ONE Championship: Mikey Musumeci had a "torn lung" and could have died if he competed in Denver
Mikey Musumeci was told by a doctor he had a "torn lung" and could have died if he competed in Denver last Friday, according to ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong.
The former flyweight submission grappling champion ended up in hospital on the morning of ONE 168 after a tough weight cut, which saw him lose his belt on the scale.
Musumeci injured his lung doing intense breathing exercises during his cut as he tried to drop to 135lbs for a short-notice title defense against Bebeto Oliveira. Speaking to the media at the post-event press conference backstage at Ball Arena, Sityodtong said:
"He was doing this breathing exercise, really deep breathing and really hard breathing. He accidentally tore his lung, that’s what he just messaged me literally half an hour ago, and he’s in the hospital. So, in a way I'm glad he didn't compete, because the doctor said if he had competed with a torn lung, you can die, right?"
Musumeci was originally preparing for a super fight at 170lbs against lightweight champion Kade Ruotolo before it fell through, with the latter suffering an injury.
Sityodtong confirmed to Sportskeeda on the morning of the fight that Musumeci was out and had "elected not to compete" against Oliveira even in an open weight contest because he was not feeling well from his weight cut.
Expounding on the situation to the media after ONE 168, Sityodtong added:
"Earlier in the week, Mikey was hovering around 150lbs, around that area. We asked him, 'Hey, with Kade dropping out, do you want a catchweight at 150? Do you want to go down and defend your world title at 135?' A couple of days later he was at 140 so he felt very comfortable doing a title defence."
Sityodtong said Musumeci's weight cut was also hampered by drinking electrolytes on the advice of a nutrition expert, something he never normally does. He added:
"That's why Mikey missed weight. He kept on drinking water and [doing] this breathing to try and shed weight and yet maintain the safe hydration levels and weight requirements we have, and I guess he tore his lung. It just went from bad to worse at that point. He called me late [on Thursday] night and said, 'Chatri, I've got to pull out.' I said, 'Of course.' And then he woke up this morning and went straight to hospital and he wasn't feeling well."