Mikey Musumeci shares the perfect gym environment to train in

ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci is one of the greatest martial artists of this generation. It's not just his skills on the mats that make him so great. It's also because of his attitude once he's not on them. 'Darth Rigatoni' harkens back to the wise masters of old like Miyamoto Musashi, who believes that the ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.

The 26-year-old jiu-jitsu black belt is one of the most unassuming and least threatening-looking people you'll ever meet, even by normal standards. Musumeci maintains a philosophy of kindness and sets a great example for the next generation of martial artists. This is a departure from the usual arrogantly brash behavior combat athletes have today.

In a recent "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit, Mikey Musumeci answered a few interesting questions from fans. One of them was about his ideal training environment:

Mikey Musumeci's AMA session on Reddit

'Darth Rigatoni' said:

"A good gym for me is a group of people that don't have a huge ego. They are making jokes; a family environment where everyone is having fun, and when you finish training you feel the training passed by in 2 seconds, not when you are training you feel it takes 10 hours."

One of the things that can cause athletes to "burn out" while training is the environment they train in. Sometimes, having an overly competitive and intense gym can cause high stress and might be detrimental to an athlete's overall mental health. You can't be a killer all the time.

Being intense and competitive can be highly effective if it's complemented by a fun, friendly and loving environment. Like Mikey Musumeci said, time flies when you're having fun. Putting solid rounds in while having a laugh with your friends in-between can surely hone both your physical and mental acumen.

Striking a balance between being a berzerker and a fun, jovial training partner is not easy but can prove rewarding not just for you but also for your teammates.

On May 5 at ONE Fight Night 10, Mikey Musumeci will look to defend his ONE flyweight submission grappling world title for a second time. In front of a sold-out crowd at 1stBank Center in Colorado, 'Darth Rigatoni' will go against Yemen's first-ever BJJ blackbelt world champion, Osamah Almarwai.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch ONE Fight Night 10 live and for free in U.S. primetime on May 5.