Bryce Mitchell has never been one to follow a conventional path.
The UFC veteran spends much of his time away from fighting working on his Arkansas farm, where he currently has around 17 or 18 head of cattle. He is expanding a barn, adding onto his house and preparing for the birth of his daughter, Juliette, in late October.
On Sep. 24, however, Mitchell will trade the farm for the mats when he faces UFC BJJ bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci in the main event of UFC BJJ 11 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The special 145-pound match will not have Musumeci’s title on the line.
For Mitchell, the opportunity to test himself against one of the most accomplished submission grapplers of his generation was simply too interesting to turn down.
“This one was really personal with Mikey,” Mitchell told Combat Press. “It’s not just anybody. You know, it’s Mikey Musumeci, who is regarded as the best in the modern era.
“So I couldn’t turn that down. You got the champ saying he wants to go against me, and I’m a competitor. So when the best guy in the world says, ‘Hey, I want to go against Bryce,’ that’s a no-brainer. I’m going to say yes every time.”
Mitchell may have also helped create the matchup himself.
The UFC featherweight had publicly claimed he could defeat Musumeci under a ruleset without leg locks or butt scooting. The comments eventually helped turn what was initially just talk into an actual match.
“I talked myself into it,” Mitchell said. “It was unknowingly. I didn’t know that the matchup was going to happen when I was saying, ‘Oh, I could beat Mikey without leg locks.’ But, you know, the match got made, and I’m really happy about it.”
Mitchell is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but his competitive grappling résumé does not come close to Musumeci’s extensive experience at the highest levels of the sport. Mitchell readily acknowledges the difference.
That does not mean he believes he will be out of his depth.
Mitchell received his black belt from longtime coach William McLaughlin and also trains at Westside MMA in Little Rock, Ark., where coach Roli Delgado has helped bring high-level grapplers into the gym for years.
“I’ve done a couple tournaments, but nothing serious like on the level that Mikey has, as far as jiu-jitsu goes,” Mitchell said. “I just really train really, really hard, like grapple really hard.
“My coach flies people from Brazil over, and, brother, I’ve had some really, really good Brazilian jiu-jitsu experts just train me over the years. And by train, I mean go as hard as they can.”
Those gym rounds have given Mitchell confidence that Musumeci may encounter something different than he expects on Sep. 24.
“I consider that some of the purest form of training,” Mitchell said. “I think Mikey will probably be a little bit surprised by how good I am.”
The matchup also provides Mitchell with something increasingly valuable after years of professional MMA: a chance to compete without absorbing the same damage he would during a normal fight camp.
Mitchell said he had gone roughly two weeks without sparring while preparing for Musumeci, allowing him to concentrate almost entirely on grappling.
“It gives the fighters a chance to recover from being hit in the head for a while,” Mitchell said. “It just gives me a good rest from my brain getting hit all the time to just focus on grappling.
“I really like that this has been sprinkled in, and I don’t think I would mind doing more of these when this one goes really good.”
Mitchell is still an MMA fighter first.
He said the UFC had offered him a fight for late October, but the timing coincided with the expected birth of his daughter. Mitchell declined the matchup and hopes to return to the Octagon sometime between December and February.
“If there was an option between a fight or a grappling match, I’d have to take a fight because that’s a bigger deal,” Mitchell said.
For now, though, Musumeci has his full attention.
Despite the lack of punches, kicks and elbows, Mitchell said the anticipation surrounding UFC BJJ 11 feels much like an MMA fight. And while grappling generally presents a different type of physical risk than MMA, Mitchell is not overlooking what Musumeci can do once the match hits the mat.
“Dude, Mikey is dangerous,” Mitchell said. “He can bend your arm backwards in about half a second. I’m not trying to count the eggs before they hatch once again because this is going to be a serious match.
“We’re allowed to hurt each other. He’s allowed to break my arm, and he’s allowed to break my foot if he wants to.”
What comes after UFC BJJ 11 could depend heavily on how Mitchell feels about the experience. He expects MMA to remain his priority, but he also sees the possibility of more grappling matches between UFC appearances.
“I think the result of this match is really what determines what’s next, whether it be MMA or grappling, or both with some sprinkled in,” Mitchell said.
He also believes the crossover between MMA fighters and elite submission grapplers could produce more intriguing matchups for UFC BJJ.
“First, we’ve got to find out what happens in this match, and then after that, I’m praying to God that people want to see more and that more matchups like this happen,” Mitchell said. “Because this could be something really fun in the future.”
Before any of that can happen, Mitchell has to deal with Musumeci.
And when asked what the UFC BJJ champion should expect when they meet on the mats, Mitchell kept the answer simple.
“Some serious pressure, some old-man strength mixed with some farmer strength, and unstoppable will and determination,” Mitchell said.
“And he’s going to feel all of that.”