Mikey Musumeci says jiu-jitsu is "the easiest thing ever" after experiencing hardcore Muay Thai training

ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci has been immersing himself in Muay Thai of late and has come to certain realizations, including how what he is doing in jiu-jitsu is far easier than that of the “art of eight limbs.”

‘Darth Rigatoni’ is training Muay Thai to expand his range as a fighter. He recently trained with some of the top athletes at PK Saenchai camp in Thailand like world champions Nong-O Hama and Superbon Singha Mawynn. It was an experience that he said was difficult but at the same time enriching.

“You do Muay Thai, and then jiu-jitsu feels like the easiest thing ever,” the 27-year-old American grappling ace shared to onefc.com in an interview.

Apart from the skills themselves, another facet of the striking art that attracts Mikey Musumeci is the culture of hard work and the brotherhood within the community, enhancing further his respect for Muay Thai practitioners.

But while he has been dipping his hands in some Muay Thai training, the Italian-American champion continues to dominate in his lane of submission grappling.

He was recently in action against Japanese grappling legend Shinya Aoki in an openweight submission grappling clash. Musumeci won over his hero by submission through an “Aoki Lock,” which is a modified version of the straight ankle lock, early in their 10-minute clash. The win extended his streak to six straight in as many matches in ONE.

Prior to it, he successfully defended his world title for the third time against ONE strawweight mixed martial arts king Jarred Brooks with a submission victory in their all-champion title clash in October.

The success that Mikey Musumeci is enjoying in ONE has been an extension of that he had achieved in jiu-jitsu before joining the promotion, including winning five International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world championships while representing the United States.