Mikey Musumeci Dissects World-Title Retaining Performance At ONE Fight Night 13

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Bangkok, August 11: ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci kept his winning ways intact at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian, as "Darth Rigatoni" showed no signs of slowing down.

The American grappling phenom faced ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks in the evening's co-main event last week. Musumeci showcased his dominant skill set, defeating Brooks with a triangle-armbar at 7:30 of the bout at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Musumeci was pressured from the get-go by Brooks, as advertised. But the defending champ picked his moment carefully to sink in the submission and remain unbeaten in the world's largest martial arts organization.

"Man, I grapple with so many high-level people, and he's super tough and durable, super strong. I was really impressed by how he was hand-fighting me at close guard. He was awesome, and again, props to him," Musumeci said.

"He's a warrior. He's a world champion in MMA, and he took a match with me in jiu-jitsu, going out of his comfort zone. So I just have so much respect for him. He's just such an awesome guy. I'm such a fan of him."

"Darth Rigatoni" has always taken a respectful approach to his matches. Brooks, however, hasn't always been so polite. This time, there was no tension between the outstanding athletes. And while Brooks had a word or two for Musumeci, there was nothing but respect behind it.

"No, I loved this vibe. For me, every match is just a roll in the gym. So I love it when the person doesn't have to do stupid things and you're just cool as hell. And he [has] a good vibe overall," Musumeci said.

"It was just super fun for me, and experiencing Lumpinee Stadium for the first time, competing in the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in the ring, it was such a cool experience."

After submitting yet another elite challenger, Musumeci finds himself with an unblemished 5-0 record inside ONE Championship. And as a result, it leaves many pondering what's next for the 27-year-old.

Respectful as ever, though, Musumeci isn't one to call out names and pick fights. Instead, he's happy to face whoever is put in front of him. After all, according to him the greatest foe he meets is the one he sees in the mirror.

So as long as he keeps conquering the mental battles he faces on his road through competition, Musumeci wants to continue leading the way in ONE's submission grappling world with gold over his shoulder.

"I always say this, my biggest opponent is myself. I'm always battling things, and I'm always overcoming," he said. "So I'm just grateful to be here. I'm grateful to keep competing and pushing myself to the next level."