Europeans Make Their Mark at UFC BJJ 5 Despite Title Losses

UFC BJJ 5 took place on Thursday, February 12, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with two championship bouts headlining the card. For the European BJJ community, it was a landmark night: both title matches featured European challengers making their UFC BJJ debuts against dominant champions. Norway's Tarik Hopstock challenged middleweight champion Ronaldo Junior, while Scotland's Shay Montague took on bantamweight king Mikey Musumeci in the main event.

Hopstock Pushes Champion Ronaldo Junior to the Limit

In the co-main event, Tarik Hopstock, the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi European and World champion, challenged newly crowned UFC BJJ middleweight champion Ronaldo Junior for the 185-pound title.

Hopstock showed no signs of being intimidated on his promotional debut. The Norwegian relied on his dangerous guard game throughout the match, threatening from the bottom and neutralizing much of Junior's aggressive top pressure. In the opening round, Hopstock came close to locking up a heel hook that forced the Brazilian champion to disengage, sending an early warning that this would not be an easy night for the titleholder.

The second round continued in a similar fashion, with Junior working to impose his game from the top while Hopstock used his technical guard to stay active and create offensive opportunities. Though the Norwegian was unable to finish any of his submission attempts, his defensive work was outstanding and he kept the match competitive throughout.

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In the third round, Junior turned up the intensity, launching a high-paced series of attacks and positional entries as the clock wound down. Hopstock defended well under pressure but was unable to match the champion's output in the closing minutes. In the end, the judges scored the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, all in favor of the champion, who retained his middleweight title by unanimous decision.

It was a creditable performance from Hopstock, who demonstrated that he can compete at the very highest level. The scoring reflected the reality that in UFC BJJ's ruleset, offensive initiative tends to be rewarded over defensive excellence, a factor that ultimately tipped the scales in Junior's favor in what was otherwise a closely contested match.

Musumeci Submits Montague in Main Event Title Defense

^{Photo: @ufcbjj / Instagram}

The main event saw Glasgow's Shay Montague, another 2025 IBJJF European and World champion, take on Mikey Musumeci for the UFC BJJ bantamweight title. Montague, entered the bout as the most credentialed challenger Musumeci has faced in the promotion to date.

From the opening bell, Montague deployed his trademark flexible guard, looking to tie up the champion and create scrambles. The first round was a technical chess match, with both athletes feeling each other out. Musumeci initially focused his attacks on Montague's upper body rather than engaging in a leg lock exchange, showing respect for the Scotsman's own dangerous guard game.

The second round started along similar lines, with Montague continuing to work effectively from his guard. However, midway through the round, Musumeci found his opening and locked up a straight ankle lock. Montague was unable to escape, and the champion secured the tap to retain his bantamweight championship via submission in round two.

Europe Represented at the Highest Level

While both Hopstock and Montague ultimately fell short of capturing UFC BJJ gold, their performances sent a clear message to the global grappling community. Both men competed at an elite level on the sport's biggest stage, and neither looked out of place against champions who have been dominant forces in their respective divisions.

For the European BJJ scene, this was a night to be proud of. As the sport continues to grow on this side of the Atlantic, having world-class representatives competing for titles on major platforms like UFC BJJ is a significant milestone. Hopstock and Montague have shown that the gap between European and global elite grapplers is closing, and both will undoubtedly be back for more.

Watch the full UFC BJJ 5 event right here: