Tammi Musumeci says casual MMA fans now watch jiu-jitsu because of ONE Championship

ONE rising star Tammi Musumeci is proud of how far jiu-jitsu and submission grappling has come over the last few years.

Initially considered a niche sport for die-hard fans, grappling-exclusive matches have now become more accepted in the combat sports mainstream.

In fact, Musumeci believes ONE Championship’s initiative to bring submission grappling to the world stage is a big reason why even casual MMA fans are now drawn into the sport.

The Pedigo Submission Fighting product told the Singapore-based promotion:

“It's pretty cool to see how like, people who might not have any fighting experience are able to at least watch jujitsu. [They] appreciate it and, and be able to, you know, watch it as a spectator. I think that's pretty cool that ONE's giving us that opportunity, but also comes with great responsibility.”

Grappling and jiu-jitsu, of course, are one of the pillars of mixed martial arts. However, it’s only just recently that the masses have grown fond of grappling-only bouts.

ONE has done a phenomenal job of showcasing the sport’s amazing mix of technical mastery and brutal savagery.

The largest martial arts organization managed to bring more eyes to grappling by bringing in jiu-jitsu’s brightest stars to its star-studded stable.

Among those are Tammi Musumeci’s younger brother and reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci, along with the famed Ruotolo twins, Kade and Tye.

The 29-year-old is also part of the promotion’s amazing roster of female grapplers, along with the likes of Danielle Kelly and Musmeci’s ONE Fight Night 12 opponent Amanda Alequin, among others.

Musumeci has also done her part in promoting the sport by putting on exciting matches, including her latest victory over ‘Tubby’ last week.

ONE Fight Night 12 is available free for replay for those with a Prime Video membership in North America.