Mikey Musumeci considers jiu-jitsu a ‘puzzle’ he needs to solve: “It’s a math problem”

Reigning and undisputed ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion ‘Darth Rigatoni’ Mikey Musumeci has a message for everyone about jiu-jitsu. The 27-year-old Italian-American superstar says jiu-jitsu is basic arithmetic and is as simple and as basic as common-sense mathematics.

Musumeci is one of the pound-for-pound best grapplers in the world and is a multiple-time world champion in ONE Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organization. His ability to grapple and turn opponents into human pretzels is uncanny, but according to ‘Darth Rigatoni’, a self-confessed nerd, it’s all just a huge math problem.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated in a recent interview, Musumeci says his training consists of just simply putting in the hard work and drilling until he perfects his techniques.

‘Darth Rigatoni’ said:

“I’m a big believer that one plus one equals two. Jiu-jitsu is a puzzle. It’s a math problem, and I was capable of doing it.”

Musumeci is fresh off a spectacular victory over former multiple-time ONE lightweight MMA world champion ‘Tobikan Judan’ Shinya Aoki. The two met at ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov on Prime Video earlier this month in Bangkok, Thailand.

Musumeci ended up submitting the Japanese MMA legend via a modified heel hook called the ‘Aoki Lock’, which is Aoki’s own trademark submission move used against him.

Prior to the contest, Musumeci also battled severe gastrointestinal issues and was hospitalized a week before the fight due to food poisoning. ‘Darth Rigatoni’ said that because of his hard work in camp, he was able to rise to the occasion and power through it all.

The 27-year-old added:

“I worked so hard on my jiu-jitsu during my camp. That month prior to getting sick, the work I put in was the reason I won. That’s why I was able to win.”

What’s next for Musumeci? Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the news and updates.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of ONE Fight Night 15 on Amazon Prime Video.