WATCH: How Gabriel Sousa submitted Mikey Musumeci in their first encounter
Decorated BJJ star and ONE Championship debutant Gabriel Sousa is the last grappler to submit Mikey Musumeci. That's one amazing feat as the reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion is considered one of the pound-for-pound bests in the game today.
Before going on a 14-fight winning streak, including a stellar 6-0 run in the world's largest martial arts organization, Musumeci was stopped in his tracks by Sousa in a WNO event back in 2021.
The pair met in a 15-minute match in the quarterfinals of the one-night tournament. Right away, Mikey Musumeci displayed his impenetrable guard while Sousa fearlessly applied his signature pressure passing.
'Darth Rigatoni' threatened with his intricate leg lock entries but the crafty Sousa found a way to escape those entanglements. While the Brazilian's knee slice and leg-pinning attempts were rebuffed by the insanely flexible Musumeci, he still found a way to get past the American's defenses.
The relentless Sousa finally broke free around the eight-minute after he slithered past Musumeci's inverted open guard and went straight to the north-south position. The brilliant Musumeci briefly retained his position but his foe used the same technique to regain north-south control.
Despite Musumeci's best efforts to defend what was coming, Sousa eventually got his hands free and sunk in an extremely tight north-south choke, leaving his foe no choice but to yield.
Watch the exciting full scrap below:
Gabriel Sousa ready to shock the world again in Mikey Musumeci rematch
Mikey Musumeci has been itching to avenge that defeat for a long time, and he finally gets his wish at ONE 167 on June 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
The flyweight submission grappling king agreed to move up to 145 pounds to face his tormentor in his promotional debut. Sousa, though, is eager to prove that his victory over 'Darth Rigatoni' was no fluke.
Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 free, as it happens live on US Primetime.