Mikey Musumeci has never been afraid to take an unconventional approach to training, and his preparation for Bryce Mitchell proved no exception. The UFC BJJ champion revealed he employed some unusual methods to break himself of what he called habits that don’t fit Mitchell’s confrontational style.
During media day for his highly anticipated grappling match with Mitchell, Musumeci disclosed that the Tackett Brothers put him through a unique training camp designed to keep him off his back.
The method? An electric collar typically used for dog training.
“I was getting zapped with a e-collar every day from the Tackett Brothers. If I ended up on bottom. They put a collar on me and whenever I fell, they would press the button,” Musumeci explained.
“Every time I see the floor, I see getting zapped, you know? So psychologically that does something to your brain.”
But the electric collar wasn’t the only spiritual intervention employed. Musumeci also revealed that holy water played a role in his camp.
“As well as throwing holy water on me whenever I ended up on bottom to get the devil out of me, you know. We did some interesting methods this camp, but I feel like we’ve come to a great spot. I feel really prepared from a spiritual and psychological standpoint.”
The unorthodox training approach reflects Musumeci’s self-awareness about the stylistic contrast between himself and Mitchell.
“Leglock locks are gay. Guard pull, it’s like if you’re butt scooting, it’s like gay,” Musumeci joked. “But like if you end up there by chance, you know, you end up on the bottom, you just have to, right? Unfortunately.”
Musumeci, who weighed in at 142 pounds (64 kg), was actually 2.5 pounds underweight for the match. He acknowledged Mitchell’s physical strength and grappling acumen posed legitimate challenges.
“He’s very strong. He literally lifted Craig Jones up when they trained, and Craig Jones is like over 200 pounds,” Musumeci noted.
The match represents more than just competition for Musumeci. With an eye toward his upcoming MMA transition, facing Mitchell offered practical preparation.
“These positions like taking the back, controlling him, keeping him down, all these submissions I have to be aware of like slams and things I don’t have to think about in jiu-jitsu typically. So Bryce is helping me prepare for my MMA debut.”
