“I want to slowly learn and keep progressing” - Mikey Musumeci not in a hurry to make MMA debut

Mikey Musumeci isn’t in a rush to transition from submission grappling to MMA.

Over the last year and a half, Musumeci has become the face of ONE’s submission grappling expansion by establishing a 6-0 record, including five wins for the flyweight world title. Yet, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon, leading to an interest in potentially taking over another sport.

Musumeci has been teasing a transition to MMA for at least a year, getting fans excited about who he might fight. During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the American superstar provided an update about when he could potentially make his MMA debut:

“Maybe at the end of 2024. I want to slowly learn and keep progressing. Once I’m a high-level blue belt, I’ll be ready. I need more preparation to determine when I’m in danger.”

Mikey Musumeci last competed on October 6 against Shinya Aoki at ONE Fight Night 15. After three minutes of action, Musumeci submitted Aoki with the latter’s signature move, the Aoki Lock. The impressive finish led to a $50,000 performance bonus for ‘Darth Rigatoni.’

The question is, what’s next for the American submission grappling phenom?

There’s no shortage of potential opponents wanting to test themselves against Mikey Musumeci. With that said, the 27-year-old has respectively called out Demetrious Johnson, the ONE flyweight MMA world champion, several times for a submission grappling match.

Earlier this year, Johnson won a gold medal in a brown belt division of the IBJJF Master World Championships. It’ll be a tough test for ‘Mighty Mouse’ to defeat Musumeci, but the MMA legend should never be underestimated.

It’s unclear if ONE Championship is looking to book Musumeci vs. Johnson, but there’s no doubt that fans would be interested in seeing the matchup.