Mikey Musumeci attributes his youthful appearance to being a lifetime natural athlete: "I look so much younger"
Mikey Musumeci has always been proud to represent clean athletes in submission grappling. The flyweight world champion is one of the best in the world and he did it without ever cutting corners to try and enhance his performance.
On top of staying true to his principles, he also believes that this has been a major benefit to his physical health during his years of competing. Musumeci attributes both his athletic form and his appearance to the lack of substances that he has put his body through.
As a result, he believes that this has given him more longevity in his career, especially when compared to his fellow competitors. In a recent interview with ONE Championship, he spoke in more detail about the impact of not taking performance-enhancing drugs in his career:
"I think it's crazy. I'm 28 now. Do I look 28? I look so much younger than 28. And we look at people that are 28, 29 in jiu-jitsu, and they look 30-something, you know, like 40s, and it just shows you what steroids do to your body. My body is like 20, 21 right now. I'm very young, my body, and that's why I have so many more years I could compete."
Mikey Musumeci wants to continue setting the example
Mikey Musumeci believes that one of the most damaging mindsets to the sport of submission grappling is competitors feeling that if they're not on drugs, they're the only ones who aren't.
Both Musumeci and his ONE 168 opponent are living proof that none of this is necessary in order to compete at the highest level. Lightweight champion Kade Ruotolo will put his title on the line in a grappling super-fight at the Ball Arena on September 6.
With both competitors being strong role models for why performance-enhancing drugs don't need to be a major aspect of the sport, this clash of champions will be a huge moment for submission grappling.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.