Shinya Aoki: Mikey Musumeci says jiu-jitsu is a universal language: “It connects everyone in the world together”

Champion American grappler Mikey Musumeci sees jiu-jitsu as more than just a martial art but also a platform for different people to connect.

The reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion shared this sentiment in an interview with ONE Championship, underscoring how the sport is for everyone regardless of background.

‘Darth Rigatoni’ said:

“The people could be different religions, different cultures. You go in and you do jiu-jitsu the same with everyone. So it connects everyone in the world together.”

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Mikey Musumeci is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and is one of the noted faces of submission grappling in ONE.

He has successfully defended the ONE flyweight submission grappling world title three times already this year, with the most recent last month over ONE strawweight mixed martial arts king Jarred Brooks in an all-champion clash.

The reigning world champion won by submission midway into their 10-minute joust by combination of triangle and armbar.

Mikey Musumeci resumes his ONE submission grappling campaign on October 6 at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

The 27-year-old Evolve MMA affiliate is going up against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in an openweight submission grappling joust. Apart from testing his skills against a veteran like ‘Tobikan Judan,’ he is looking to extend his undefeated run in ONE, which currently stands at five straight.

Meanwhile, it will be the first fight for Aoki this year after competing three times in 2022.

ONE Fight Night 15 is available live and for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

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Edited by Taimoor Malik