Mikey Musumeci concedes Shinya Aoki has the "strength advantage" in upcoming grappling showdown

At ONE Fight Night 15, Mikey Musumeci will get the opportunity to compete against a legend of grappling and mixed martial arts.

In what will be a bucket list moment for ‘Darth Rigatoni’, he faces Japanese martial arts icon Shinya Aoki on Friday, October 6.

Competing at openweight inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, the contest is set to be one that fans never thought they would see.

Despite Aoki’s wealth of experience and senior pedigree, there should be no confusion surrounding the world-class ability of Musumeci.

With three consecutive ONE flyweight submission grappling world championship defenses, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has proved himself to be a step ahead of every opponent he has faced inside the circle.

Whether it’s his grappling IQ or arsenal of attacks, it’s easy to see why Musumeci will come into this contest as a big favorite against the legend.

That being said, the champ knows better than to underestimate any opponent willing to mix it up with him on the ground.

In fact, Musumeci gave his opponent a clear edge in one specific area thanks to his martial arts experience and superior size.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:

“I do not have a strength advantage against Shinya.”

While strength may not be the most important factor in grappling, especially against an intelligent opponent like Mikey Musumeci, Aoki owns a tonne of tactics and maneuvers to make things difficult for the world champion.

ONE Fight Night 15 will air live and free in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.