"I like this respect" - Merab Dvalishvili, fans loving how Mikey Musumeci honored Shinya Aoki's legacy in Bangkok super fight

Reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci realized his dream of fighting his childhood idol Shinya Aoki in October 2023 at ONE Fight Night 15 in an openweight submission grappling match.

Musumeci got the job done against Musumeci with a modified Aoki lock to force a tap out of the Japanese legend in just a little over three minutes of the match.

ONE Championship looked back at this incredible moment for 'Darth Rigatoni' through a video on Instagram, and they wrote the post's caption with:

"When the student becomes the master 🙏 Can Mikey Musumeci become a two-division king when he challenges Kade Ruotolo for the lightweight submission grappling crown on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver? @mikeymusumeci"

Following the match's conclusion, the 28-year-old American sang his praises to 'Tobidan Judan,' and fans and other fighters appreciated this show of respect from Musumeci.

UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili (@merab.dvalishvili), along with other users @hong_ninja, @imluse0cm, @samuelrichards__, and @calebownes applauded Musumeci for his gesture, as they commented:

"I like this respect ✊"

"Love your humility and vulnerability, Mikey. You're showing a very "alpha" world TRUE strength comes from those traits, not aggression and ego. This applies to your opponents about depression, anxiety, etc. Respect."

"If a young champion beats u with a submission named after u then u still win"

"Bro could kill most men with his bare hands"

"You are such a wholesome human. Respect is the basis of a true martial artist and master. Humble yet deadly 🔥"

Screenshot of fans' comments

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Mikey Musumeci to challenge Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling crown at ONE 168: Denver

After sweeping his first seven fights under the promotion, Musumeci is now looking to make history on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver, where he will challenge Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion and attempts to be the first athlete in the world's largest martial arts organization to become a two-division submission grappling world champion.

Beyond the ground-breaking feat, the Evolve MMA representative wants to prove that he is one of the best pound-for-pound submission artists in the world today.

ONE 168: Denver will emanate from the Ball Arena in U.S. primetime on Sept. 6. Tickets for the event are available on Ticketmaster.