🔁 Previously on…
After Isaac Doederlein’s surprise victory over Keith Krikorian, ufc bjj episode 3 takes us into a completely different duel: the welterweight showdown between Davis Assare (seed #3, Team Musumeci) and Austin Oranday (seed #6, Team Gabriel). An explosive clash between two hungry young talents with opposing styles and touching stories.
Two Origins, One Obsession
Austin Oranday: Pure Texas Grit
From the very first seconds, the episode plunges us into Austin’s daily life, a 26-year-old black belt, coach, and entrepreneur from Lumberton, Texas. Passionate about shooting and hunting, deeply in love with his state, he embodies the “Lone Star” spirit to the core.
“I was born and raised to be proud of where I come from. Texas is in my soul.”
But behind this tough exterior, we discover a true family entrepreneur: he opened his first gym at 17 with his brother Damian, supported by their stepfather Aaron who believed in their vision. Today, the Oranday Bros JJ adventure includes two gyms in Southeast Texas.
Unexpected family twist: Carlos Henrique, one of the lightweight fighters in the tournament, is his brother-in-law! “I always joke with my sister that the best thing she ever did was marry him, because it gave me an amazing training partner.”
Austin approaches the fight with confidence: “It’s the best match they could give me to have a phenomenal scrap.” Clear objective: impose his leg game in the octagon.
Davis Assare: From Oslo Ghetto to Austin Mats
Facing him, Davis, 23, embodies a completely different trajectory. Born in Stavanger, Norway to Ghanaian parents, he grew up in a multicultural neighborhood in Oslo.
“Our neighborhood consisted of a lot of foreigners, other black people or Arabs. It was cool because I grew up with other people who dealt with the same thing as me, this cultural clash.”
His BJJ journey started by chance: his brother Jeffrey, an MMA fan, pushed him to sign up at a gym. Davis signed a one-year commitment… without even stepping on the mats the first day! But from the next day on, it was total click.
In 2022, Davis made the big leap: he enrolled in an Austin university solely to train with Gordon Ryan and John Danaher at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu. A meteoric rise for this purple belt who rivals the world’s best black belts.
“I studied everything by watching John Danaher DVDs. My coach, everyone knows who he is. He’s recognized as the best coach in the world.”
Team Building: When Teams Discover Each Other
Episode 3 marks a turning point in team presentation, revealing their human side with unprecedented depth.
Team Gabriel: The “Strong Little Coach” Revelation
Cult moment of the episode: the impromptu arm wrestling contest at the villa! As Team Gabriel starts playfully trash-talking, someone shouts: “Hey coach, let’s arm wrestle!”
Rerisson, physically the smallest, accepts the challenge. And then… total surprise! He crushes all his athletes successively, including Andrew Tackett, despite his imposing physique.
“This guy is small but strong as an ox! He earned our respect after that. We were like: ‘OK, this is our guy, this is our guy!'” recounts Gianni Grippo, still impressed.
This sequence reveals Team Gabriel in the midst of building their collective identity, unlike the already seasoned Team Musumeci.
Team Musumeci: Efficiency Through Conviviality
On his side, Mikey perpetuates his tradition: “I bring my team to eat together because I think my team is a family, and families need to eat together.”
The Mikey-Davis chemistry works wonderfully: “I instantly clicked with Davis. He’s a nerd like me, we really got along. I instantly knew I wanted this guy on my team.”
This complicity translates into meticulous preparation, where Mikey studies every detail of Austin’s game to optimize Davis’s strategy.
Pre-Fight: Psychology and Respect
The atmosphere remains good-natured despite the stakes. Austin says with a smile: “I’m going to try to tap him in 30 seconds.”
Davis, unflappable: “He probably says a lot of smart stuff. You should ask him why he’s saying that!”
This lightness hides serious preparation on both sides. At the official weigh-in:
- Davis Assare: 170 lbs
- Austin Oranday: 169.2 lbs
Both men display serene confidence, aware of the historic opportunity before them.
The Fight: Real-Time Tactical Masterclass
First Round: Perfect Game Plan Execution
From the engagement, Davis applies the Musumeci strategy to the letter. His approach perfectly illustrates the modern evolution of competition jiu-jitsu:
Phase 1 – Information Gathering: Davis immediately attacks with an explosive takedown, forcing Austin to react and revealing his defensive patterns.
