ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci lived up to expectations when ONE Championship named the 2023 "Submission Grappler of the Year" award for 2023. Musumeci defended his position as the No. 1 flyweight submission grappler in 2023 with four wins and three finishes.
Mitch Musumeci successfully defended his flyweight submission grappling World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Russian Sambo Champion Gantumur Bayanduuren on January 14, 2023. The win didn't excite Musumeci though, as he wasn't happy with his performance. During the bout, Bayanduren's knee was twisted into a rather unnatural angle, but he still didn't admit defeat, and Musumeci eventually defended his belt by decision. "I'm a bit sick to my stomach, I've never broken someone's leg like this in a game, I don't want to hurt anyone. Still, the match received high ratings and Musumeci made more people aware of himself.
"ONE: Pinnacle Series 10" kicked off at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, USA, on 6 May 2023, as Musumeci defended his title against no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Osamah Almarwai. Musumeci had a lot of fun in this match, and after a failed attempt to make an ankle lock, he changed tactics. At 8:03 marked, Musumeci submitted Al Malvi by rear-naked choke, defended his belt and earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus. "I feel good, I'm doing well!"
At "ONE: Pinnacle Series 13," Musumeci defends his title against a special challenger – Strawweight Mixed Martial Arts World Champion Jarred "The Monkey King" Brooks. The grappling contender has a lot of respect for Musumeci and calls him "the Michael Jordan of submission grappling." And Musumeci deserved praise for his performance in the game. At 7:30 minutes and 30 minutes into the bout, Musumeci submitted his opponent with a triangle leg choke combined with an armbar to earn a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Just two months later, Musumeci was back in the Circle to push his limits. He crossed the weight class limit to square off against former Lightweight World Champion Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki in an undifferentiated submission grappling matchup. Aoki won the ONE Lightweight World Title with his excellent grappling skills, won the ADCC Japan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, won the two-time All Japan Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Jiu-Jitsu, and had the advantage of weight, but in the face of Musumec's fierce heel hook attack, Aoki only lasted 3:05 before throwing in the towel. Musumeci won another US$50,000 performance bonus.
In 2024, Musumeci has plenty of jiu-jitsu opponents he wants to fight, such as ADCC World Champion Diogo Reis "Baby Shark" Rice and ADCC silver medalist Gabriel Sousa. "I know these two guys push me to train harder and they excite me. ”
Musumeci is not only a fighter, he has a clear plan for his career and was involved in the filming of the second season of the reality TV show "The Amazing - ONE Championship." Musumeci is one of 10 competitors from around the world who will compete for a $250,000-a-year job under the direction of ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Who would you like to see Musumeci fight against in 2024?