Mikey Musumeci has quickly become the face of UFC BJJ, and he’s living up to that role with ease. After capturing the inaugural bantamweight title at UFC BJJ 1 in March, submitting legend Shinya Aoki with a heel hook in the main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the 29-year-old left no doubt about his dominance. But that was just the appetizer! 

He followed it up with another commanding performance at UFC BJJ 3 on October 2, headlining once again and decisively defeating Keven Carrasco. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ successfully defended his bantamweight title for the first time. Yet, the fight was made even more special thanks to his Cobra Kai-style opening to the fight. 

Mikey Musumeci delivers signature ‘Mikey Lock’

Do you remember the Crane Stance or Crane technique from The Karate Kid? It’s a recurring element in the Netflix series Cobra Kai as well. Mikey Musumeci decided to come into the fight with the same stance, marking a memorable start to the bout. From then on, he took over completely. 

Musumeci dominated early, securing a heel hook setup and finishing with his ‘Mikey Lock’ at 3:01 of the first round via submission. The Italian fighter then called out BJJ legend Joao Miyao for a rematch and title defense. Miyao will definitely be an upgrade, considering the type of competition Musumeci has been facing.

Musumeci and Miayo’s rivalry goes back a decade. They have clashed at least five times, with Musumeci getting a clean sweep all five times. Their rivalry is without bad blood, and these Berimbolo specialists hold each other in high regard. They met on grand stages during their growth as BJJ phenoms. Is UFC BJJ the next stop?

Be that as it may, UFC BJJ posted a clip of the 29-year-old Musumeci’s most recent win on Instagram with the caption, “MUSUMECI HITS THE MIKEY LOCK 🔥Mikey Musumeci makes his first successful title defense at #UFCBJJ3!” Naturally, this sparked conversation among fans, but they weren’t quite impressed with Musumeci.

Charles Oliveira roped into Musumeci-UFC BJJ conversations

The Italian-American BJJ phenom has rapidly built a reputation as one of the best in the sport. Yet, it’s not just his skills on the mat that have people talking. “Pizza and pasta is undefeated,” one user commented. The remark refers to Musumeci’s eating habits, where he skips breakfast and lunch. He consumes only coffee and water throughout the day, before packing in 7,000–8,000 calories in a single meal.

The next user wasn’t so kind, though. “Mikey is so boring to watch oml,” the user commented. To be fair, BJJ might not be for everyone, especially if they are used to watching the high-octane action in the UFC.

Meanwhile, this user wanted Musumeci to fight Charles Oliveira. “Musumeci vs. Charles Oliveira,” the user wrote. While not impossible, such a fight is highly unlikely, at least anytime soon. 

Someone else poked fun at Musumeci’s choice of opponent. “Who even knows who the other guy is 😂😂,” the user asked. For the uninitiated, Keven Carrasco is a 26-year-old professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from South Korea, widely recognized as a rising star in no-gi grappling.

Another user had the same idea. “Carrasco is just not elite. Anyone surprised?” the user commented. While Carrasco might not be on Musumeci’s level, he won 1st place IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu CON (2022) and 3rd place IBJJF World Championships (2024). 

Safe to say, Mikey Musumeci will have to tackle even tougher opponents to get approval from fans. But when that happens remains to be seen. What did you think about the fight?