Mikey Musumeci says Thailand is his "favorite Asian country"

At ONE Fight Night 6, flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci defended his belt in dominant fashion.

The 26-year old grappling star faced 2022 Combat Sambo World Champion Gantumur Bayanduuren in the first defense of his world championship. Securing a unanimous decision victory in front of the fans in Bangkok, Thailand, he went on to speak about how he is enjoying life in Asia.

Since signing with ONE Championship, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has packed up his things and moved to Singapore, where he has spoken about enjoying taking in a new culture and experiencing life in Asia.

In his interview inside the circle on Friday night, the world champion gave his thoughts on Thailand and his plans going forward:

“So Thailand might be my favorite Asian country ever. I love this country so much. I'm thinking to learn Thai now. That's the next language for me to learn. I want to fight here as much as I can.”

Alongside the likes of Rodtang Jitmaungnon, Stamp Fairtex, and Chingiz Allazov, Musumeci put on a show for the fans in attendance and everyone watching the event live at home.

Whilst he may have been unable to submit his opponent, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Mikey Musumeci has one of the most dominant grappling games in the world and he showcased that on January 13, giving ONE fans a moment they will never forget after he tried to take his opponent's leg home with him.

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Mikey Musumeci wants "to have an impact on the next generation" in jiu-jitsu

As one of the best grapplers on the planet, Mikey Musumeci wants to leave a lasting impact on the sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Having become the inaugural ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion at the age of 26, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ is already breaking new ground in his career.

While speaking with Fightlore, the US-born athlete said:

"The deep reason why I compete in jiu-jitsu is, one, I love it. I’ve been doing it since I was four years old. That’s 22 years training jiu-jitsu. I don’t know, it just became a part of my life."

With his incredible mastery of the sport that has seen him become a five-time IBJJF world champion, Musumeci hopes to leave the kind of legacy that people never forget and are inspired by.

He added:

"I feel like why I continue to compete now is to have an impact on the next generation. I want people to watch me compete and then want to train jiu-jitsu as well."

See the full video below:

At ONE on Prime Video 2, Mikey Musumeci became ONE’s first ever submission grappling world champion when he defeated Cleber Souza. With his first world title defense already under his belt, 'Darth Rigatoni' is helping to establish ONE as the home of the world's elite grapplers.