"I worked very f*****g hard" - Mikey Musumeci says training camp for Gabriel Sousa rematch was the most grueling ever
Mikey Musumeci has been grinding away in the gym ahead of his return to action at ONE 167 on June 7. The ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion has never been short on motivation. He lives for training and the endless pursuit of knowledge and perfection that has consumed his daily routine via submission grappling.
However, his focus and drive for his next contest come from a place far different than simply wanting to improve.
For everything that Musumeci has accomplished, nothing gets him more fired up than his competitive streak. It has been three years since the last time that he suffered a defeat, a submission loss to Gabriel Sousa.
Musumeci has been hoping to cross paths with Sousa again ever since that loss so that he can correct his mistakes and avenge the defeat. That time has finally arrived as at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, he will move up to bantamweight to take on the debuting Brazilian.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Musumeci spoke about his training camp for this rematch and how he has pushed himself every day in preparation:
"I really put myself to have the best chances to win this match, I believe, and I worked very f*****g hard."
Mikey Musumeci is fired up and ready to go
Since he arrived in ONE Championship, securing a rematch with Gabriel Sousa has been something that Mikey Musumeci has been pushing for. The ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion has racked up some impressive wins and performances in that time.
With all that being said, this one is different for the champ because of the history between them from 2021.
Musumeci is expecting this contest to be very different based on the improvements that both men have made since that point.
On June 7, he will look to show that he has covered the most ground in that time.
ONE 167 will air live in US prime time, free to watch for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.