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ONE flyweight submission grappling world champ Mikey Musumeci may have had the best debut for a grappler in any organization. In his ONE Championship debut, 'Darth Rigatoni' showed the world how to dismantle a legend with relative ease.
In an iconic clash showcasing the most sophisticated levels of jiu-jitsu, Musumeci faced Japanese MMA and grappling legend Masakazu Imanari at ONE 156. They opened the 10-minute bout by attacking with leglocks right away. Imanari, famous for revolutionizing leglocks in MMA, went straight for his trademark foot lock.
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What happened next was the very reason why Mikey Musumeci is the future of the sport. After wiggling out of Imanari's foot lock, 'Darth Rigatoni' went for a scramble and landed on the half-guard top.
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Musumeci majestically transitioned to back control from a knee-cut pass. We can't be too sure of the history of that pass, but we're quite positive that the American grappler invented it.
Imanari, the veteran that he is, defended it as expertly as he could. Musumeci, however, trapped one of his arms with his hyper-mobile legs. The match is pretty much over at this point. Mikey Musumeci's rear-naked choke came in automatically, and Imanari had no choice but to tap out. The new era of jiu-jitsu is here, and it's on the back of Musumeci.
Watch the highlights of the bout here:
Mikey Musumeci to defend world title against Osamah Almarwai at ONE Fight Night 10
At ONE Fight Night 10, ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci will defend his throne for a second time.
On May 5 in Broomfield, Colorado, 'Darth Rigatoni' will look to showcase his BJJ mastery at ONE Championship's first live show on US soil. The 26-year-old self-proclaimed BJJ nerd will take on Yemen's first-ever BJJ blackbelt, Osamah Almarwai.
Osamah Almarwai, nicknamed 'Osa' by his fans, might be Musumeci's most difficult test in ONE Championship yet. 'Osa' has been training at Atos BJJ with ONE's grappling siblings, the Ruotolo brothers, under the guidance of ADCC icon and ONE grappler Andre Galvao.
Almarwai is a former IBJJF Pan No-Gi champion, IBJJF No-GI world champion, and American Nationals No-Gi champion. He is also riding a six-fight win streak and will be making his debut in ONE Championship. If there's one thing Musumeci knows all too well, it's making an impactful promotional debut.
