Grappling fans may soon have a new must-watch series on their hands…
As Gordon Ryan recently revealed major developments involving the UFC’s growing commitment to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!

During a guest appearance on the Joe Rogan Companion Podcast for UFC London, the multiple-time ADCC champion offered insight into a potentially game-changing project – a reality TV show dedicated to uncovering and building the next generation of grappling athletes.

Ryan confirmed what many had been speculating for months – that the UFC is going all-in on BJJ:

They put how many millions of dollars in Jiu-Jitsu…
They have more of a budget for it.

This aligns with Dana White’s previously reported plans to inject between $10 and $12 million into grappling initiatives (this year alone).

Among the most exciting pieces of news?
It might be a new reality show, that Ryan described as an “Ultimate Fighter show for grappling”.

Modeled after the UFC’s legendary TUF format, the series would give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at up-and-coming talent, while building fan engagement around fresh personalities in the sport:

That would be cool, because then you can build a star from scratch and get to know the guys.
You can get people emotionally involved.

The UFC’s strategy for integrating BJJ into its ecosystem appears to include flexible athlete contracts, according to Ryan.
While the organization prefers exclusive deals, they reportedly allow exceptions for high-profile events like ADCC:

Usually they do exclusive…
It is exclusive, but they have cutouts for things like ADCC or big world championships.

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