Cleber Sousa believes ONE Championship is finally giving proper value to professional jiu-jitsu athletes

Multi-time BJJ world champion Cleber Sousa will face Mikey Musumeci for the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling world title at ONE on Prime Video 2. This world title fight between two of the best 135-pound grapplers in the world signifies a massive step for ONE Championship and the sport of jiu-jitsu as a whole.

There used to be a time when jiu-jitsu fighters were largely considered amateur athletes. However, this is no longer the case, thanks to promotions like ONE Championship. Submission grappling fighters are now seen and appreciated similarly to other prizefighters like boxers and MMA fighters. They no longer need to transition into MMA or pro wrestling to make money as professional athletes.

In an interview with ONE, Cleber Sousa talked about how the Singapore-based martial arts organization is instrumental in jiu-jitsu's newfound mainstream appreciation:

“I think it’s time or it’s past time for professional jiu-jitsu athletes to be properly valued. And I believe that what ONE is doing will change the lives of many athletes who dream of making a living from this beloved sport.”

What Sousa is saying is absolutely correct. ONE is giving the same attention, production value, and hype towards their grapplers as they would MMA fighters and kickboxers. It's about time a major fight organization does this - and everyone, hopefully, will follow suit.

---

Cleber Sousa has fallen in love with jiu-jitsu since day 1

Cleber Sousa was raised in a humble environment in Brazil and was forced to work for a living as a young man. Sousa has worked many odd jobs, such as selling handcrafted trinkets, marionettes, and sweets on the streets.

At 13-years old, Sousa received an invitation to train for free at the Almeida Jiu-Jitsu social project – since he could not afford to pay for his gym fees. 'Clandestino', as he became known, immediately fell in love with the art. By the time he was awarded his blue belt, he had decided to make a profession out of his passion.

In the same interview with ONE Championship, Sousa spoke about his humble beginnings in jiu-jitsu:

“As soon as I arrived at the project, I immediately went to play ‘pass the teacher’s guard.’ Even without understanding anything, I put my fight instinct out and just went for it (laughs). I did my best even without any technique. In the first classes, I already fell in love with jiu-jitsu, and I never stopped training.”

Not only is he supremely technical, but Cleber Sousa is also a natural-born competitor. He has a fighting heart that allows him to push forward even with insurmountable odds along the way. Look to see him showcase his combination of world-class technique and steely determination once he locks horns with Mikey Musumeci at ONE on Prime Video 2.