“We shouldn’t have this anymore” - Mikey Musumeci hopeful that BJJ will one day be steroid-free
American grappling ace Mikey Musumeci is one with the hope of BJJ being rid completely of use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. He said it is not only for preserving the integrity of the sport but also for the welfare of the fighters themselves.
'Darth Ragatoni' highlighted this in an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his bid for the ONE bantamweight submission grappling world title against reigning divisional king Kade Ruotolo next month in the United States.
Mikey Musumeci shared that he is looking forward to the day when the sport of jiu-jitsu is already steroid-free just as he encouraged stakeholders to do their part in the push for the overall good of all concerned, saying:
"With time, it's gonna change, because what's gonna happen is there's gonna come a time that there will be enforced drug-testing year-round once there's enough money.
"Or, unfortunately, some of these people are gonna have a heart problem and die from what they're doing, and then people are gonna realize, 'Wait, we shouldn't have this anymore. This is bad.'"
ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Musumeci will battle Ruotolo in an all-champion title super fight at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. on Sept. 6. Like him, Ruotolo is also opposed to the use of PEDs in jiu-jitsu and pushing for reforms on that front.
ONE 168 will take palce at the Ball Arena in Denver 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 climbs three divisions in bid to become double ONE world champion
ONE flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci is making an assault at another world title in his next fight. To achieve it, he is climbing three weight divisions.
The Italian-American champion will challenge his lightweight counterpart Kade Ruotolo at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6. It will serve as the co-headlining match of the event, which will be the second live on-ground show of ONE Championship in the United States.
Mikey Musumeci knows that he is set for an uphill battle against a bigger and crafty Ruotolo but is undeterred by it, confident that the training he put in for the match, coupled with his already top-notch skills, will be enough to tow him over for the win.
ONE 168, meanwhile, will mark Ruotolo's fourth defense of the world title he won in October 2022.