"It helps people built like that" - Mikey Musumeci explains why Gabriel Sousa's frame is perfect for no-gi BJJ
ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci is like a fountain of knowledge when it comes to his chosen field. The elite grappler is a very impressive athlete and has the mentality of a competitor, but what separates him from the pack is his mind for jiu-jitsu.
There aren't many better at breaking down an opponent or staying one step ahead of their next move when he's competing.
At ONE 167, Musumeci will look to get the better of an opponent that was the last man to beat him. Gabriel Sousa submitted the champion three years ago before he signed to ONE Championship and produced his dominant win streak.
In a recent interview with the promotion, Musumeci broke down the game of his opponent and how he benefits from competing without a gi.
Highlighting Sousa's short limbs, he explained why he is able to use this as an advantage when it could be considered a disadvantage in other scenarios:
"Gabriel has very small limbs. So he has no arms, no legs. Which in no-gi, it helps people built like that. Like, dinosaurs kind of. In the gi, they have a very hard time, this body type, because of grips on the sleeves and legs. So they're really easy to control, like, omoplata them, take their back."
Mikey Musumeci has had a long time to think about Gabriel Sousa
Mikey Musumeci has accomplished some great things ever since his last loss three years ago. However, make no mistake about it, this rematch with Sousa has been constantly playing on his mind ever since their first meeting.
'Darth Rigatoni' is after revenge, and you can bet that after how long he has spent thinking about what he would do differently, it will be sweet indeed should he get his hand raised at the Impact Arena.
ONE 167 will air live on June 7 in US primetime and is free to watch for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.