ONE Championship: Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci Reveals His Love For Muay Thai Training

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Despite undisputedly sitting as ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, Mikey Musumeci isn't content on mastering just one martial art. And that desire for knowledge has seen him strap on the gloves to train Muay Thai with the very best on offer.

Musumeci is fresh off a monumental submission win over Shinya Aoki this past October at ONE Fight Night 15. Since then, "Darth Rigatoni" has been spending time in Thailand training in Muay Thai. And the culture has unlocked a new love of striking for the grappling king.

"My favorite thing when I was living in Thailand the past two months was hanging out at PK Saenchai because it was all up-and-coming, young, hungry fighters, and they were all at the gym grinding together," Musumeci said.

The quest to become the most well-rounded martial arts he can possibly be has also seen him practice his striking craft with former longtime ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama and ONE flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

But while the training sessions alongside some of the sport's greatest fighters has been memorable, Musumeci admits the regime has been rigorous. The conditioning training has opened his eyes to a world beyond Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

But what "Darth Rigatoni" has taken away from his time at PK Saenchai gym is the indelible spirit from practitioners at every level in the facility. Going from master back to student has been a humbling experience.

Musumeci is known for getting his teeth into anything he loves. As a relative newcomer to Muay Thai, Musumeci is excited to see just how far his striking potential can take him - and it may just open up more opportunities for him in ONE Championship.

"While you're dying and suffering [in Muay Thai training], everyone else is too, so it builds that camaraderie. You're dying, but it's a vibe of everyone dying together, so it's not as hard, and you feel hungry," Musumeci said.

"Everyone is showing up every day to train, so why are you not? You should be there also, so it makes you motivated. I love the energy of the Muay Thai people, and I try to have that energy with jiu-jitsu."