Tag: Mikey Musumeci

Former ONE World Champion Signs Exclusive Deal With The UFC

UFC president Dana White took to social media last night to announce some ground-breaking news for the promotion. In recent years, the UFC Fight Pass Invitational has started to become a major fixture in the submission grappling world and it appears that the UFC is going to double down on this in the next few […]

UFC president Dana White took to social media last night to announce some ground-breaking news for the promotion. In recent years, the UFC Fight Pass Invitational has started to become a major fixture in the submission grappling world and it appears that the UFC is going to double down on this in the next few months.

White broke the news that former ONE Championship star Mikey Musumeci has signed to become the UFC’s first-ever exclusive grappling competitor. He is set to make his FPI debut on December 5 at the Apex in Las Vegas where he faces Felipe Machado in the main event.

White’s social media video hyped up Musumeci’s arrival along with the statement that this big signing is set to be the first of many that are coming in the near future.

“Over the course of the last year, I’ve been working on developing the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu program in the world. I am excited to announce that we’ve signed Mikey Musumeci to the first-ever exclusive BJJ promotional agreement in the company’s history. If you don’t know, Mikey is considered by many to be the best BJJ player in the world and he is a multiple-time world champion and unbeaten over the past eight years at 135-pounds. This will be the first of many we will sign over the coming months.”

ONE Championship has also looked to capitalize on the growing interest in submission grappling over the past few years by signing some of the top athletes in the sport like Musumeci and the Ruotolo brothers. Musumeci became the promotion’s inaugural flyweight submission grappling world champion and defended the belt several times before announcing his departure from the promotion last week.

He was recently stripped of the flyweight title after failing to make weight and pass his hydration test after agreeing to a late notice title defense at ONE 168 this past September. A video of Musumeci being sat at the Apex alongside the UFC boss prompted some speculation that this could be his next destination.

Mikey Musumeci Walks Away from ONE Championship

Mikey Musumeci Leaves ONE ChampionshipSuperstar Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete Mikey Musumeci has walked away from ONE Championship. This comes just weeks after the weight-cut…

Mikey Musumeci Leaves ONE Championship

Superstar Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete Mikey Musumeci has walked away from ONE Championship. This comes just weeks after the weight-cut controversy in his most recent scheduled match that led him to be stripped of his title.

Mikey Musumeci Leaves ONE Championship

“Darth Rigatoni” Mikey Musumeci is an American-Italian standout grappler in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who has collected impressive titles in IBJJF world championships. He recently reported on Instagram that he stepping away from ONE Championship leaving the organization behind. He wrote:

“END OF A CHAPTER OF MY LIFE – today I would like to announce I will no longer be living in Asia or competing under One Championship … These past three years I have had some of the best memories and lessons of my life! I met so many incredible people in Singapore and in Thailand … I was the first submission grappling world champion the organization ever had, and I had the platform and opportunity to help grow our sport of jiu jitsu to so many more people.

Some people speculate that the submission grappler is not happy with how he was treated in his last match. Musumeci was originally scheduled to face Kade Ruotolo at 170 lbs. However, Ruotolo withdrew due to injury. ONE Championship then asked Musumeci to defend his flyweight (135 lb) title against a replacement opponent, Bebeto Oliveira, on short notice. This required Musumeci to attempt to cut approximately 35 lbs in just 72 hours, which many considered an unreasonable and dangerous request.

Musumeci failed to make weight, coming in at 136 lbs, and also failed hydration tests. As a result, ONE Championship stripped Musumeci of his flyweight submission grappling title. The grappling community largely rallied behind Musumeci, criticizing ONE Championship for putting him in this difficult position. The incident led to significant backlash against ONE Championship’s weight-cutting and hydration policies.

Just weeks after this controversy, Mikey Musumeci announced he was leaving ONE Championship. The chief executive officer of ONE Chatri Sityodtong and ONE Championship has not made any official announcement regarding this news.

Mikey Musumeci

He made history in 2019 by securing the fastest submission ever in an IBJJF World Championship final, tapping out his opponent with an ankle lock in just 12 seconds. Since joining ONE, Musumeci has remained undefeated with a 7-0 record, including 5 submission victories. He has successfully defended his world title multiple times against high-level opponents.

