"Don't judge a book by its cover" - Watch Mikey Musumeci transform from a 'nerd' to a merciless assassin on the mats
Mikey Musumeci certainly looks like your average Joe based on his unassuming appearance. But when you dig deeper, 'Darth Rigatoni' is a merciless assassin on the jiu-jitsu mats.
The American superstar is en route to becoming a rare two-division world champion if he defeats the current ONE lightweight submission grappling world titleholder Kade Ruotolo this September at ONE 168: Denver.
Paying tribute to Musumeci's impressive body of work, ONE Championship released an Instagram reel illustrating his transformation from "nerd" to "assassin," with the caption that aptly read:
"Don't judge a book by its cover. Can Mikey Musumeci become a two-division ONE World Champion when he squares off against submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo at ONE 168: Denver?
Check out the best fan reactions below:
Mikey Musumeci stands up against his bullies with a win against Gabriel Sousa
Mikey Musumeci may look like a nerd behind the glasses, but as mentioned above, he can be a menace towards his opponents, especially his bullies.
Not many have the courage to proclaim their convictions on the world stage for fear of what others might think or say. But Musumeci stood his ground in his last outing when he submitted long-time rival Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167.
A lot of things were said between the two foes during the buildup to their bantamweight grappling match, but it got heated when Sousa allegedly disrespected Musumeci's family - a decision Sousa would later regret. He told The MMA Hour:
"I'm a bully to the people I feel bully me. Some people don't like that, but how do you stop a bully from being a bully? You f*cking put them in their place. I'm nerdy kid, I look very nerdy, but I'm f*cking more alpha and macho than all these guys."
Thankfully, there's so much respect between Musumeci and lightweight grappling king Kade Ruotolo. They're excited to put on a show for the world when their grappling styles collide on September 6.
Tickets for ONE 168 are available via Ticketmaster.