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ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci is headed home to prepare for his first contest of 2024.
Since submitting Japanese MMA icon Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 15 in October, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has been putting in work at the famed PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym in Bangkok, Thailand, to hone his skills in the art of eight limbs. Now, the five-time IBJJF world champion returning to the United States to kickstart his first fight camp of the new year.
“Pre camp shape! Tmw I head back to the US to start getting in shape and my camp for my next match!!! The first phase of the camp will be about one month in the US and it will be hell,” Musumeci wrote on his Instagram stories. “I will doubt myself, I will suffer a lot, but at the end of it, I will look up and I will be able to overcome whatever is in my way (god willing).
“God bless everyone I’m so excited to compete again and show you guys and myself what I am capable of. Let's do this!!! ❤️❤️”
Jarred Brooks dubs Mikey Musumeci “one of the best of all time”
Since making his ONE Championship debut nearly two years ago, Mikey Musumeci has maintained a perfect record, besting six straight opponents. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has put away IBJJF and Combat Sambo world champions, but perhaps his most impressive victory thus far came against current ONE strawweight MMA world titleholder Jarred ‘The Monkey God’ Brooks.
Meeting at ONE Fight Night 13 in August, Brooks gave it everything he had and nearly took Musumeci the distance, but the ‘Darth Rigatoni’ managed to snatch a rear-naked choke with just two and a half minutes remaining in the 10-minute title tilt.
“He’s super f*cking savvy,” Brooks said in a post-fight interview. “It was really hard to alleviate anything he had. Hats off to Mikey, he’s one of the best of all time. It was an honor to share the ring with him.”
Are you excited to see Mikey Musumeci back in action later this year?
