"Darth Rigatoni needs a nerf," "Flow state Musumeci is scary" - MMA fans stunned after Mikey Musumeci taps out Demetrius Johnson twice

Fans react to Mikey Musumeci submitting Demetrious Johnson in training. [Images courtesy: Getty]
Fans react to Mikey Musumeci submitting Demetrious Johnson in training. [Images courtesy: Getty]

Mikey Musumeci spent some time training grappling with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson and submitted him twice in a single session. Johnson, who retired from mixed martial arts in 2024, has shifted his focus to training and competing in grappling.

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Check out the X post below:

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Several fans took to X to react to the video, with one fan writing:

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"Flow state Musumeci is scary."

Meanwhile, other fans wrote:

"I wonder if Mike has ever thought about getting into the UFC."
"He’s making submitting DJ look easy holy sh*t."
"Surgical!"
"Darth Rigatoni needs a nerf."
"DJ literally said he messes about with them for practice, he’s having fun lol."
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"Mikey is so nice with it."
"Death Sentence' has to avenge this loss…good luck, Mikey, you’re gonna need it."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Mikey Musumeci submitting Demetrious Johnson in training. [Screenshots courtesy: @Home_of_Fight on X]
Fans react to Mikey Musumeci submitting Demetrious Johnson in training. [Screenshots courtesy: @Home_of_Fight on X]

Musumeci has flourished in the UFC’s submission-only format by becoming the inaugural bantamweight champion. His rise in the organization includes a heel hook victory to claim the title against Rerisson Gabriel and a successful defense with a signature modified heel hook known as the “Mikey lock" against Keven Carrasco.

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Johnson has trained with Musumeci and other grappling talents, including UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, ahead of his clash against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320.


When Demetrious Johnson’s grappling superfight with Mikey Musumeci fell through

After Demetrious Johnson retired from MMA, fans hoped a grappling showdown with Mikey Musumeci might happen. While there were talks, negotiations over terms and mixed-rules formats never aligned.

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Johnson has embraced competitive BJJ for enjoyment rather than money or publicity. He values the freedom to train and compete without pressure, skipping superfight hype and contract disputes. Speaking about the offer on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:

"They offered me to do a superfight with Mikey Musumeci. They’re, like, 'Hey, what do you think about doing a grappling match with Mikey?' And then we were going back and forth like with the price, and we just couldn’t come to terms. Then they were like, 'How about a superfight with Mikey Musumeci? We’ll do one round grappling and one round mixed martial arts? I was, like, guys, I truly don’t care about fighting." [H/t: BJJ Easter Europe]

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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