Mikey Musumeci, the current ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, has recently been immersing himself in the art of Muay Thai. As a result, he has come to a number of conclusions, one of which is that the techniques he uses in jiu-jitsu are far simpler than those used in the “art of eight limbs.”
“Darth Rigatoni” is currently training in Muay Thai in order to broaden his fighting repertoire. Recently, he attended the PK Saenchai camp in Thailand, where he trained alongside some of the world’s best athletes, including world champions Nong-O Hama and Superbon Singha Mawynn. According to him, it was a trying experience that was, at the same time, extremely educational.
“You do Muay Thai, and then jiu-jitsu feels like the easiest thing ever,” the American grappling ace who is 27 years old stated in an interview with onefc.com. The interview was published on onefc.com.
Mikey Musumeci is drawn to the striking art for a number of reasons, one of which is the culture of hard work and the brotherhood within the community. This aspect of the art has further increased his appreciation for those who practice Muay Thai.
However, despite the fact that he has been dabbling in some training for Muay Thai, the Italian-American champion has been maintaining his dominant position in the field of submission grappling.
Recently, he competed in a grappling match against the legendary grappler Shinya Aoki of Japan in an openweight submission grappling match. In the first minute of their bout, which lasted ten minutes, Musumeci defeated his idol by forcing him to submit with a “Aoki Lock,” which is a modified form of the straight ankle lock. The victory brought his winning streak in ONE to a total of six in a row in as many matches.
Before that, in October, he defeated ONE Strawweight Mixed Martial Arts King Jarred Brooks via submission to successfully defend his world title for the third time. This victory came against Jarred Brooks in their all-champion title bout.
The success that Mikey Musumeci is having in ONE has been a continuation of the success that he had attained in jiu-jitsu prior to joining the promotion. These accomplishments include winning five International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world titles while representing the United States of America.
