bjjproblems.com — every take, since 2013
Every snarky take on real BJJ news.
May 31, 2026, 10:50 PM
Buchecha's UFC Vegas 116 Loss Exposed The BJJ-To-MMA Problem That Won't Go Away
Back in late April, when Marcus Buchecha stepped into the octagon against Ryan Spann at UFC Vegas 116, the most decorated gi competitor of his generation had roughly ninety seconds to make his case that elite jiu-jitsu still scales in mixed rules. He got the opportunity.
May 31, 2026, 10:03 PM
RAF 7's Security Gamble Against Dillon Danis—How a Wrestling Card Became a Containment Operation
Back in March 2026, Real American Freestyle learned an expensive lesson about risk management in combat sports. When RAF 7 rolled into Tampa on March 28, the promotion had already made a decision that said everything you needed to know about one of its competitors: they hired add
May 30, 2026, 12:31 PM
Gym Owner's Harsh Feedback Philosophy Backfires as Students Quit
There's a gym in your area. There's probably more than one.
May 29, 2026, 08:44 PM
Mario Lopez Earns Brown Belt as Galvao Seeks Redemption
Mario Lopez earned his brown belt the way most serious grapplers do: by showing up, putting in years of work, and winning a major tournament. The IBJJF Master North American Championship doesn't hand out medals for showing up early.
May 29, 2026, 05:44 PM
Ffion Davies Returns to UFC BJJ 9 After Title Loss
When you lose a championship, the standard play is to disappear for a while. Cry into your açaí bowl.
May 29, 2026, 03:17 PM
Renato Moicano's YouTube MMA Event Draws 600K Views
When you cut out the middleman, you get the product without the filter. That's the pitch Renato Moicano just proved—and then immediately disproved.
May 29, 2026, 12:00 PM
Tainan Dalpra & Gabi Pessanha Chase IBJJF Grand Slam at Worlds 2026
When you're the last two athletes standing in a four-tournament gauntlet, the Grand Slam stops being a hypothetical achievement and becomes a very real, very exhausting reality. That's where Tainan Dalpra and Gabi Pessanha find themselves one week out from IBJJF Worlds 2026 in Lo
May 29, 2026, 09:26 AM
Fowler vs. Johnson II: UFC BJJ Rematch Under Controversial Rules
That's how long Mason Fowler and Devhonte Johnson have been waiting for a do-over, and on June 4, 2026, they're finally getting one. Except it's not really a do-over.
May 29, 2026, 07:01 AM
Roosevelt Sousa Banned by USADA, UFC BJJ Books Title Fight
There is a specific kind of cognitive dissonance that happens when you watch a sport announce, with total confidence, that it has solved a problem—and then immediately creates the exact problem it just solved. Roosevelt Sousa knows that feeling now.
May 28, 2026, 03:42 PM
Mario Lopez, 52, Won an IBJJF Title Yesterday and Got a Brown Belt on the Podium
When you picture someone walking into the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach for the IBJJF Master International North American Championship, submitting their opponent in the lightweight division, and then getting promoted to brown belt on the podium — you probably don't picture A.C. Ma
May 28, 2026, 12:15 PM
Danaher Exposes BJJ Coaching Waste: Why Most Gyms Fail Students
When John Danaher says your coach is wasting your time and money, he's not being provocative — he's being precise. And that precision is the problem.
May 28, 2026, 10:00 AM
PGF Season 10 Expands to 8 Teams: Talent or Oversaturation?
The Professional Grappling Federation is doing what every sports league does when it thinks it's figured out the formula: it's doubling down. Season 10 roster expansion from 4 to 8 teams.
May 27, 2026, 09:00 PM
ADCC Kraków 2026 Struggles with Only 11% Tickets Sold
ADCC 2026 in Kraków is supposed to be the crown jewel of the grappling calendar. The athletes you actually care about.
May 27, 2026, 05:51 PM
UFC BJJ Launches Amateur Tournament Circuit for 2026
For a sport that's always debating its mainstream appeal, this is a development. UFC BJJ just announced their first-ever open tournaments for amateur competitors, set to kick off in Fall 2026.
May 27, 2026, 02:55 PM
Rafael Lovato Jr. Wrestles College at 42 After BJJ Dominance
When you've achieved just about everything in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earned a black belt under one of the sport's most revered names, conquered the pro grappling circuit, and won a major MMA title, what's left? For most, that's a career arc ending in retirement, coaching, or broadc
May 27, 2026, 12:30 PM
RAF 9 Card Features UFC Stars — Why Fans Still Question Credentials
When MMA purists complain about 'wrestlefing,' it's usually after a grueling three-round decision where two highly credentialed grapplers spent most of the fight in a clinch or controlling position. It's hard to blame them.
