Mikey Musumeci on training alongside BJJ great Cobrinha and Kennedy Maciel: “The techniques we figure out are insane”
Mikey Musumeci provided brief insight on his submission grappling training with Rubens 'Cobrinha' Charles and Kennedy Maciel. On Sept. 6, Musumeci will face the toughest test in his combat sports career.
The ONE flyweight submission grappling king is scheduled to move up three weight classes to challenge Kade Ruotolo for his lightweight world title in the ONE 168: Denver co-main event. Musumeci is preparing for his upcoming super-fights with the legendary 'Cobrinha' and his son, multiple-time world champion Maciel.
During an interview with ONE, 'Darth Rigatoni' had this to say about his training sessions:
"In this training, the techniques we figure out are insane because we’re just constantly changing things, constantly. I’ll be working one thing, and then Kennedy starts stopping what I’m working."
ONE 168 will take place inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
ONE Championship's highly-anticipated return to North America features two world title fights - Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek (bantamweight Muay Thai) in the main event and Kade Ruotolo vs. Mikey Musumeci in the co-main event.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver can be found on Ticketmaster.
Mikey Musumeci looks for biggest win of submission grappling career at ONE 168
Mikey Musumeci made his ONE Championship debut in April 2022. Since then, 'Darth Rigatoni' has established an impressive resume by taking out Masakazu Imanari, Cleber Sousa, Gantumur Bayanduuren, Osamah Almarwai, Jarred Brooks, Shinya Aoki, and Gabriel Sousa.
Meanwhile, Kade Ruotolo holds a 6-0 promotional record under the ONE banner. The lightweight submission grappling world champion holds wins against Shinya Aoki, Uali Kurzhev, Matheus Gabriel, Tommy Langaker x2, and Francisco Lo.
Ruotolo and Musumeci have separated themselves as the biggest superstars in ONE's submission grappling divisions. At ONE 168: Denver, the two world champions will battle to significantly boost their respective resumes.
It should be noted that the weight difference could be a significant factor in Ruotolo vs. Musumeci.
'Darth Rigatoni' prides himself on showcasing how technique beats size. Yet, Ruotolo's advantage might be the difference-maker, as skill-wise they are both world-class grapplers.