Mikey Musumeci has been nothing however perfection in his run with ONE Championship.
The American grappler is the inaugural and reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion and holds an ideal 4-0 file in the promotion.
‘Darth Rigatoni’ made his ONE Championship debut in April 2022 and has since run by everybody that the promotion put in entrance of him.
The legendary Masakazu Imanari, Cleber Sousa, Gantumur Bayanduuren, and most just lately Osamah Almarwai all fell sufferer to the pressure of Musumeci’s submission holds.
While his spotless file does maintain a ton of weight, his victories will all the time fluctuate from the spectacular to the otherworldly.
That mentioned, we’re right here to rank Musumeci’s run and look again at his excellent run in ONE Championship so far.
#4. Cleber Sousa
Mikey Musumeci was put in a historic place heading into ONE on Prime Video 2 towards outdated rival Cleber Sousa.
The pair already squared off towards each other practically 5 years earlier than their fateful encounter for the ONE flyweight submission grappling world title. Sousa took the win towards Musumeci in their first assembly in the 2017 IBJFF Pan American Championship’s gi class.
Musumeci avenged that loss, although, only a month later in the 2017 Abu Dhabi World Pro. Their assembly contained in the circle in the end gave them the chance to interrupt that stalemate, in addition to battle one another for a chunk of historical past.
With the match carrying so a lot historical past behind it, Musumeci labored his hardest to safe a spotlight reel submission.
Sousa, although, was far too intelligent to fall for his outdated rival’s methods.
Nevertheless, Musumeci mounted so a lot offense that Sousa finally obtained himself locked in a few holds.
Ultimately it was ‘Darth Rigatoni’s fixed pursuit of a end, in addition to an general extra aggressive sport, that earned him the choice win to turn into the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion.
#3. Gantumur Bayanduuren
After outsmarting his outdated rival Cleber Sousa for inaugural gold, Mikey Musumeci’s first world title protection was arrange for the beginning of ONE Championship’s 2023 calendar at ONE Fight Night 6.
Standing throughout Musumeci was Mongolian fighter Gantumur Bayanduuren.
Musumeci knew that Bayanduuren was going to be a troublesome opponent, however he didn’t gauge simply how robust the Combat Sambo world champion could be.
Right from the opening bell, Musumeci hunted Bayanduuren’s legs and finally slapped in his signature “Mikey Lock”. The American star cranked as laborious as he may to pressure Bayanduuren to submit, however the Mongolian star fought by all of it.
Bayanduuren was underneath Musumeci’s management all through the match that he barely had any offense. While his hardest and grit had been admirable, his averse angle in the direction of tapping out in the end value him.
Musumeci ended up retaining the ONE flyweight submission grappling world title by way of unanimous choice, whereas Bayanduuren was rushed to the hospital after struggling a number of accidents to his leg.
#2. Masakazu Imanari
Mikey Musumeci was one of many most-hyped athletes to ever make his debut in ONE Championship.
A five-time BJJ world champion earlier than signing with ONE Championship, Musumeci knew that he had his work would minimize out for him the second he made the stroll to the circle.
Musumeci, although, made positive that each one the hype was warranted.
Facing off towards Japanese legend Masakazu Imanari, Musumeci near-guaranteed that his debut match at ONE 156 could be one thing to recollect.
Musumeci instantly pulled guard to primarily forestall Imanari from utilizing his trademark leg transition, the aptly named Imanari Roll.
The pair would commerce leg lock makes an attempt in the primary couple of minutes till Musumeci calmly handed and took mount place. Another cross and Musumeci discovered himself taking Imanari’s again to take the scientific rear-naked choke submission win.
#1. Osamah Almarwai
This could seem to be recency bias, however make no mistake, Mikey Musumeci’s victory over Osamah Almarwai was really otherworldly.
Musumeci fought in the United States for the primary time since signing with ONE Championship and promptly placed on a present in entrance of his dwelling followers.
‘Darth Rigatoni’ additionally had the right opponent in Osamah Almarwai. The two are Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizards who’re totally able to placing on a high-octane present that may pull in even essentially the most informal of viewers.
Almarwai had a stellar run in 2022 whereby he grew to become an IBJJ No-Gi world champion, however Musumeci is simply one other beast altogether.
Musumeci was aggressive proper from the beginning and rapidly had Almarwai underneath his management. The reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion slapped in a good leg lock early on, however the Yemeni star proved too gutsy for the submission maintain.
After making a cross to take Almarwai’s again, it didn’t take lengthy for Musumeci to sneak in and slap in a rear-naked choke for the submission win.
Discussion about this post