Mica Galvao just announced that he would no longer be competing in BJJ events with ‘points and advantages’ in order to better prepare for his eventual transition to MMA. This isn’t the first time that he’s mentioned making the switch to the new sport and at the age of 19, he has plenty of time to do so. He’s been making preparations for the move to MMA for quite some time as well, including getting training in with active UFC fighters. Now it seems as though the time for him to make the switch is coming closer and it makes some sense too, as he won pretty much every major tournament that he could in 2024.
In a recent statement to his fans, Galvao explained the reason why he hasn’t been as active as some might expect in one particular promotion that he currently stands as the champion of:
“I won my BJJ Stars belt in April 2022 and, since then, I have made myself available to BJJ Stars to arrange fights against any athlete, including (Jansen Gomes). However, from April 2022 until today, BJJ Stars has never been successful in arranging a fight to defend the belt. Not because I didn’t want to, but because they never arrived with a contract.”
That particular match with Gomes is one that fans have been interested in seeing and he stands out as potentially the toughest match for Galvao in the gi right now. According to him, it’s the gi itself that is proving to be the hardest part of making the match a reality:
“Now, at this point, I didn’t say I wouldn’t do the fight. What I did say is that I’m in negotiations with several platforms – not just one, but several – and by signing with these platforms, the (title-defense) probably wouldn’t happen. The reason? These platforms still don’t hold gi fights in their competitions.”
He’s not wrong either, the majority of major events don’t book many gi matches and some like ONE Championship and UFC Fight Pass Invitational don’t book any at all. According to Galvao, it’s about to get even less likely that the match will be made as well:
“Everyone already knows that I’m interested in moving to MMA. That’s why, although I still train in the gi every day – because I like it and intend to keep up the habit- I no longer train with the goal of competing in organizations that prioritize points or advantages. In MMA, the only thing that really matters is the submission. I continue to train, but competing in points and advantages championships doesn’t add anything to my future projects.”
Although Mica Galvao didn’t name any specific promotions, both ADCC and the IBJJF include points in their ruleset, so it seems as though he will not be returning to defend his world titles in those promotions. He has plenty of time before they come around to change his mind though, and first he’s got to focus on where to sign an exclusive contract:
“Yes, I can fight, whether against (Jansen Gomes) or any other athlete, but before that, I need to decide which platform I will sign a contract with. Besides, I prefer a real fight: 15 minutes, no points, no advantages. A fight where there is no search for a score and, consequently, a tied game. I am sure that, in a fight like that, someone will be submitted. I play to win from the first minute to the last, and when you fight to submit, gaps appear. Either I submit, or I am submitted. It’s simple. That’s my style – and I don’t give any other alternative.”
Although Galvao will likely have to focus on no gi in order to get that ruleset that he’s after, he hasn’t shut the door on gi matches entirely:
“If you want to see a show, hope that the platform I sign up with starts to broadcast gi fights, or hope that I sign up with the platform that broadcasts BJJ Stars, leaving the doors open for fights that are really worth it.”
Mica Galvao finished off the statement to his fans by explaining that he’s already spent enough time competing in tournaments with points involved, and everyone’s had the chance to face him:
“I don’t need to prove anything to anyone anymore. For more than two years, my belt was open and available. If anyone has any doubts, just ask (Fepa Lopes, BJJ Stars owner) directly if I didn’t accept all the fights he offered me, including the one with (Jansen Gomes). But for some reason his schedule didn’t match mine. I was present at all the competitions – if someone wanted to test me, they could just go in and fight. That’s why I feel comfortable fighting whenever, against whomever and under whatever conditions I want.”
Mica Galvao shared his decision to withdraw from events with points involved in order to assist his transition to MMA in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
