January BJJ News Recap

This year kicked off with some huge news in the submission grappling world. Having been bombarded with so much Jiu-Jitsu news in January alone, it can be hard to recall all the madness and remember those techniques from class. No worries, we are here with a recap of the top Jiu-Jitsu News stories from January. 🥋

The Biggest Jiu-Jitsu News of January 2023

Table of Contents

Gordon Ryan Signed a Multi-Fight 7-Figure Deal

FloSports and Gordon Ryan announced a multi-fight, seven-figure deal to compete in FloGrappling’s Tezos Who’s Number One (WNO) Series. 💰💰 The deal raises the bar to another level for submission grappling athletes.

This is the largest contract to date for a submission grappling athlete and according to Gordon, it’s the, “biggest jump the sport has taken since Royce dominated in the UFC.”

This may be true and we are here to see it. Gordon will kick off his competition year at Tezos WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena II on February 25 at the Hangar at the OC Fair Grounds in Costa Mesa, CA.
Read more about the deal

“If you can make over $1,000,000 dollars a year by simply competing, you can’t live like a like NFL or NBA player can, but you can live like an athlete. “
via Gordon Ryan’s Instagram

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Mike Musemuci Breaks Opponents’ Leg at ONE Fight Night 6

Mikey Musemuci defended his ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title for the first time against the Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6. He put on quite the leglock clinic when he attacked Bayanduuren relentlessly, putting him in one deep submission after the other.

“His leg popped like twenty times… I never felt someone’s leg explode like that, but he didn’t tap, so the fight kept going.”
Mikey Musumeci during the post fight interview

According to a report from the South China Morning Post, Bayanduuren suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus as well as broke his ankle. There’s no official timeline for Bayanduuren to return, however, with injuries as severe as his it may be one to two years.
Read more about the event

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UFC Fight Pass and ADCC Announce Exclusive Streaming Agreement

UFC Fight Pass announced a multi-year partnership with the prestigious submission grappling organization, ADCC Submission Fighting World Federation. The 2022 ADCC World Championships are said by many to have been the best grappling event ever. Now with the UFC involved, the ADCC is surely going to take it to another level, again.

UFC FIGHT PASS will exclusively stream over 40 ADCC events throughout 2024. These events include the ADCC Opens, Trials, and Championship in Las Vegas in September of 2024. The first event is expected to kick off with ADCC Opens in Mexico in March of this year.

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Marcelo Garcia Reveals Stomach Cancer

Marcelo Garcia announced on his Instagram page in January that he has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Our heart goes out to the legend as he and his family go through this difficult time.

I’m about to fight the biggest fight of my life , Please keep me and my family on your prayers . Get your check ups, listen to your body
via Marcelo Gacia’s Instagram

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A post shared by Marcelo Garcia (@marcelogarciajiujitsu)

Jake Paul Starts Jiu-Jitsu Training

Whether or not you’re a fan of the Paul brothers, the news of Jake Paul signing with the PFL has brought a lot of attention to the MMA and Jiu-Jitsu communities. Major news outlets covered the story this past month and Jake has already been seen on the mats working on his BJJ skills.

Jake Paul is moving into mixed martial arts as he has officially signed with the Professional Fighters League.

The entertainer and social media influencer-turned-professional boxer announced Thursday that he signed an MMA contract with PFL. Paul, 25, holds a professional boxing record of 6-0, which includes four knockout wins.

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Jiu-Jitsu Gradma Promoted to Purple Belt

Elaine Wynn is a 74 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner that is better known in the BJJ community as the “Jiu-Jitsu Grandma.” Elaine is a student at Gracie Barra Alabama, which is where she received her BJJ purple belt in January. She shared a video of her promotion on her social media page.
Read more about the promotion