May 27, 2026, 10:00 AM
Gilbert Burns Returns to Grappling at UFC BJJ 9 vs. Monteiro
When you're Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns, a UFC welterweight contender fresh out of a grueling war, what's a guy to do with some downtime? Apparently, you don't take a vacation.
May 24, 2026, 08:12 PM
Sean Strickland Is a Two-Time UFC Middleweight Champion. That Sentence Shouldn't Make Sense.
Sean Strickland is a two-time UFC middleweight champion. Not because it's hard to believe — it happened, the scorecards are real, the belt is around his waist — but because the entire narrative infrastructure the UFC built over the last two years just collapsed in Newark, New Jer
May 23, 2026, 07:00 PM
Mica Galvão Reveals Childhood Abuse, Gun Threats Under Father Melqui
When you're a child prodigy in jiu-jitsu, the story usually goes one of two ways. Either you're a natural talent backed by a supportive team, or you're the product of a parent pushing you hard to succeed.
May 23, 2026, 04:00 PM
Khabib Nurmagomedov Denies Dana White's Claims About UFC Retirement
When you've done everything in your combat sport, retired undefeated, and left a lasting legacy, you'd think the story of your career would be set. Especially when your reasons for retiring are as clear and emotional as a promise to your grieving mom.
May 23, 2026, 01:00 PM
UFC 327 Was a Knockout Party. The One Grappler Invited Didn't Even Show.
UFC 327 was a knockout fest in Miami. Carlos Ulberg blew out his knee in the first round, then knocked Jiri Prochazka out cold to win the light heavyweight title.
May 22, 2026, 07:00 PM
Khamzat Chimaev's Toughest Opponent at RAF 10? His Own Knee, Five Weeks Post-UFC 328
Joe Rogan watched Khamzat Chimaev lose for the first time, and his first concern wasn't the scorecard. It was Chimaev's knees.
May 22, 2026, 03:00 PM
Chuck Liddell Just Put Down the Guy Who Claims Nobody Can Take Him Down
When you put a bounty on your own head, you'd better be ready for the grappling community to come knocking. Georgio Poullas, a wrestling personality who's clearly confident in his ability to avoid getting taken down, decided to put his money where his mouth is and offered $1,000
May 22, 2026, 12:08 PM
BJJ Coach's 'Don't Tap' Call Leads to Fractured Arm Debate
When you sign up for a BJJ tournament, you're signing up for chaos. Questionable ref decisions, mystery meat at the concession stand, and that 14-year-old phenom who somehow weighs 190 lbs and moves like a cat – it's all part of the experience.
May 22, 2026, 09:53 AM
Helena Crevar vs. Paige Ivette Clymer: High-Stakes Grappling at ONE Championship
When you hear 'youngest ADCC podium placer' and 'ADCC Trials winner' in the same sentence, you know somebody at ONE Championship finally decided to give the fans what they actually want: pure, unadulterated, high-level grappling competition. We're talking about Helena Crevar goin
May 21, 2026, 09:00 PM
The Grappling Specialist Who Just Got Out-Grappled by a Striker Has Some Thoughts on Jiu-Jitsu
When you've built your brand on being an unstoppable force of Dagestani wrestling and power grappling, admitting that a nuanced, often-misunderstood discipline like jiu-jitsu is 'one of the most important skills' for MMA success is… well, it’s a moment. For Khamzat Chimaev, that
May 21, 2026, 08:45 PM
Dagestani Mikey: From Staph to Heel Hook to Calling Out Tsarukyan, The Layers Of Irony Keep Stacking
The man they called a butt scooter is about to defend a UFC title. Mikey Musumeci — five-time IBJJF world champion, the best pure jiu-jitsu player at 125 pounds, and the human being specifically targeted by the UFC BJJ no-butt-scooting rule that the promotion quietly abandoned on
May 21, 2026, 08:00 PM
Mikey Musumeci's IBJJF Rant: 'Attacking Jiu-Jitsu' Is a Liability... Except When He's Attacking His Way to World Titles
When you're two weeks out from defending a UFC BJJ title under submission-only rules, but can't resist taking shots at the IBJJF's points system, you know you're dealing with Mikey Musumeci. The five-time IBJJF world champion turned UFC BJJ titleholder has never been shy about hi
May 21, 2026, 06:51 PM
Roosevelt Sousa Has a 3-Year IBJJF Ban for Meldonium. He's Still Challenging For The UFC BJJ Title.
When Roosevelt Sousa steps onto the mats for UFC's inaugural BJJ championship next month, he'll be doing so under a cloud of controversy that perfectly encapsulates the fractured state of competitive grappling governance. The Brazilian heavyweight is currently serving a 3-year IB
May 21, 2026, 09:46 AM
Ulpiano Malachias, Gracie Barra 5th Degree and One of Brazil's Most Beloved BJJ Figures, Has Passed Away
The mats in Houston are quieter today. Professor Ulpiano Malachias, a 5th-degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.