ONE 168: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Live Results & Highlights

ONE Championship is back for its second event in the United States this week, and MMA News has you covered with all the action! In May 2023, the organization presented ONE Fight Night 10 from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event marke…

ONE 168

ONE Championship is back for its second event in the United States this week, and MMA News has you covered with all the action! In May 2023, the organization presented ONE Fight Night 10 from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event marked its on-site debut in the United States, and ONE Championship brought a stacked card […]

Continue Reading ONE 168: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Live Results & Highlights at MMA News.

Injured Kade Ruotolo Out Of ONE 168: Denver Title Fight Following Craig Jones Invitational Win

ONE Championship’s upcoming return to the United States has taken a major hit. After fortifying its status among combat promotions in Asia, ONE began its pursuit of further prominence on US soil by debuting in the region last year. The successful ONE Fight Night 10 card took place at the 1stBankCenter in Broomfield, where Demetrious […]

Continue Reading Injured Kade Ruotolo Out Of ONE 168: Denver Title Fight Following Craig Jones Invitational Win at MMA News.

ONE Championship’s upcoming return to the United States has taken a major hit.

After fortifying its status among combat promotions in Asia, ONE began its pursuit of further prominence on US soil by debuting in the region last year. The successful ONE Fight Night 10 card took place at the 1stBankCenter in Broomfield, where Demetrious Johnson, Rodtang Jitmuangnon, and Stamp Fairtex were among the major winners.

The organization is back in Colorado almost 16 months later, with Denver’s Ball Arena playing host to ONE’s sophomore US event. But when it comes to putting on a stacked lineup for the American audience, not everything has gone to plan this time around.

ONE 168, set for this Friday, September 6, first lost its strawweight MMA title headliner between champion Xiong Jing Nan and atomweight queen Stamp after the latter tore her meniscus in May.

And just as fight week gets underway, the upcoming card has taken another huge blow…

Ruotolo Out Of Musumeci Super Fight, ‘Dealing With Injuries’ After CJI Triumph

In the absence of Xiong vs. Stamp, another champ vs. champ showdown was cemented as the main event in Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9. Co-headlining, meanwhile, was slated to be a submission grappling title fight.

Among those raising the prominence of submission grappling in ONE are Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci. The pair were scheduled to do battle for the former’s lightweight title at ONE 168, with “Darth Rigatoni” moving up three weight classes to take on the challenge.

But after emerging $1 million richer from the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational last month, Ruotolo is carrying injuries and has been left unable to share the Circle with Musumeci in Denver.

“Just going to start by saying this year has been a hectic one,” Ruotolo wrote on Facebook. “I am proud for accomplishing my goals this year of competing in gi, nogi and mma. I’m unfortunately dealing with injuries. I know a lot of people, including myself and Mikey were looking forward to the One match in Denver but unfortunately it’s off.

“Im going to be recovering alongside my brother and hope to get back to the mats asap. Massive thank you to @onechampionships for being the best martial arts platform @yodchatri,” he concluded.

It’s unclear whether Musumeci will remain on the lineup and receive a replacement opponent. But should he and Ruotolo be off the card, ONE 168 will have lost one of its biggest matchups and both of its big-name US athletes.

Continue Reading Injured Kade Ruotolo Out Of ONE 168: Denver Title Fight Following Craig Jones Invitational Win at MMA News.

Nate Diaz slams Mikey Musumeci with homophobic slur, draws response from the ONE world champion

Nate DiazNate Diaz used a homophonic slur to describe ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci. Recently, the former…

Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz used a homophonic slur to describe ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci.

Recently, the former UFC star spent some time sparring and training alongside controversial Rumble streamer Sneako. Their pairing came only a few short days removed from a viral sparring session that saw Sneako take an absolute beating from former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland ahead of Super Bowl weekend.

Before mixing it up with Strickland and Diaz, Sneako drew the ire of Musumeci after the influencer suggested that “jiu-jitsu is for autistic people” and added that the five-time IBJJF world champion “shouldn’t be winning,” referring to Musumeci’s unassuming appearance.

Musumeci was quick to come to the defense of his sport, offering to face Sneako in an MMA fight.

Speaking of the situation while training with Sneako, Nate Diaz delivered his scathing take on Musumeci’s challenge and referred to the ONE Championship fighter in a most unsavory way.

