UFC BJJ boss Claudia Gadelha: “Butt scooting and leg locks are so boring”
The executive who runs the organization says guards that are almost impossible to pass “don’t sell” and wants fewer leg locks to win over fans who do not train
Claudia Gadelha, the executive who runs UFC BJJ, once again criticized the style of jiu-jitsu built on sitting down to the guard and attacking the legs. Gadelha is a Brazilian black belt and a former UFC fighter. She spoke at the press conference after UFC BJJ 11, on September 24.
A reporter asked her about the main event between Mikey Musumeci, one of the best leg lockers in the sport, and UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell. The two seemed to have agreed not to butt scoot, which is when an athlete sits and slides on the mat toward the opponent, and not to go for leg locks. Gadelha liked it.
“I love it. In the end of the day, I love jiu-jitsu and I love the sport of jiu-jitsu, but in the end of the day, butt scooting and leg locks are so [expletive] boring. It doesn’t sell. It’s not entertaining,” she said.
“This is not what sells”
For Gadelha, the problem is how the match looks to the people watching. “When I see an athlete pulling guard, and some jiu-jitsu athletes are so good with their guard that it’s almost impossible to pass, this is not what sells. This is not how we make jiu-jitsu exciting,” she said.
She said the organization does not plan to change the tradition of the sport, but she was clear about where she wants to go. “We don’t want to change the tradition of the sport, but if we want to grow it and make jiu-jitsu bigger than what it is, we got to make jiu-jitsu exciting. And it’s not going to be exciting seeing guys and girls sitting on their butt and going for leg locks during the whole match.”
Praise for Musumeci
In another answer, Gadelha called Musumeci the best in the world at leg locks and said she liked to see him show other parts of his game. “It’s so technical. It’s beautiful if you know the sport. But for the people that we are trying to show how UFC BJJ can be entertaining, it’s too complicated,” she said. “I would like to see more athletes not doing a lot of leg locks.”
Not the first time
Gadelha has made this point before. In March, VF Comunica reported that UFC BJJ wanted to cut guard pulling from its matches, even if that meant leaving some champions out.
Do you agree with Claudia Gadelha? Do guard pulling and leg locks make jiu-jitsu boring to watch? Tell us in the comments.
