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ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci was interviewed backstage at ONE Fight Night 6 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. On the mic with ONE Championship Thailand, 'Darth Rigatoni' spoke about his recent win against Gantamur Bayanduuren.
The American BJJ black belt admitted that he felt a little nauseous after his unanimous decision win over the Mongolian Sambo world champion Gantumur Bayanduuren. This was because he wasn't expecting Bayanduuren's refusal to tap out to all of the leglocks he put him through.
Although he admitted that the Mongolian fighter should have tapped as his knee popped at least 20 times during the match, he also commended him for his toughness.
Another part of the interview that's worth noting is Mikey Musumeci's new-found love for the country of Thailand. 'Darth Rigatoni' said:
"Oh this is my favorite country in Asia now. I love Thailand [speaks in Thai]."
When asked if he'll return to Thailand again, Musumeci said:
"Yes, of course. I know they [ONE] will have one event here every week. I just want to compete in Thailand as much as I can so I'm gonna be in Thailand a lot. I'm gonna learn Thai now so I can communicate with the fans more. I'm so excited"
Watch the interview here:
Mikey Musumeci proud to represent all the nerds in the world
When it was pointed out that he's considered by many to be one of the coolest nerds in the world, Mikey Musumeci endearingly replied:
"I love it, you know. Because it is what I am, my authentic self when I go out there. And I am a nerd. And I want to show the other nerds and the people who more like me, who aren't alpha or macho, that you can go out there and compete as well and be a champion. It means so much for me to be here and represent that group of people."
Ever since he broke into the mainstream and became a ONE world champion, Mikey Musumeci has become a sort of icon by being his authentic self. His boyish smile and his nerdy demeanor belie his lethal skills on the mat.
Upon winning his world title at ONE on Prime Video 2 last year, Musumeci received commendations from perhaps the most famous nerd in history. Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, left a simple comment on Musumeci's post about winning the belt:
“Congrats! 👏”
Musumeci then replied with:
“@zuck I have to try to hold it down for us nerds 🤣❤️😊.
It's nice to see Mikey Musumeci raising the flag for people who aren't always well represented in sports that are stereotypically associated with muscle-bound brutes.We say that he's waiving that flag rather well.
