Week, alongside UFC 317. Yet even before making his official UFC BJJ debut, Mickey Musumeci had already found himself at the heart of controversy. As the debut of the UFC’s BJJ league approaches, tensions are heating up once again. In recent days, Craig Jones has reignited his feud with the former ONE star and taken aim at the Dana White.

Channeling Diaz, Jones fired off a pointed message: “You’re taking everything I’ve worked for, motherf—r! I’mma fight your f—n a—!” the Aussie went further, accusing Dana White & Co. of copying the patented CJI-style pit ruleset for their new grappling format. He also referenced Dana’s previous vow to invest $10–12 million into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—suggesting the Dana White & UFC is now profiting off a vision others pioneered.

Jones didn’t stop there. In a recent Instagram Reel, he mocked Mickey Musumeci once again—this time ridiculing a quote from Musumeci’s press conference for the UFC BJJ reality series, ‘Road to the Title.’

“I think one thing about jiu-jitsu that’s insane that nobody really thinks about is how violent it is. MMA fans love violence. And in jiu-jitsu, if you choke someone and they don’t tap, they die.”

The BJJ veteran sarcastically paired the quote with footage from one of the ‘Darth Rigatoni’s earlier matches, showing him and his opponent engaging in awkward, light-hearted, and unorthodox movements—visually undercutting the seriousness of Mickey Musumeci’s claim. He captioned the video simply, “pure violence.”

For years, Craig Jones and Mickey Musumeci clashed, their rivalry simmering beneath the surface. In 2023, it escalated during a UFC event when ‘Darth Rigatoni’ took a public shot at the Austin native. Shortly after, Musumeci directly accused the Australian grappling star of using PEDs—an audacious claim that sparked renewed discussions within the submission grappling community.

Since then, their feud has only grown more intense, with Jones frequently mocking the former ONE Championship standout across social media. He even claimed to have declined a match against the five-time IBJJF World Champion—but why?

Why Craig Jones declined a grappling showdown with Mikey Musumeci?

What would it be like to witness a showdown between a two-time ADCC World Champion and a five-time IBJJF World Champion? It would be the ultimate grappling clash—pitting a no-gi powerhouse known for his wrestling-heavy, aggressive, control-driven approach against a gi specialist whose style revolves around precision, technique, and positional mastery. It’s the kind of stylistic matchup that grappling fans rarely get to experience.

That dream bout nearly came to life last month when Craig Jones revealed he had been approached to both compete against and coach opposite Mikey Musumeci. However, he declined the offer. The timing coincided with reports that Dana White & Co. had been quietly preparing a BJJ-specific event since last year, though plans ultimately never came to fruition.

Addressing the situation in a recent comment on the BJJ subreddit, Jones wrote, “I was meant to compete against Mikey and coach against him. Bad deal… Nothing 0 but I’d say not given the terms offered weren’t constructive for the sport.” While a showdown between Mikey Musumeci and Craig Jones seems unlikely anytime soon, the potential clash between their styles continues to spark debate. What would happen if they actually met on the mats?

Can the 28-year-old’s technical brilliance and positional control outmatch Jones’ unorthodox no-gi game and pressure-heavy style? How do you think Mickey Musumeci would perform in a hypothetical matchup against Gordon Ryan? Drop your thoughts and predictions in the comments.