"I used to take it very personal" - Mikey Musumeci says criticism from non-believers no longer bother him

The first and only ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci has made a revelation ahead of his showdown with long-time rival Gabriel Sousa on June 7 as part of the ONE 167 card, which goes down inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Musumeci revealed that he was once bothered and confused by the criticisms from fans and pundits about him. He shared this in a recent interview with ONE Championship, as he stated:

"You get used to it. I used to take it very personal. I'm like, what the f**c? Like, why am I being judged so hard? Like, they're such a****les. But it's a part of the sport I'm in in my life, you know, and I'm grateful for that."

'Darth Rigatoni' was still receiving negative comments despite him being an undefeated fighter under the world's largest martial arts organization and securing multiple world title defenses.

But now, he has successfully canceled out the external noise and continues to thrive on the global stage as one of the biggest stars in the promotion.

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Mikey Musumeci will employ a different approach in upcoming bout with Gabriel Sousa

Musumeci is known to wear a huge smile whenever he competes and to constantly show respect to his opponents. But this time, the Evolve MMA representative will take a different approach against his Brazilian nemesis.

The 27-year-old American will be parading a more fierce and intimidating aura heading into the match, which signals his desire to even his head-to-head matchup with Sousa, who submitted him in their first meeting in 2021.

Musumeci even encouraged the naysayers to doubt him again on fight night because he wants to prove them all wrong.

ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America in U.S. primetime on June 7. The card will emanate from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.