Mikey Musumeci set to defend UFC BJJ title against Keven Carrasco
Reigning UFC BJJ bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci will make his first title defense against Keven Carrasco on October 2, 2025.
Mikey Musumeci’s first defense of his UFC BJJ bantamweight crown is officially on the calendar. On Thursday, October 2, live in Las Vegas at UFC BJJ 3, the 29-year-old star will take on Ares BJJ representative Keven Carrasco.
The promotion announced the matchup on Instagram.
With five IBJJF world titles to his name and a winning streak that dates back to 2021, Musumeci is widely recognized among the top pound-for-pound competitors in all of grappling. After a two-year run in ONE Championship where he became the organization’s first-ever submission grappling world champion and defended his title multiple times, he parted ways with the Singapore-based company in 2023.
Since then, he has twice competed under the UFC banner. In 2024, he scored a dominant points win over Felipe Machado. Next, earlier this year, he served as a coach on the UFC BJJ: Road to the Title reality show before facing off against fellow coach Rerrison Gabriel for the inaugural UFC BJJ bantamweight title. Musumeci submitted Gabriel with a heel hook.
Carrasco, meanwhile, hopes to score what would be a monumental upset over arguably the best American-born BJJ competitor of all time. A black belt since 2020, Carrasco greatest accomplishment to date is a bronze medal at the 2024 IBJJF Worlds, where he defeated top talent like Zach Kaina and Cleber Sousa.
Carrasco has twice competed under the UFC banner, scoring submission victories over Sebastian Oyervidez and Ty Costlow.
On paper, Musumeci is a massive favorite. He holds a serious advantage in terms of elite experience and overall accomplishments and comes into this match having looked largely unstoppable over the past few years. Still, Carrasco has shared the mats with plenty of world-class opposition and holds a number of impressive victories.
How to watch: Mikey Musumeci vs. Keven Carrasco takes place at UFC BJJ 3 on Thursday, October 2, 2025, and will air live and free on the UFC YouTube channel.
