UFC welterweight Phil Rowe is not the type to sugarcoat his opinions, especially when it comes to grapplers who rely on guard pulling and butt scooting. During an appearance on The Casuals MMA Podcast, Rowe delivered one of his most explicit critiques while targeting a style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu he sees as unrealistic and dangerous when applied outside of competition.
“If your game consist of this (guard pulling), consist of (butt scooting), and then a N**** can f*** you in the streets. If that’s what you get to, consist of. Get the f*** up, man. Get the f*** up and fight back, man. I’m tired of that s**t, man,”
Rowe declared making his stance unmistakable.
The comment came as part of a broader discussion about the UFC’s push into pure Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events. It is a move Rowe has repeatedly criticized for lacking both elite talent and real-world applicability.
He’s already made headlines for stating:
“there’s no high-level grapplers in there”
When assessing the UFC’s most recent BJJ showcase, he argued that top-tier names like Mica Galvão, the Ruotolo brothers, and other major stars are signed to rival organizations leaving UFC’s BJJ roster without the firepower to create compelling matchups.
For Rowe, the guard-pulling issue is more than an aesthetic gripe—it’s a matter of practicality. He sees over-reliance on this approach as both boring for audiences and fundamentally flawed for athletes preparing for real combat situations.
The “butt scoot” strategy in particular has long been a lightning rod for criticism in MMA circles with figures like Aljamain Sterling and Craig Jones weighing in on its merits and drawbacks in recent months.
Rowe’s outburst however takes the critique to its most visceral level suggesting that certain BJJ habits cultivated in sport competition could leave an athlete completely unprepared in a street scenario. His profanity-laced tirade shows his belief that competitors should prioritize standing engagements and active resistance over passive grounded tactics that hinge on the opponent engaging on the mat.
While some in the grappling community may bristle at the bluntness and explicit nature of his words, Rowe’s perspective reflects a split between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purists and MMA stars who prize adaptability and real-world efficiency.
