Tammi Musumeci Recaps ONE Championship Debut, Responds To Danielle Kelly

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Singapore, March 31: Following in the footsteps of her younger brother and ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci, Tammi Musumeci has arrived in ONE Championship in style.

The 28-year-old stamped her authority in the women's strawweight submission grappling division, defeating Bianca Basilio by decision after a grueling 10-minute showcase at ONE Fight Night 8 on 25 March at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Musumeci managed to display her grappling expertise over one of the best in the division en route to the victory, leaving the American happy with her inaugural performance.

"It felt surreal being out there. This whole experience felt like it wasn't real," Musumeci said. "I'm more of the type that really appreciated it. I want to make sure I did a good job. So that's why I was kind of disappointed because [I didn't get the submission]. But it's one of those situations where I did [my] best.

"It also makes me feel pretty good because she is the best girl at 125 lbs. So hopefully now, any matches I'll have [in the future], that was the [hardest]. I'm very excited again to fight people with different styles because then I'll be able to showcase my jiu-jitsu more."

Helping the accoladed grappler en route to her promotional debut was her younger brother, Mikey. The reigning flyweight submission grappling king has been dominant throughout his three outings inside the Circle, and the advice he gave his sister before her landmark opportunity showed in victory.

"He told me to have fun and go to my game. He worked on me a lot [the week leading up to the fight]. I've been training with our same crew in Vegas, too. So that's usually who he has his camps with," she said.

"This is the hardest I've ever trained for anything. Even when I've won Worlds and everything, this is the hardest. I would train three times a day, do some kind of training three times a day for this.

"I literally had no social life this time. I trained a lot of moves, but I didn't get to use them. I feel like it happens in all sports, too, where sometimes it's just not satisfying, but I'm happy I could go out there and win."

As her campaign to cement herself as the best grappler in ONE begins, Musumeci already has her eyes on cross-division superfights.

Another staunch contender in ONE's submission grappling kingdom is atomweight's Danielle Kelly, and Musumeci heard her fellow American's challenge loud and clear.

"I fought Danielle Kelly before, a year ago. I heard she wants to fight me. I'd be down for that. I could definitely make 115. I've made 115 [in] jiu-jitsu, and that's where you literally weigh in, and then you fight right after," she said.

"I like 125 a lot more because I like having muscles. I like eating a lot of pizza and getting to eat ice cream up until a week before. But for 115, I mean, I can definitely make that weight. It won't be as fun as 125, but at my height, I'm definitely built for 115."

Source: Media Release