“His attitude speaks for itself” – Gabriel Sousa impressed by Mikey Musumeci’s willingness to go up a weight class
After dominating ONE Championship's flyweight submission grappling division, Mikey Musumeci will move up to bantamweight for a long-awaited rematch with Brazilan star Gabriel Sousa.
The bout will go down on Friday, June 7 when the promotion heads back to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand for a loaded ONE 167 card featuring some of the biggest names in combat sports, including Tawanchai, Rodtang, Liam Harrison, Kade Ruotolo, and a pair of noteworthy debuts.
Along for the ride will be Mikey Musumeci, who seeks redemption at ONE 167 as he takes on Sousa, an accomplished BJJ practitioner who holds a victory over 'Darth Rigatoni' under the Who's Number One banner in 2021.
"He fights at 61 kilograms and is moving up to the 66-kilogram division so he can fight me," Sousa said of Musumeci during a recent interview with ONE. "I have a lot of respect for him. His attitude speaks for itself."
While Sousa will be looking to secure a win in his first appearance with the promotion, Mikey Musumeci will be gunning for W number seven, having bested all of his previous opponents in decisive fashion.
Mikey Musumeci's trail of destruction in ONE Championship
Making his ONE debut in April 2022, Musumeci immediately established himself as a formidable force in the division, dispatching Japanese legend Masakazu Imanari at ONE 156. He followed that up with a world title-winning performance against Cleber Sousa, becoming the first-ever ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion.
Since then, 'Darth Rigatoni' has taken out a series of top-tier talent. He absolutely dominated former Sambo world champion Gantumur Bayanduuren and subbed his last three opponents — Osamah Almarwai, Jarred Brooks, and Shinya Aoki.
Will Musumeci add another big win to his resume, or will Gabriel Sousa go two-up on Darth Rigatoni in The Land of Smiles?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.