Muhammad Mokaev Reveals UFC BJJ Belt Offer to Face Mikey Musumeci
Muhammad Mokaev has revealed he has been offered a UFC Brazilian jiu-jitsu title bout against reigning bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci, a matchup that would mark his first appearance under the UFC banner since his release in 2024 and his debut in the promotion’s specialist grappling league.
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Mikey Musumeci in UFC BJJ
The 25-year-old flyweight posted on X that he had received an offer to compete for the “UFC BJJ belt” against Musumeci and asked fans for their reaction, signaling both genuine consideration and a public temperature check on an unexpected route back into the organization’s orbit.
In his brief post, Mokaev wrote, “I have been offered to compete against Mikey Musumeci for the UFC BJJ belt. What do you think guys?”, attaching the message to a graphic referencing the UFC’s grappling division and tagging the matchup as a title opportunity. The query immediately drew attention because it suggested direct talks with UFC BJJ matchmakers and framed the offer as a championship shot rather than a standard grappling booking.
Fans who had followed his departure from the UFC saw the note as a possible first step toward repairing a strained relationship with the promotion that once viewed him as a rising flyweight contender.
Musumeci, meanwhile, has become the central figure in UFC BJJ since joining the brand after a successful run with ONE Championship’s submission grappling division. The American black belt, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished modern jiu-jitsu competitors, captured the inaugural UFC BJJ bantamweight title at UFC BJJ 1 in June 2025 by submitting Rerisson Gabriel with a heel hook in the third round, then defended the belt against Keven Carrasco later that year with another leg-lock finish. He is currently scheduled to defend the title at UFC BJJ 5 on February 12 against Scottish grappler Shay Montague.
For Mokaev, any bout with Musumeci would come at a delicate point in his career arc. The British-Dagestani flyweight left the UFC in 2024 after the promotion chose not to renew his contract, despite an unbeaten 7‑0 run that included wins over ranked opponents like Alex Perez, Tim Elliott, and Manel Kape.
In interviews since, he has maintained that communication with key UFC executives, including Hunter Campbell and matchmaker Mick Maynard, improved after he moved on to Brave CF and captured a title there, and he has repeatedly stated he expects to fight in the UFC again in 2026. A grappling title outing under the UFC BJJ banner would not restore his MMA roster spot on its own, but it would place him back on a UFC-branded platform and signal a willingness to accept difficult assignments to re-establish trust.
Stylistically, a meeting with Musumeci would push Mokaev into unfamiliar territory. Musumeci is a five-time IBJJF black belt world champion and former ONE flyweight submission grappling world titleholder, with a record built on guard play and intricate leg entanglements that have carried over directly to his UFC BJJ title run.
Mokaev, by contrast, has made his name through pressure wrestling and top control in MMA rather than pure submission grappling, and reports have noted he is 0‑2 in dedicated grappling matches. Yet his public question to fans hints that he sees value beyond the scoreboard, whether as a bridge back to the UFC or a chance to test himself against one of the sport’s most decorated specialists on a major stage.
