“Now my time has come” - Gabriel Sousa says he always had an eye on ONE’s submission grappling scene
Gabriel Sousa is eager to kickstart his journey with ONE Championship, especially when his debut is slated against his old rival and ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci.
Looking forward to this intriguing bout from the Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand Sousa thinks this is his time to shine, both as a professional athlete and a future star.
Speaking to ONE ahead of his highly anticipated debut, Gabriel Sousa said:
"But I knew that if one day I was part of ONE, I would have a professional structure and a better future within the sport. So, ever since ONE started the grappling division, I had a goal of joining the organization. I wanted to be part of it and now my time has come."
Gabriel Sousa feels heel hooks no longer surprise him
As a tormentor of Mikey Musumeci, Gabriel Sousa is very well aware that he will be facing a formidable, highly technical foe, who is aiming for revenge.
However, the Brazilian believes that this rematch between them will end with the same results as before since he has greatly improved his skills, mentality, and levels of grappling prowess – especially when it comes to the battle of leg locks.
In an interview with ONE, Sousa elaborated on his newfound abilities, confidence, and mindset:
"I'm going to face an athlete who attacks a lot with heel hooks, so I trained a lot so as not to be surprised and I believe that my Jiu-Jitsu level has increased a lot, especially my knowledge regarding footlocks."
However, Musumeci should not be taken lightly. The reigning king has won all of his fights in ONE, including four world championships, which will make this a difficult challenge for Sousa, and a very intriguing barnburner.
ONE 167 will air live on U.S. Primetime on Friday, June 7, free of charge for existing Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America.