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He may not have wished for the outcome, but how Mikey Musumeci described his match against Gantumur Bayanduuren was as sinister as any in combat sports.
The reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion made his first defense of his throne against Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6 in Bangkok.
Musumeci dominated the entire match but never found the submission win after Bayanduuren decided to toughen it out despite being locked in multiple leg locks throughout the contest.
Bayanduuren's misplaced perseverance, however, cost him his left leg after he suffered multiple ligament tears in the match.
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In an interview with ONE Championship, Musumeci described the sensation of ripping away at Bayanduuren's left leg in an attempt to submit the Mongolian star.
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Mikey Musumeci said:
"I'm starting to feel his knee start breaking. You know when you rip cardboard? It feels identical to that. I feel his leg breaking but his face has no expression. So it's confusing, 'How the hell is this guy just taking this?' Props to him for eating a full heel hook."
Bayanduuren was subsequently rushed to the hospital and surgeons tasked to operate on him described the injury as akin to someone figuring in a motorcycle incident.
Musumeci, meanwhile, embarked on a perfect ONE Championship, which now stands at a perfect 7-0 with five submission wins.
'Darth Rigatoni' now heads to the biggest match of his career when he challenges Kade Ruotolo for the ONE lightweight submission grappling world title at ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.
Tickets for ONE 168 are available at Ticketmaster.
Mikey Musumeci says he's always harbored a desire to reach perfection in his craft
Most fighters have this insane drive that elevates them above their peers, and Mikey Musumeci is no different.
The ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion admitted in an interview with Cageside Press that he's a perfectionist and will often get into a maniacal state during training:
"I'm a perfectionist, and we never reach perfection, but we could keep working harder to keep improving, and I feel like that's why I'm always humble. I'm very hard on myself. I'm very mean, but that makes me who I am."
Watch Musumeci's entire interview below:
