Mikey Musumeci hails former UFC title challenger who gave him his black belt as the best grappler in the organization
Mikey Musumeci is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound grapplers in the world. He recently signed with UFC Fight Pass after plying his trade at ONE Championship from 2022 until 2024.
Recently, 'Darth Rigatoni' shared an interview with MMA personality and media member, Nina-Marie Daniele. Musumeci showed her some of the basics of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as answered several questions, including who he believed had the best grappling the UFC.
The New Jersey native opted for his longtime coach, Gilbert Burns, as his pick for the best ground-game in the UFC. 'Durinho' has long been considered one of the best grapplers in the promotion, having won world titles in BJJ in both gi and no-gi.
During his aforementioned interview with Daniele, he said:
"Well, I got my black belt from Gilbert Burns. So he's my coach, so I have to say him. But I really think he has amazing jiu-jitsu. Great submissions, great everything. So he's my answer."
Check out Mikey Musumeci's comments below (16:15):
Mikey Musumeci hopes to eradicate steroids from BJJ with the UFC's help
Mikey Musumeci's recent acquisition by the UFC could see major changes made to the sport. One change that 'Darth Rigatoni' would love to see would be to get rid of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in BJJ.
Currently there are few competitions that use drug testing, which has inadvertently seen many of the sport's best competitors use PEDs, such as Gordon Ryan. However, there are athletes that take pride in competing without the use of steroids, such as Musumeci.
After signing with an established promotion like the UFC, the New Jersey native hopes to make a change regarding drug testing in the sport. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the 28-year-old said:
"It's another platform that could expland our sport to people that wouldn't normally watch jiu-jitsu. It's another platform that will eventually have drug testing as well. It's another platform that could make our sport professional. Instead of all these steroids, all this craziness. I just want a legitimate, professional platform for athletes to have, for kids that are growing up so then they can dream of being a professional jiu-jitsu person."
Check out Mikey Musumeci's comments below (15:15):