“That would be very cool” - Mikey Musumeci says transition to MMA is in his plans
Fight fans will not be seeing American grappling ace Mikey Musumeci competing in MMA anytime soon but it is something at the back of his mind that he's interested in pursuing at some point in the future.
The reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion spoke about a possible transition to the multifaceted sport of mixed martial arts in an interview with Cageside Press, in line with his scheduled return to action next month in the United States.
Mikey Musumeci shared that competing in MMA will be a good opportunity to showcase his range as a fighter and as an individual, saying:
"Yeah, definitely, I would like to do MMA at some point. That would be very cool. Just to show someone with my persona could actually excel in MMA. Also, I think that would be really cool to show people."
Check out what he had to say below:
While Mikey Musumeci competing in MMA may have to wait for some time still, he will be in action on Sept. 6 at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. There, he will vie for the lightweight submission grappling world title against reigning divisional king Kade Ruotolo and add it to his flyweight gold.
ONE 168 will take place at the Ball Arena and air live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Tickets for the event are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.
Mikey Musumeci does not see himself competing in MMA full time
Mikey Musumeci may be interested in competing in MMA at some point in the future but was candid in saying that he does not see himself competing in it on a full-time basis.
He said as much during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit last year, highlighting that while he was looking at MMA, and even Muay Thai, down the line, he would continue to be a BJJ fighter first and foremost.
Musumeci said:
"I have aspirations for MMA in the future. I did Muay Thai over seven years as a kid, but I would have to relearn a lot. I am 26 now so I have so many years to study and learn Muay Thai again. Definitely would love to do MMA, but only for a limited time so I don't get too much CTE hahaha."
Mikey Musumeci made his ONE Champioinship debut in April 2022 and has been undefeated in seven submisison grappling matches to date.