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Mikey Musumeci hopes to put on a few pounds before his must-see submission grappling showdown with Kade Ruotolo.
Last Friday represented an important moment in Musumeci's combat sports career, as he attempted to avenge a defeat against Gabriel Sousa.
The ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion showcased his improvements by securing a calf slicer finish, extending his perfect promotional record.
Following his impressive performance, 'Darth Rigatoni' sat down for an interview with the media during the ONE 167 post-fight press conference.
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Mikey Musumeci quickly turned his attention to his upcoming match against Ruotolo, scheduled for ONE 168: Denver on September 6, and had this to say:
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"So I'll definitely probably stay lighter and maybe if I can I'll try to put on another five pounds of muscle. I feel like that would be a reasonable number, 10 max. But I can't see myself being 10 without eating more protein. I was trying, for this match, to eat more protein so that helped me get a little heavier. So maybe another five pounds, if that."
The ONE 167 replay featuring Mikey Musumeci's submission win against Gabriel Sousa can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch the ONE 167 post-fight press conference below:
Who made a bigger statement at ONE 167 between Mikey Musumeci and Kade Ruotolo?
Before Mikey Musumeci defeated Gabriel Sousa, Kade Ruotolo made his professional MMA debut against Blake Cooper.
Ruotolo showcased flashes of his raw striking skills before utilizing his superior grappling abilities to secure a first-round rear-naked choke submission.
Ruotolo's smooth transition to MMA was undoubtedly impressive. With that said, Musumeci's ability to avenge his defeat against Sousa and make the challenge look easy was arguably more eye-opening. It should be noted that Ruotolo and Musumeci earned a $50,000 performance bonus.
On September 6, Musumeci has an opportunity to become a two-division world champion by potentially dethroning Ruotolo of his lightweight throne.
Tickets for the upcoming event inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado can be found here.
