Tammi Musumeci says random encounters with fans proof of BJJ’s rapid growth

ONE submission grappler Tammi Musumeci is impressed with the rapid growth of BJJ in ONE Championship.

Back in the day, jiu-jitsu wasn’t considered the most entertaining of sports to watch on mainstream TV. Although many have heard of the Brazilian art form in conjunction with mixed martial arts, no one went out of their way to watch the sport on its own.

As Tammi Musumeci explained in her post-fight interview at ONE Fight Night 12, fans who are already familiar with the sport have the advantage of being able to follow what’s happening compared to those who aren’t. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t eventually turn into fans.

In ONE Championship alone, there’s growing proof that BJJ is actively becoming more popular.

“I mean, I remember even when Mikey and I were at a pizza place in Vegas, like these random people [would come up to us]. It’s like it's always when we're out people always come over to Mikey and they're like, ‘oh, you're the guy that was doing jiu-jitsu. That was crazy how you wrapped your body around and you got the choke.’”

Mikey Musumeci, Tammi’s younger brother and the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion, is one of the highest-paid jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world, thanks to the Singapore-based promotion. The fact that Mikey and Tammi can make a living from BJJ speaks volumes as to where the future of the sport is headed.

Expect to see more of Tammi this year, especially now that she captured her second straight victory in ONE.

ONE Fight Night 12 is available via replay on Amazon Prime Video.