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ONE Fight Night 6: Mikey Musumeci Reflects On Stomach-Churning Win

The battle made for uncomfortable viewing at times, however, as Musumeci secured his signature "Mikey Lock" that turned his foe's leg in unnatural directions.

Mikey Musumeci

Bangkok, January 19: Mikey Musumeci defended his ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title for the first time at ONE Fight Night 6: Superbon vs. Allazov, but he isn't happy with how the bout played out.

"Darth Rigatoni" was dominant in his unanimous decision win over Combat Sambo World Champion Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE first event of the new year at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, 14 January.

The battle made for uncomfortable viewing at times, however, as Musumeci secured his signature "Mikey Lock" that turned his foe's leg in unnatural directions.

The ultra-tough Mongolian refused to concede defeat with a tap, prompting Musumeci to torque and twist the limb for most of the 10-minute battle - much to his dismay.

"I'm kind of nauseous right now. I'm really sick to my stomach. I never felt someone's leg explode like that in a match. I've been training for 22 years; I never broke someone's leg that much. I've broken a lot of legs, but that leg exploded. I didn't know what to do, and it's just disgusting and gross. I really wish he tapped," he lamented.

Known for his quiet, gentle character outside the Circle, Musumeci was visibly rattled at the conclusion of the match.

Most grapplers would tap when caught in such a compromising position, but not Bayanduuren, and this heralded the World Champion to reflect on the ugly reality of the sport.

"When I compete, I don't want to hurt anyone. I want them to train tomorrow. You know, I don't want to hurt my opponent at all. So, I really didn't like being put in that position where I had to break his leg," Musumeci said.

Having bagged the result and retained his crown, "Darth Rigatoni" is looking to move on from Saturday's co-main event battle.

When discussing future opponents, the 26-year-old grappling phenom has a couple of ONE's biggest MMA stars in his crosshairs, starting with Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes.

Flyweight World Champion Johnson will battle Brazilian superstar Moraes for the third time at ONE Fight Night 10 in May at ONE's historic U.S. on-ground debut event.

Musumeci directed another polite callout in "Mighty Mouse's" direction at ONE Fight Night 6, and he received a callout of his own from "Mikinho," following his victory in Thailand.

The Evolve MMA standout says he is open to facing Moraes and would love for the match to take place in the former flyweight king's backyard.

"He's a black belt in jiu-jitsu also, and he actually requested to have a match with me multiple times. So, I think we should just do it in Brazil," Musumeci said.

ONE is going to have their first card in Brazil this year, and I'm fluent in Portuguese. And I have a lot of Brazilian followers, also. So, it would be great for the Brazilian crowd."

Source: Media Release

Story first published: Thursday, January 19, 2023, 13:23 [IST]
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