The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world just witnessed something nobody saw coming – Gordon Ryan and Mikey Musumeci have officially ended their bitter rivalry, shaking hands on what might be the sport’s most unexpected peace treaty of 2025.
From Enemies to Allies: The Shocking Reconciliation
The announcement came via social media, where Musumeci extended an olive branch that caught everyone off guard. “@gordonlovesjiujitsu honestly has always been super nice and respectful to me. We became friends around 2018ish and have always rooted for and wished for each others success!” Musumeci wrote, revealing that their public feud wasn’t what it seemed.
According to the ONE Championship star, their entire beef started over a misunderstanding involving clickbait journalism. “What happened was I got mad at a click bait article that changed his words that a lot of friends sent me when I was living in Asia. I didn’t know Jiu Jitsu articles would do that until they do that to me now everyday as well, so we had a stupid feud.”
Just Gym Talk Gone Public
The resolution shows both athletes acknowledging their role in escalating what should have been typical gym banter. Musumeci admitted to calling Ryan “old” – though he jokingly noted that Ryan “just dyes his beard grey” – while Ryan responded by calling him a “midget.” Rather than fuel more drama, both recognized this as normal competitive trash talk.
“Being blunt from New Jersey this would be a normal day in the gym for us, fair play bro now,” Musumeci explained, suggesting their heated exchanges were more cultural miscommunication than genuine hatred.
Ryan kept his confirmation simple: “Psa- me and @mikeymusumeci are friends again. It was a misunderstanding.”
Perfect Timing for Maximum Drama
The timing couldn’t be more intriguing. This reconciliation comes just as Craig Jones is gearing up for his confirmed debate with Musumeci, and Jones isn’t holding back on the trash talk.
“We’re going to have a debate, though. I mean, it should be interesting,” Jones stated on The Casuals MMA podcast. “He’s either going to get angry, he’s going to cry. We’re meant to do the show together. He says he can handle jokes and stuff, but I really don’t think he can.”
Jones, who’s positioned himself as grappling’s biggest disruptor through his Craig Jones Invitational, didn’t stop there. His controversial commentary included shots like: “Like Mikey keeps talking about steroid testing. No one’s asking him about autism testing.”
Enemy of My Enemy?
With Ryan and Musumeci now reconciled, the grappling landscape has shifted dramatically. Ryan’s peace with Musumeci could be seen as strategic timing, as Jones emerges as the new antagonist challenging everything Musumeci represents within the UFC’s structured approach to BJJ.
Jones advocates for experimental formats and higher athlete compensation, while Musumeci supports the UFC’s more traditional structure. “My argument is that we’re just not at a point in the sport yet cuz the UFC can’t sign all the good guys,” Jones explained.
The philosophical divide between Jones and Musumeci mirrors what once separated Ryan and Musumeci – but now Ryan’s on the sidelines watching his former rival face off against the sport’s most provocative voice.
What This Means for BJJ
This unexpected truce reshuffles the deck in professional grappling. With two of the sport’s biggest names burying the hatchet, all eyes turn to whether Musumeci can handle Jones’ boundary-pushing style in their upcoming debate.
Jones expressed skepticism about Musumeci’s ability to handle heated exchanges: “He’s flowing the white flag, but he still takes offense when I throw in a little dig at him, you know?”
The Ryan-Musumeci reconciliation proves that even the bitterest rivalries in BJJ can be resolved through honest communication. But with Jones stirring the pot, the drama in professional grappling is far from over – it’s just found a new target.
What do you think about this unexpected peace treaty? Will Gordon and Mikey’s friendship survive Craig Jones’ upcoming verbal assault on the ONE Championship star?
