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Backstage at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic, Demetrious Johnson and Mikey Musumeci were seen sharing jiu-jitsu techniques with each other.
The rare meeting between the MMA legend and jiu-jitsu rising star was a slice of heaven for fans of both sports. Musumeci, when the video was captured, had just participated in his bonus-winning ONE debut against another legend in Masakazu Imanari.
In the background of the video, you can also see Musumeci's opponent that night, Imanari, hanging out with him backstage. The two also shared some interactions and kind words. Demetrious Johnson, while not fighting that night, participated as a cornerman for American fighter James Yang.
Showing the intricacies of how he finished Imanari via rear-naked choke, Musumeci was all smiles when he was demonstrating the technique to DJ:
Musumeci showed Demetrious Johnson how he managed to get the choke despite Imanari firmly tucking his chin down. It is highly technical and brilliant and goes to show how much Musumeci uses his intelligent understanding of anatomy to improve his jiu-jitsu game.
Perhaps a mixed-rules bout between Mikey Musumeci and Demetrious Johnson would be something to see? We're sure a lot of people would pay to see that.
Mikey Musumeci submitted grappling legend Masakazu Imanari at ONE 156
Mikey Musumeci faced MMA and jiu-jitsu icon Masakazu 'Ashikan Judan' Imanari in a submission grappling match on the lead card of ONE 156.
The match was set for a single 12-minute round and would have no scoring system. The the only way to win was either via submission or by having the most number of legitimate submission attempts by the time the match ended.
The bout was a classic contest that showcased what high-level grappling is all about. Right off the bat, Imanari, known for innovating leglock attacks in grappling, jumped into a leg-lock battle with Musumeci. After a technical scramble, Musumeci majestically transitioned from half-guard top to back control.
With a tight body lock, Musumeci hunted for the choke while Imanari tried to escape. In the middle of the highly-technical chess match, Musumeci beautifully adjusted his body lock to trap one of Imanari's arms. With just one arm defending from the choke, Imanari had very few tools to repel Mikey Musumeci's attacks. The submission was academic from there. The Japanese had no choice but to tap.
The win got Musumeci a sweet $50,000 performance bonus as well.
Watch their full match here:
