WATCH: Gabriel Sousa gives a detailed breakdown of how he passed Mikey Musumeci’s impenetrable guard
BJJ specialist Gabriel Sousa is showing fans how he managed to score a submission victory over Mikey Musumeci.
On Friday, June 7, Sousa will make his ONE Championship debut as he is set to square off with 'Darth Rigatoni' in a bantamweight submission grappling bout. It will be their first meeting since Sousa scored a shocking submission victory over Musumeci via a north-south choke under the Who's Number One banner in 2021.
Before the two grappling gurus ran it back on martial arts' biggest stage, Sousa shared step-by-step instructions on how he passed Musumeci's otherwise impenetrable guard.
"The mindset I use fighting against Mikey was always going to the outside pass because he's very flexible and his leg attacks are very good so I'm always trying to get him on his side," Sousa explains. "The first time I pass his guard, I always pin the bottom leg just to avoid him squaring up on my hip or my knee."
From there, Sousa shows how he was able to move Musumeci's head toward his own knee, preventing him from shrimping out of the position and allowing Sousa to immediately climb into the north-south position.
Check out the full breakdown via the video clip below:
Mikey Musumeci seeks redemption against Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167
Gabriel Sousa will attempt to deliver a repeat performance at ONE 167 inside Bangkok's iconic Impact Arena. However, the Mikey Musumeci he's facing is not the same one that met him on the mat in 2021.
Since then, 'Darth Rigatoni' has established himself as one of the greatest grapplers in the world today. He has amassed an impressive 6-0 record in ONE Championship, earning victories over the likes of Masakazu Imanari, Osamah Almarwai, Jarred Brooks, and Shinya Aoki.
Along the way, Musumeci has claimed the ONE flyweight submission grappling world championship with a stellar performance against 106-win veteran Cleber Sousa at ONE on Prime Video 2.
Will Musumeci score some redemption against his Brazilian opposition, or will Gabriel Sousa go two-up on the New Jersey native?
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.