That other little b*tch jiu-jitsu guy,” Diaz said. “F*ck that little f*ggot. I kind of forgot about him when I saw that, but I didn’t even give him no attention. F*ck that little b*tch.

Mikey Musumeci Responds to Nate Diaz’s Vile Comments

Getting wind of Diaz’s comments, Mikey Musumeci delivered a dignified response to the ‘Stockton Samurai,’ suggesting that they step on the mats for a friendly contest between two accomplished BJJ black belts.

“Wow, so I just learned from my video that Nate Diaz called me out, and in no way am I calling him out right now, this is just me responding to that video,” Musumeci said in a video posted on his Instagram. “The first thing I’ll say is I’ve always been a huge fan of watching Nick and Nate Diaz in MMA, they’re absolute legends. Amazing grappling, amazing striking, and they’re about that life.

“Obviously, I can’t fight Nate in an MMA fight. He would kill me, but I would absolutely accept a grappling match with him since we’re both black belts in jiu-jitsu. It would be an absolute honor to have the opportunity to face such a legend like Nate. A once in a lifetime opportunity, right? I don’t care about weight class or anything, I would be a hundred percent down to grapple with him” (h/t Sportskeeda).

ONE Championship targeting mixed-rules clash between Demetrious Johnson and BBJ star Mikey Musumeci

ONE Championship Demetrious Johnson vs. Mikey MusumeciDemetrious Johnson has been out of action ever since he scored a second-straight victory over former flyweight titleholder Adriano…

ONE Championship Demetrious Johnson vs. Mikey Musumeci

Demetrious Johnson has been out of action ever since he scored a second-straight victory over former flyweight titleholder Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 in May.

‘Mighty Mouse’ earned a decisive unanimous decision over Moraes, closing out their iconic trilogy with the ONE flyweight world championship firmly wrapped around his waist. Since then, fight fans have been chomping at the bit to find out what would be next for the pound-for-pound great.

During a recent interview with BJPenn.com, ONE CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the promotion has been in talks with Johnson, hoping to coax him back inside the Circle for a mixed-rules bout with reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling titleholder Mikey Musumeci.

“We have been trying to get DJ a mixed-rules fight between DJ and Mikey Musumeci the flyweight grappling world champion,” Sityodtong revealed. “I think that would be a spectacular fight, as well.”

“I think DJ is kind of more in cruise control after having won his last title fight and when he is ready he will let us know when he wants to fight. He says he doesn’t have the burning desire, but he hasn’t retired yet, so I think DJ has a few more fights left in him to further cement his legendary GOAT status” (h/t BJJ DOC).

Musumeci is a five-time IBJJF world champion and currently holds an undefeated record under the ONE banner with wins over reigning ONE strawweight champ Jarred Brooks and Japanese grappling legends Masakazu Imanari and Shinya Aoki.

Over the last year, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has lobbied for a submission grappling showcase with Demetrious Johnson inside the Circle. He has also begun preparing for a move into MMA.

Sityodtong Hopes a ‘Crazy Mixed-Rules Fight’ will bring Demetrious Johnson back to ONE

Demetrious Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. Winning the UFC’s inaugural flyweight title in 2012, ‘Mighty Mouse’ defended the title an incredible 11 times, besting some of the division’s biggest names, including John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Joseph Benavidez, and Henry Cejudo.

In 2018, he moved to ONE Championship as part of a historic trade between the two organizations. Johnson immediately made his mark, winning the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Tournament before moving on to his title trilogy with Adriano Moraes.

Of course, you can’t mention DJ’s ONE career without bringing up his historic mixed-rules clash with Muay Thai sensation Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Stepping inside the Circle at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022, Johnson earned a second-round rear-naked choke submission against ‘The Iron Man’ after surviving a barrage of strikes in the opening round.

“He needs some big challenges, maybe some crazy mixed-rules fight,” Sityodtong continued. “He’s the only person in the history of martial arts to win belts in the two biggest and most prestigious organizations, UFC and ONE, and do so in such a legendary way.”

“If you look at his skillset, forget about titles, if you just look at his skillset, he has by far the most complete skillset of any martial artist in the history of mankind, you look at his striking, clinch gane, his wrestling, his transitions, his submission grappling game, he is completely well-rounded without any holds, and then you add in his cardio, for me, he’s the GOAT.”