ONE 167: Mikey Musumeci Explains Heated Post-Fight Interview After Tapping Gabriel Sousa

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ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci has overcome his fair share of bullies, and this past weekend at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II, "Darth Rigatoni" put one more former tormentor in his place.

The American standout moved up to bantamweight to take on fierce rival and prolonged jabber Gabriel Sousa on Saturday, 8 June, at Bangkok, Thailand's Impact Arena.

After years of taunting Musumeci, the Brazilian ate his words after the grappling great submitted him with a calf slicer. The bout unlocked a darker side to the usually lovable Musumeci. But with the victory sealed, the 27-year-old wants to put the feud behind him and move on to bigger things.

"So for three or four years, this guy harassed me for every match that I did, discrediting me: 'Yo, he's not fighting me, he's scared of me, he's running away from me.' Just over and over and over and over," Musumeci said.

"The day before, he did this to me trying to make me flinch. He was walking chest out [toward] me. And he brought out a part of me from when I was a kid. I'm not really a tough guy, and my whole life competing with these alpha-macho people, they'd always act like [they] like action.

"It brought out Little Mikey from when I was a kid, and my anger toward that personality and that person. But, again, I just got very emotional. I'm sorry guys. But, I just leave it all out there, you know."

Coincidentally, Musumeci's next contest will be bigger - both physically and figuratively. "Darth Rigatoni" will return this September at ONE 168: Denver when he challenges ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo.

The American megastar is synonymous with his pasta-scoffing regime, and he plans to continue down that route as he bulks up for the lightweight showdown on ONE Championship's return to U.S. soil. There, a victory would make him the most decorated grappler in the promotion's history.

"I'll definitely probably stay lighter, and maybe if I can I'll try to put on another five pounds of muscle. I feel like that would be a reasonable number - 10 max," Musumeci said.

"But I can't see myself being 10 without eating more protein. I was trying for this match to eat more protein so that helped me get a little heavier. So maybe another five pounds, if that."