Mikey Musumeci continues to wonder on the buzz ONE Championship has created to additional put Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the map.
It’s a real understatement to mention that 2022 has been excellent to the multi-time grappling global champion. The newly-crowned ONE flyweight submission grappling global champion continues to be on cloud 9 after defeating Brazilian rival Cleber Sousa within the co-main match at ONE on Top Video 2.
Within the post-fight interview at ONE on Top Video 2, the 26-year-old superstar defined how the group is converting pre-conceived notions of Brazilian-jiu-jitsu as a non-spectator game. The promotion does this through giving athletes the chance to exhibit their abilities on a world-renowned platform:
“I consider telling all my pals [that] all 5 occasions that I received [in] black belt [during] worlds used to be nonetheless like 10% of the exposure and popularity you get for successful one fit in ONE. So it simply tells you the way large this platform is, and what they are doing for the athletes. You recognize, all of us paintings so laborious and educate so laborious. So some of these athletes deserve this popularity for a way laborious they educate. And ONE is giving us a platform that we deserve. I am simply so grateful to be in this platform, and I thank Chatri such a lot for this chance.”
On September 30, thousands and thousands of US subscribers tuned in to look at the grappling phenom compete for the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling championship. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ drew primary fan hobby and viral again in April through filing grappling veteran Masakazu Imanari.
Mikey Musumeci continues to be in awe at the truth that the eye that his fit with Imanari garnered used to be way more consideration within the mainstream media than all 5 of his IBJJF global identify wins mixed.
Mikey Musumeci needs to proportion the mat with MMA icon Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson
Mikey Musumeci nonetheless needs to tug off every other submission end for his fanatics. Even though he didn’t somewhat get the end result he sought after with Cleber Sousa, he believes a grappling fit with Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson may well be one for the historical past books.
Within the post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, Mikey Musumeci mentioned:
“I do know me and him may just deliver the MMA and jiu-jitsu fanatics in combination and it will be simply be a ancient, implausible match. It could be an honor to step at the mat with him.”
Johnson used to be additionally topped this 12 months as the brand new ONE flyweight global champion in MMA after defeating former flyweight kingpin Adriano Moraes at ONE on Top Video 1. In previous interviews, Johnson mentioned he’s taking a look ahead to dealing with a former department king in Kairat ‘The Kazakh’ Akhmetov, who has accumulated 5 consecutive wins during the last 4 years.
Even though a grappling fit may well be the very last thing on his thoughts, ‘Mighty Mouse’ hasn’t ever sponsored out of a chance to make historical past once more. Most likely taking part in the historical past card would possibly even encourage Johnson to just accept Musumeci’s respectful callout that a lot faster.
Edited through John Cunningham