Diego Lopes expresses excitement for UFC BJJ, says it will "revolutionize jiu-jitsu"
Diego Lopes recently shared his thoughts on the launch of UFC BJJ, which is the promotion's newest venture. The MMA leader will be looking to tap into the grappling market and grow the sport of jiu-jitsu, which could further their dominance in combat sports.
'Road to the Title' season one will serve as the official launch, which appears to be a similar format to 'The Ultimate Fighter', and will introduce the athletes and the sport to their audience.
The promotion is looking to kick-off their latest venture with a bang as top bantamweights Rerisson Gabriel and Mikey Musumeci will serve as opposing coaches before their grappling on June 25.
The official UFC BJJ X account posted a video of Lopes expressing his excitement for the new grappling promotion due to his jiu-jitsu roots. The 30-year-old mentioned that the sport will now have a much bigger platform and the UFC's involvement will result in significant growth. He said:
"I can't even describe how emotional I am right now with UFC BJJ coming up. It's something that will come to revolutionize jiu-jitsu and evolve it. It's a completely different market, right? It gives a very good support to everybody to have what's necessary and get even more attention and professionalism, so I think it's very good. I'm truly emotional because I come from jiu-jitsu, so seeing what the UFC is creating for everybody on BJJ is something very emotional."
Check out Diego Lopes' comments below:
Laura Sanko opens up on impact UFC BJJ can have on jiu-jitsu
Laura Sanko also discussed the impact UFC BJJ can have on the sport, especially with 'Road to the Title'.
In a recent video posted on X, Sanko highlighted the UFC's strengths with storytelling and believes that showcasing their athletes on the show will be an excellent first step to expanding the sport's fan base. She said:
"It's very cool to see Brazilian jiu-jitsu to be put fully into the spotlight with the UFC engine behind it. To have ['Road to the Title'], the UFC knows how to tell the stories of its athletes so, so well and to see it live and free on YouTube is better for everyone else. Get the fan base global. Love it."
Check out Laura Sanko's comments regarding UFC BJJ below: