Bryce Mitchell wants to prove he is no joke against Mikey Musumeci

Bryce Mitchell is taking his UFC BJJ 11 matchup against Mikey Musumeci very seriously. The UFC fighter will face the reigning bantamweight champion in a special featherweight match on Thursday in Las Vegas, with Musumeci's title not on the line. Mitchell believes the result could have a major impact on his future in submission grappling and has already made it clear that he does not want to leave the Meta Apex without a decisive result.

Bryce Mitchell Wants to Finish Mikey Musumeci

Mitchell has competed in grappling matches outside the UFC, but UFC BJJ 11 will mark his first appearance under the promotion's submission grappling banner. Musumeci, meanwhile, has already established himself as a multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and enters the matchup as the undefeated UFC BJJ bantamweight champion.

Aware that he will be facing a highly accomplished grappler, Mitchell knows a victory against Musumeci could have implications for his submission grappling career. However, the American is aiming for more than just a win, as he explained that his goal is to avoid leaving the result in the judges' hands and make a statement against the champion.

"I don't want to go to distance," Mitchell told MMA Junkie Radio. "I want him to tap, so it's very decisive, and I want people to know I'm not a joke."

The American also revealed that he has approached the matchup with the same seriousness he would have for an MMA fight. Mitchell plans to cut weight for the featherweight bout and believes the outcome could generate similar attention to a UFC fight.

"For me, this match actually feels so important that it feels like a fight," Mitchell said. "I trained just like a fight, and I'm going to cut weight just like a fight. I think after the results of this you're going to see just as much commotion as a fight."

Bryce Mitchell wants to become a UFC BJJ champion

Although Musumeci's bantamweight title will not be at stake, Mitchell already has championship ambitions in UFC BJJ. The American believes his performance against the reigning champion could determine whether he gets more opportunities in the promotion.

"I really want the belt," Mitchell said. "I really want to be a champion, and I want to be known as someone who's really, really good. How this goes determines whether we're going to do more in the future or not, but I really think it's going to go so well that the UFC is going to ask me to do another one."

The matchup against Musumeci comes just over three months after Mitchell last stepped inside the Octagon. In June, the American submitted Santiago Luna with an arm-triangle choke to extend his winning streak to two fights.