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Mikey Musumeci is arguably ONE Championship’s most universally endeared fighters on the roster at the moment.
What’s not to love?
The ever-unassuming and self-described nerd carries a big smile on his face everywhere he goes. But don’t let the sunny demeanor fool you.
Once the circle door closes, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ shapeshifts into a complete submission grappling savage of the highest level.
On Friday, January 13, the American BJJ ace will be putting his newly won flyweight submission grappling world title on the line against dangerous challenger Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6 on Prime Video.
The latest episode of the BJJ vs. Sambo rivalry will air live on US Primetime and free for existing Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
After two brilliant performances inside the circle against Masakazu Imanari and Cleber Sousa, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ is set to begin his reign as world champion officially.
Watching Musumeci doing his thing is like a religious experience for practitioners of the grappling arts. He’s that good. On the flip side, even casual fans are awed by his seemingly whimsical yet technically sound style.
With that in mind, here are three reasons why you shouldn't miss Mikey Musumeci’s crowd-pleasing fights.
#1. Mikey Musumeci hunts for the finish early and often
What makes Musumeci a true jiu-jitsu savant is his grasp of the old-school and new-gen style of grappling. The 26-year-old is a true student of the game, with a clear understanding of BJJ’s fundamentals and techniques down to the tee.
However, he’s also an innovative grappler who’s not afraid to think outside the box and try new things.
For instance, Mikey Musumeci brings forth tricky and never-before-seen techniques to high-level BJJ matches – something that he adopted since moving to ONE.
The New Jersey native showcased how aggressive he can be with his rarely-seen top game when he skillfully choked out the legendary Imanari with a rear-naked choke in his ONE debut.
We also saw his amazing attacking guard against the slippery Sousa in his last outing. Every move that Musumeci performs is with an intended purpose and it’s usually to set up his nifty submission game.
That belligerent style makes him a hit for the masses and further pushes the sport of submission grappling into the spotlight.
#2. Mikey Musumeci is a leg-lock master
Since shifting his focus to no-gi and submission matches inside the circle, Musumeci has further honed his deadly leg-lock game.
Without the grip and leverage that Gi matches bring, the new wave of submission grappling stars all possess killer submissions aimed at the lower half of the body.
Mikey Musumeci, of course, is no exemption.
Back in his days in the BJJ scene, the Evolve MMA star was a feared man for his unique take on the butterfly hook ankle lock, which caught a lot of unsuspecting opponents off guard.
‘Darth Rigatoni’ developed an even more devastating technique in the coming years.
After perfecting it in the gym, Musumeci debuted what is now known as a “Mikey Lock”, which offers a rather radical new take on the heel hook.
Instead of the traditional way of using one’s armpit to control the trapped opponent’s foot, Musumeci has learned to apply more pressure to the knee by clamping it on his head instead for added leverage.
#3. Mikey Musumeci has brilliant entries to take the back
Back takes are undoubtedly one of the most dominant positions in grappling. However, it’s also one of the trickiest to perform, especially at the highest level where grapplers know how to defend what’s coming.
But time and time again, Mikey Musumeci has found a way to sneak past his opponents' defenses and turn himself into a pesky human backpack.
The American BJJ savant showed just how shifty he can be when he cut through Imanari’s guard like butter. This brilliant sequence that led to the submission pretty much shows the beauty of pure and unadulterated jiu-jitsu.
Musumeci performed a well-timed knee cut to move from side control to full mount. From there, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ briefly moved back to half-guard before performing another quick knee-cut/arm-drag combo that exposed Imanari’s back.
That was all she wrote once Musumeci established his hooks and got his arm under the legend’s chin.
