Mikey Musumeci, ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, has expressed during a recent interview that he feels he has a responsibility to make his upcoming match at ONE Fight Night 10 action packed, in order to bring more spectator interest to the grappling arts.
In addition to currently holding ONE Championship gold, Musumeci is a five-time IBJJF black belt world champion. “Darth Rigatoni” further solidified his reputation by submitting the legendary Masakazu Imanari via rear naked choke one year ago, contributing in part to the 3-0 grappling record he currently boasts with ONE.
mikey musumeci imanari ONE championship Jiu Jitsu pic.twitter.com/8LSbIzw3mB
— Just Your Average MMA Fan (@average_mma) August 11, 2022
Despite an exciting performance in his last outing back in January, Musumeci was unable to get the submission, even after breaking his Mongolian opponent’s ankle with a devastating leg lock.
At ONE, Mikey Musumeci ended up tearing his opponent’s ACL, MCL, meniscus and broke his ankle.
His opponent didn’t tap. Incredible.
per @NicoSCMP pic.twitter.com/03QJJCmqYh— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 17, 2023
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In his upcoming bout on May 5th in Denver, Colorado, Musumeci will defend his title versus Osamah Almarwai, who trains at ATOS Jiu-Jitsu under one of the most decorated grappling athletes of all time in Andre Galvao.
The champion touched on the pressure of high level competition, as well as what he has planned for his clash with Almarwai, during his recent interview with the South China Morning Post.
“A lot of people break from pressure. That’s something I’ve noticed about people”.
“I feel like one gift I’ve always had is, whenever I get more pressure, it brings out a better version of me. I’m excited to see how I’m able to perform with this pressure. It’s going to push me.”
“Me and [Almarwai] have a huge responsibility. Jiu-jitsu can be boring to people that don’t know jiu-jitsu”.
“When I go out in this match, I’m just going to sprint at him. I expect him to do the same … Kill or be killed. That’s the mindset”.
Ramping the excitement up even higher for this matchup, both competitors have said they are going in with the distinct goal of ending the bout within the allotted time.
“It’s not going to be easy to submit Mikey, I’m not saying this, but I believe in myself, I believe in my team, I believe in my training, and I’m confident I can get the tap.” – Osamah Almarwai
Many enthusiasts believe that Musumeci is the best American-born Jiu-Jitsu practitioner that we have ever seen, and in ONE Championship’s first appearance on American soil, he will look to further prove himself in front of his home country crowd.
For the fans at home across North America, ONE Fight Night 10 will be available live on Amazon Prime Video on May 5th.