UFC BJJ is official.
The world’s premier fighting organization announced on Friday that their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu promotion has been launched, with their first event and a reality show announced.
UFC BJJ 1 is set for June 25 as part of the UFC’s annual International Fight Week ahead of the blockbuster UFC 317 pay-per-view card headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. UFC BJJ 1 will crown its first bantamweight, lightweight, and welterweight champions with the participants to be revealed at a later date. Multiple-time world champion Mikey Musumeci and rising star Rerisson Gabriel will compete for the 135-pound title at the event.
Subsequently, the promotion is launching a UFC BJJ: Road to the Title show, which is similar to The Ultimate Fighter. Musumeci and Gabriel serve as coaches for the eight-episode season that launches daily beginning June 12 at Noon ET on the UFC’s YouTube channel.
“I first got into MMA through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,” said UFC CEO Dana White in a release. “It’s one of the true building blocks of martial arts and the athletes and the competition take it to another level. The reality show and live events are going to elevate this to a mainstream sport and I could not be more excited.”
Check out the Road to the Title athletes below.
Welterweight
Andrew Tackett
Jason Nolf
Andy Varela
Davis Asare
Elijah Carlton
Aaron Wilson
Austin Oranday
Nathan Haddad
Lightweight
Keith Krikorian
Gianni Grippo
Kyvann Gonzalez
Carlos Henrique
Danilo Moreira
Mauricio Rios
Isaac Doederlein
Josh Cisneros
