Grappling ace Mikey Musumeci turned in another memorable performance last night (Fri., Oct. 7, 2023) at ONE Fight Night 15 from inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, when the flyweight champion shocked legend Shinya Aoki with a first-round heel hook finish.
Musumeci, 27, is the current rave of the grappling community. The five-time IBJJF black belt World Champion has won his first five appearances under the ONE Championship banner and his last eight grappling matches overall. He was the favorite to take care of business on Friday night, but it was still an interesting matchup against a proven tactician like Aoki.
It only took Musumeci about three minutes to lock up the finish. “Darth Rigatoni” was able to grab a hold of a leg and quickly attacked the heel. Aoki is known for his own heel-hooking abilities, but he didn’t stand a chance once Musumeci started to crank. Aoki had no choice but to tap as Musumeci immediately checked if he was okay.
Check out the highlights in the above video player.
Musumeci, who seems unbeatable at this point in time, is now 6-0 since joining ONE Championship back in April 2022. The New Jersey native has teased a potential move to mixed martial arts (MMA), but for now he will continue to dominate flyweight title challengers on the mats.