Phase 2 – Real-Time Adaptation: True to Mikey’s advice (“Torso legs! Torso legs!”), Davis methodically targets Austin’s right leg, his weakness identified in preparation.
Phase 3 – Clinical Finish: When the opening presents itself, Davis locks in a textbook footlock. Austin resists for a few seconds but ultimately taps, overwhelmed by the pain.
Davis Assare wins by submission (footlock), first round.
The Octagon: Tactical Game Changer
This fight demonstrates the octagon’s impact on strategies. As Austin had predicted: “The octagon is going to really discourage guys from running away. When you want to get someone to the ground, you push them against the octagon and they have to come back forward to you.”
Davis perfectly uses this spatial constraint, preventing Austin from creating distance to neutralize the footlock.
Fair Play and Vulnerability: Competition’s Other Face
Austin exits the fight visibly limping, the foot pain evident. His reaction perfectly illustrates the spirit of jiu-jitsu:
“He caught me by surprise. I was able to recover my guard, but he put great pressure on me. Then my foot just gave way. As soon as he let go, I felt all the pain in my foot.”
Davis, for his part, shows remarkable maturity: “It wasn’t his fault. He was going for the submission as hard as he could. It’s a hard sport.”
This post-fight sequence reveals the human dimension often hidden in combat sports: vulnerability, acceptance of defeat, and mutual respect beyond competition.
BJJ-Rules Analysis: Modern Strategic Intelligence
This fight illustrates several major evolutions of contemporary jiu-jitsu:
1. Data-Driven Preparation
Mikey sums it up perfectly: “I told Davis that Austin has a tendency to get caught with his right leg. He sees Austin’s right leg just like we planned and he’s able to expose this really tight foot lock on Austin.”
This analytical approach, based on systematic video study, becomes the norm at the highest level.
2. The Impact of the 3-Round Format
Unlike traditional formats, the urgency of the round system pushes athletes to take more risks, creating opportunities for early submissions.
3. The Octagon as Tactical Variable
The confined space fundamentally transforms strategies, favoring constant pressure and punishing escape attempts.
💭 Reflections and Perspectives
Davis: “I really only just wanted to win the match. I didn’t think about in what way or what manner, but the fact that I was able to submit him was super cool. I made a lot of sacrifices to be here.”
Austin: “I’ve been working for 16 years to compete on a stage like this and show my game and my jiu-jitsu to the whole world. This was my chance.”
These testimonials reveal the colossal emotional stakes of this competition, far beyond purely sporting aspects.
The BJJ-Rules Point
What we take from this episode:
- Narrative Evolution: The series gains human depth while maintaining sporting intensity
- Modern Coaching: Targeted tactical preparation becomes decisive in high-level competitions
- Team Dynamics: Team Gabriel finds its identity, Team Musumeci confirms its maturity
- Octagon Impact: The spatial format drastically influences strategies
- Spectacle and Authenticity: Road to the Title succeeds in balancing entertainment and sporting truth
📅 Tomorrow: The Lightweight Explosion, UFC BJJ Episode 4
Episode 4 promises to be electrifying with the duel between Carlos Henrique (Team Musumeci, seed #4) vs Gianni Grippo (Team Gabriel, seed #5).
On one side Carlos, Austin’s brother-in-law, methodical and technical. On the other Gianni Grippo, Marcelo Garcia black belt, a true living legend of jiu-jitsu, known for his revolutionary guard game and ability to create magic in crucial moments.
The teaser already shows a relaxed atmosphere with a bowling night, before things get serious again. “Me and Harrison are going to bet money each round for one of our guys to go out there,” announces Mikey, between mischief and challenge!
🎯 Your prediction? Can Carlos’s youth contain Gianni’s experience and genius?
💬 What about you, Team Davis (cold strategy) or Team Austin (Texas instinct)? Tell us in the comments!
Follow our daily Road to the Title analyses – BJJ-Rules.com breaks down each episode with the technical and passionate eye of the French community!
Keywords: UFC BJJ, Road to the Title, Davis Assare, Austin Oranday, Mikey Musumeci, Rerisson Gabriel, submission, welterweight, footlock, UFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu episode 3
